Apple’s iPhone 7 could scrap the 3.5mm headphone jack, claims report
And risk infuriating millions of headphone owners? Good luck, Apple
The iPhone 6s is just slightly thicker and heavier than the previous model, which seems due to the addition of 3D Touch technology – although it could be course correction after bendgate revealed that, yes, a thin smartphone can be bent with some effort.
In any case, this year’s slight bounce-back could be temporary: Japanese blog Macotakara says its sources indicate that Apple plans to shave at least 1mm off the current thickness for next year’s iPhone 7. And how will the company accomplish that? By jettisoning the headphone jack.
We’ve heard this rumour in the past, but it’s never come to fruition – almost certainly because nearly anybody buying an expensive smartphone already has a pair or two (or more) of headphones or earbuds lying around. And the 3.5mm stereo port is the standard all over; ditching that would be a seismic shift in how we interact with and connect to our devices.
Instead of the standard audio port, the blog suggests that owners can use Bluetooth wireless headphones, or ones made with a Lightning port – or you’ll surely be able to use an adapter to convert your existing headphones to work with Lightning. But what about when you want to listen to music or media with non-Bluetooth headphones while charging your iPhone?
Apple has a track record for tricky, format-shifting decisions like this – see the Macbook from earlier this year with the single USB Type-C port – but the 3.5mm port has been accepted for decades now. And do most buyers even want thinner phones at this point? It seems unlikely.
But this is one report on a phone that probably won’t release for another 10 months, so take it with a grain of salt for now. We’ll let you know if anything more surfaces on the matter.
[Source: Macotakara via 9to5Mac]
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Andrew Hayward
Freelance Writer 
