iPhone 7 - If the rumours are true...

Dinarius

...and the iPhone 7 models don't contain a headphone socket I, for one, will be saving myself a lot of money by settling for the 6S Plus, which I have avoided to date.

http://www.macrumors.com/2016/02/29/iphone-7-plus-dual-cameras-iphone-pro/

http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/iphone-7-1303990

I use a pair of these http://www.bowers-wilkins.eu/Headphones/Headphones/Headphones/P7.html and don't let anyone tell you that wireless is as good as wired.

Will be interesting to see what the Autumn brings.

I have avoided buying an iPad (or similar). I want a "phablet", but I can wait until then.

D.

Zcott

I don't mind the lack of audio ports. I'm ok with either wireless, or a lightning-jack adapter. I'm a musician but not an audiophile.

chrislad

I don't think it's that there won't be a headphone socket, it just won't be 3.5mm. It'll probably use the lightning socket for physical headphones.

brophs

One issue is that on a lot of bluetooth headphones there's still an audio/video lag/sync issue. I'm sure it'll improve as time passes but even Beats haven't proven to be immune in the past.

Sad Professor

I don't have a issue with the port being dropped eventually though I'd prefer they'd wait until wireless/Bluetooth 'phones are good/cheap enough. If it happens with the iPhone 7 I think it will be premature.

smash

I'm guessing dual cam would be similar to the below so you could shoot 3d video?

Creamy Goodness

I doubt it's for 3D shooting. 3d is a fad and a terrible one at that.

It'll be for being able to shift focal length after you've taken a photo or be able to record two streams of video, one capturing the entire shot, the other a close up slo-mo (think a skateboarder doing a kick-flip). think more like this https://light.co/ than 3D.

as for the headphone jack? good riddance. one less hole to be clogged up with pocket lint.

Flaccus

Also wireless will consume less of your battery as they dont need voltage pushed out of the headphone socket. Bluetooth 4.1+ consumes very little in low power mode. We will also see the end of that stupid eu 100db headphone jack limit on handsets bundled with earphones.

Regarding earphones going through the lightning connector its going to a totally digital affair so maybe apple will also get rid of the DAC on the phone seeing as it will be on the lighning earphones instead. And hopefully there will be some very portable dacs/convertors available for those that want to keep their analog cans.

faceman

To me the dropping of a headphone socket will be a deal breaker for me unless you have a the ability to use the lightening port with regular headphones conveniently.

I have yet to be wowed by Bluetooth headphones. They're not great and an additional battery drain. Technology hasn't caught up yet.

The iPhone 7 has existed for a while now. A friend of mine is a neighbour of one of the VP's who has been using it in a disguised case for some time.

jack presley

eBay will be full of lighting port/headphone jack adapters as soon as this is launched and Apple will probably sell them as well for €30 or something.

zuluchio

I use the headphone socket to connect to the AUX port in my car, so if they do ditch it there better be an adapter, or a new cable.

Creamy Goodness

I agree with everyone about bluetooth, it just doesn't cut the mustard. all bluetooth devices suck for connectivity.

There's one exception I'll add to this list and it's the Apple Watch. The watch uses bluetooth but it does so with some extra apple sauce, if it goes out of range of bluetooth it flicks over to wifi. so as long as your watch is on the same wifi network as your watch, your phone and watch are still connected, genius.

What if the headphones are like that, use a mix of bluetooth and peer (phone) to peer (headphones) local wifi. It would certainly solve bluetooth's range issue, and also wifi would be a lot better for transferring music to the wireless ear buds.

Tbh I don't care if Apple's lightning to 3.5mm jack is sold for $30 or whatever, the majority of people these days either 1. use bluetooth earphones, 2. don't care enough about sound quality, 3. still listen to FM radio even though they've got millions of songs and podcasts in their pocket which the bundled ear pods are easily capable of doing for them. If you have an expensive good pair of headphones (like I do) you'll adjust or just go buy a Pono :pac:.

My good headphones will be now for at home/office/air travel and I'll use the ear pods or a cheap < $100 pair of lightning earphones for day to day commutes.

Getting rid of the 3.5mm jack will allow apple to do many more things, mainly it's one less port to break, one less port for water to get through to the internals, more space for battery (fat chance i think), make the bezels thinner and thus reduce the physical size of the device, put a stereo speaker on that side.

Apple haven't been shy to remove things from their devices, first to kill the floppy, first to kill the cd, first to do one usb port, but I do feel like this one will cause the most negative press.

BigMoose

Not being able to charge and listen at the same time would be a deal breaker for me. On long flights the ability to leave it plugged in to charge while I listen to music is very important. I have an expensive set of wired headphones I have no intention of replacing... Not sure I'd be bothered with the hassle of some lightning dongle to provide the jack.

Flaccus

These are nice but pricey. Have the amp and dac built in obviously.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Philips-M2L-Headphones-Lightning-Connector-black/dp/B00PY73VIC

I can see these adaptor yokes being pretty bulky for people that want to use their analog cans.

ozmo

BigMoose wrote: »

Not being able to charge and listen at the same time would be a deal breaker for me.

I saw a photo online that suggested it was all wireless charging - both the phone and the bluetooth earbuds were casually laid on the same charging pad. Could be true.

Asmooh

Nice but still missing so many things, like easy to copy files from and to your device without itunes.
copy to usb stick etc.

baby and crumble

I have to say I have no issue with the change- the only time I used my phone wired for music is on a plane. I love wireless headphones, they're so handy. I can't afford the best by any stretch but I got a pretty good pair on Amazon that do the job for me. I think they were about £20.

ozmo

Mr.S wrote: »

That's fake.

Yes all photos of apple stuff prior to launch are mockups of course, just to show a suggested image what apple is up to based on rumours.
I wont be upgrading though this time unless its something really really special.

dodzy

ozmo wrote: »

Yes all photos of apple stuff prior to launch are mockups of course, just to show a suggested image what apple is up to based on rumours.
I wont be upgrading though this time unless its something really really special.

It better be, looking at the S7 Edge. They need to maximize the screen size if they are staying with the current IP6/6S frame size. Plenty of exploitable space on current handsets for the high paid engineering wizards to utilise.

Blazer

Looked at the Samsung S7 edge and to be honest it looks like a complete gimmick. the edge is about 4mm I'd say if even that and wtf would you be reading on that...nothign much I'd say

Creamy Goodness

Blazer wrote: »

Looked at the Samsung S7 edge and to be honest it looks like a complete gimmick. the edge is about 4mm I'd say if even that and wtf would you be reading on that...nothign much I'd say

The wrap around edge isn't something I'd like as they extend the keyboard on to the edges LOL, but one thing the s7 has gotten right is the screen size to physical size. The s7 and the iPhone 6S Plus have the same screen size but the 6S Plus is ginormous side by side.

Boskowski

Wireless headphones are a pain. Anything that I need to put on a charger is a pain. Special plug headphones are a pain, too. Stupid decision if true imho.

12Phase

I'm guessing they'll have some kind of short dongle cable that you plug into the end of your headphone.

A lot of people have expensive headphones and they'll have to have a solution to connect them.

The advantage of getting rid of the headphone port from apples perspective is that you can also push some hardware out into the cable or headphones.

There's really no such thing as "digital headphones" the signal gets converted into an analogue from either in the phone, in a dongle or in the headphones. The speakers are driven by an analogue signal.

The advantage and disadvantages are that your audio quality will be dependent on whatever hardware is doing that digital conversion in your headphones rather than the iPhone itself.

It's a little sad in a way to see the end of what is actually the oldest connector we have.

The headphone jack and it's direct ancestors have been in use for 138 years having begun life as a telephone connector used on switchboards and even wall sockets. (It was the standards connector here in Ireland pre 1980s for your landline [although most were hard wired])

I'd say "phone jacks" will still be commonly used though for many many years to come. I can't see them disappearing from pro audio and musical instruments anytime soon.

Stinicker

I wish they'd bring in USB 3.0 support, takes friggin ages to transfer out of iTunes.

Heisenberg1

Creamy Goodness wrote: »

The wrap around edge isn't something I'd like as they extend the keyboard on to the edges LOL, but one thing the s7 has gotten right is the screen size to physical size. The s7 and the iPhone 6S Plus have the same screen size but the 6S Plus is ginormous side by side.

As the pround owner of the s7e you are spot on the screen size is perfect on the s7e the edge is a nice feature to have. The keyboard is not extended to the edge.

Blazer

Creamy Goodness wrote: »

The wrap around edge isn't something I'd like as they extend the keyboard on to the edges LOL, but one thing the s7 has gotten right is the screen size to physical size. The s7 and the iPhone 6S Plus have the same screen size but the 6S Plus is ginormous side by side.

its that bloody home button :mad:

Creamy Goodness

Heisenberg1 wrote: »

As the pround owner of the s7e you are spot on the screen size is perfect on the s7e the edge is a nice feature to have. The keyboard is not extended to the edge.

Number 2 in this list.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2nPsyyme5I

Blazer wrote: »

its that bloody home button :mad:

Yup the sooner it's integrated into the 3D Touch display the better but I don't think we'll see that for some time.

Heisenberg1

Creamy Goodness wrote: »

Number 2 in this list.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2nPsyyme5I

Yup the sooner it's integrated into the 3D Touch display the better but I don't think we'll see that for some time.

No 2 doesnt happen with mine. And my keyboard is not right to the edge.

Heisenberg1

Heisenberg1 wrote: »

No 2 doesnt happen with mine. And my keyboard is not right to the edge.

Ah ha ! I know why mine does not go to the edge mine is not the default size font I changed it as the font was to large.

Nonoperational

Really wouldn't fancy them loosing the headphone jack. The iPhone has a decent DAC so a 3.5mm to an amp is a good setup.

Simply Red

Not a fan of wireless headphones or earphones, just another thing to keep charged.

12Phase

The only time I find them handy is when out running or in the gym. Other than that, I wouldn't really be bothered as they're more hassle than anything.

Wolverine359

As the title of the thread goes, I'm talking rumours and speculation here from the get-go. Looking at the latest rumour (on macrumors.com of course :pac:), it's suggested that the iPhone 7 plus will be the more advanced model again, with a dual-lens camera, while the 7 will have a flush but single-lens camera. The rumoured 5se (which I hope will be just called the iPhone SE), will be similar to the 5s but with improved camera and processor etc, with a few exterior design cues taken from the curvier 6 generation thrown in.

That's my sum-up of the rumours I'm personally taking as good indicatiors anyway. I expect I will be staying away from the 7 generation altogether if the phones are staying the same size as the 6. I tried the 6 and couldn't get used to the bigger size and form-factor and went back to the 5s which I love now more than ever before tbh . Again, going purely by the rumours, it looks like Apple will be providing the SE as the smaller-iPhone option, which I'd be okay with. Kinda wish the best technology could be squeezed into a phone of its size (i.e. have it as another companion in the coming 7 generation) but I'd be happy with upgrading my 5s to a SE if it had a better camera/processor/a few other upgraded features.

Thoughts?

Dinarius

Thanks for all the replies.

Had 20 minutes to spare this morning and had a mooch in Vodafone and CompuB on Grafton Street.

Have to say, the big Samsung (the Edge Plus?) is a thing of beauty. But, so is the piano-black faced 6S Plus. (You can keep the white faced one.)

I love the Apple ecosystem, so I can't see myself changing. But, I still think I'll wait until September. If the headphone socket is removed, I'll get the 6S Plus for less. So, I see it as win-win by waiting.

D.

Ivefoundgod

Mr.S wrote: »

Wireless charging is a bit of a gimmick, I would think that Apple stay away from it tbh.

The headphone jack is for sure gone. Apple won't ship it wireless earbuds though, we'll just the normal stock headphones but with a lightning cable. Truly wireless earbuds are only really coming to the market now, and are quite pricey.

Have you used wireless charging on any phone? I think its great and speaking as someone looking to switch back to iOS with the iPhone 7 from a Galaxy S6 I'd really miss the wireless charging and the fast charge. Neither are dealbreakers for me but they'd be nice to have.

I wasn't overly impressed with the s7 edge, I had planned on getting it as my contract is up now but decided I'd hold on until September. I think I might be a bit jaded with smartphones, there doesn't seem to be any major upgrades any more which is only natural I suppose but its hard to get excited about any of the new releases.

Dinarius

Ivefoundgod wrote: »

I think I might be a bit jaded with smartphones, there doesn't seem to be any major upgrades any more which is only natural I suppose but its hard to get excited about any of the new releases.

I totally agree.

Law of diminishing returns applies, I guess.

Which is why I anticipate keeping whichever phone I buy in September (headphone-jack dependent) for quite some time.

Right now, phones practically make the dinner. They are mini-laptops and iPads rolled into one, well just about. Oh, and they make calls too.

What more can we expect? I'm not sure.

D.

Snake Plisken

Will Apple continue to manufacture and sell the iPhone 6s series or will they just let stock levels run out when the 7 drops? Also historically how much cheaper will the 6S series be once the 7 starts shipping, depending on if the 7 ships without the headphone socket, there might be greater demand for the 6S if the 7 ships without a headphone socket.

12Phase

I honestly don't think the headphone socket will make much difference if there's a small dongle easily available or shipped with the phone and it's not crazy expensive.

You can see exactly what they're up to though. A happy coincidence between making the phone thinner and driving Beats' sales.

They also could throw a spanner in the works and introduce USB C headphones as an industry standard.

The new MacBook is USB C only.
That standard rolls USB, Thunderbolt and HDMI all into a single tiny connector.

I have a Google Nexus phone which uses USB C and an iPhone 6.

The USB C connector is a vast improvement over MicroUSB but I think lightening is more robust.

The Nexus 6P has rapid charge too which is damn handy.

One thing to note tho. The iPhone seems to unofficially support "slightly more rapid charging" if you charge it off a modern Mac's full powered USB port or an iPod charger the charge time is reduced ...

matchthis

Could they use that new connection system on iPad pro to create a new connection of headphone that wouldn't require an open port?

Zcott

matchthis wrote: »

Could they use that new connection system on iPad pro to create a new connection of headphone that wouldn't require an open port?

Yes, but it seems like a stopping point on the way to wireless headphones.

Definite deal breaker for me. Would be another device to keep charged. I just know I'd go to use wireless headphones and the battery would be flat.

melekalikimaka

i've used bluetooth headphones for about 2 years, would never go back.

Really the argument that your high fidelity headphones are gonna be wasted now, lets be realistic, they are wasted as it is listening to compressed files

Flaccus

melekalikimaka wrote: »

i've used bluetooth headphones for about 2 years, would never go back.

Really the argument that your high fidelity headphones are gonna be wasted now, lets be realistic, they are wasted as it is listening to compressed files

Lots of people with good headphones listen to lossless audio like flac, wav and alac.
About the only advantage I can see for bluetooth besides the obvious wireless connection is there is less drain on the phones battery compared with analog headphones. Sound quality wise bluetooth pretty much sucks unless you are just streaming stuff from spotify or apple music.

How though? I would have thought that driving a couple of speakers would use less power than a transmitter.

Stacker Pentecost

Karsini wrote: »

Definite deal breaker for me. Would be another device to keep charged. I just know I'd go to use wireless headphones and the battery would be flat.

Unless, wireless charging?

Stacker Pentecost

Stacker Pentecost wrote: »

Unless, wireless charging?

I'd still need to remember to keep it charged. When I had an iPod I didn't use it as often as I would have liked because I never remembered to charge the thing. At least with the iPhone I plug it in going to bed and it's ready by the morning. One device.

Stacker Pentecost

Karsini wrote: »

I'd still need to remember to keep it charged. When I had an iPod I didn't use it as often as I would have liked because I never remembered to charge the thing. At least with the iPhone I plug it in going to bed and it's ready by the morning. One device.

Yeah that is true actually. I'd be the same.

Creamy Goodness

Charging bluetooth headphones is a pain in the arse. It's for this very reason I've a set of EarPods in my bag, and I frequently have to use them cause I forget to charge the bluetooth ones.

faceman

Creamy Goodness wrote:

Charging bluetooth headphones is a pain in the arse. It's for this very reason I've a set of EarPods in my bag, and I frequently have to use them cause I forget to charge the bluetooth ones.

Agree with this.

I have a set of Bose noise cancelling headphones that I use for travelling. They have to be charged and if they were my daily headphones it would be a right pain in the ghoulies.

BigMoose

faceman wrote: »

Agree with this.

I have a set of Bose noise cancelling headphones that I use for travelling. They have to be charged and if they were my daily headphones it would be a right pain in the ghoulies.

Exactly this - I have to keep a decent pair of non powered in ear headphones in the bag for when I discover the Bose are flat and I forgot to replace the spare battery. Unthinkable to be on a 14 hour flight without working headphones!

squonk

It's not that bad. I got a pair of Sennheiser Momentums lately and I find the play time pretty generous. About 20-22 hours which really gets me though most of the week as I'd listen for a few hours in work and a bit on the way home. I only really have to charge on a Thursday night to be ready for my trip home on a Friday. If I'm using the phones heavilly I'll give them a top up during the week but it only takes an hour or two to charge them. Not too bad.