Will the iPhone 7 drop earphone jacks?

3 Dec 2015

And so the cycle continues. Just a few short months after the iPhone 6s hit the shelves, rumours have began emerging about its eventual successor.

In what can be termed the start of what soon becomes silly season, the first claims are that Apple wants to do away with audio jacks in the iPhone 7, in favour of an all-encompassing Lightning port and wireless compatibility.

The port will be the same size as a standard jack, according to Mac Otakara, with it supporting Lightning-equipped and Bluetooth headphones.

iPhone 7: Adapt to the new world

Interestingly, it will have a digital-to-audio converter, meaning that if you want to use regular earphones then an adapter will be needed.

If this transpires to be true it will be a far bigger shift than when Apple walked away from its traditional 30-pin charge point connector to its current Lightning variant.

It will mean, too, that if you want to charge your iPhone, while listening to Apple Music on your regular earphones, you’re in trouble.

Presumably this means that wireless charging will be included, otherwise it sounds a bit too odd.

iPhone 7: But wait, there’s more

Of course, there are multiple suggestions doing the rounds. G for Games cites Weibo, a goldmine of rumours and predictions, for its information on seven separate design plans for the next iPhone.

These include plans to add multi Force Touch, dual camera configurations, and fingerprint recognition technology embedded within the display, AMOLED screen tapering and, of course, ditching the Lightning port for a USB Type-C connector.

You know what they (nobody) say(s), you can’t believe in every rumour, especially those that directly contradict each other.

Apple image via Shutterstock

Gordon Hunt was a journalist with Silicon Republic

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