APPLE could be planning a radical redesign of its best-selling smartphone, which involves ditching the iconic Home Button and headphone port to extend the display.
 |
| Apple is expected to bundle Lightning-equipped EarPod headphones with the iPhone 7 |
Apple is rumoured to be ditching the industry-standard 3.5mm headphone port for its next smartphone, the iPhone 7.
It's proven to be one of the most unpopular Apple rumours of all time, with more than 200,000 people signing a petition against the move.
The 3.5mm headphone port – a hundred-year old technology based on analogue signals – is ubiquitous, in part because it's an open standard and partly because it is cheap to produce.
But a number of Apple fans have spoken-out in defence of the drastic decision to drop the port.
Not only will the move allow Apple to thin down the design of its next smartphone by "more than a millimetre", but it could also improve the speakers.
Removing the 3.5mm port will free-up space inside, which could allow Apple to create a larger audio chamber within the body of the phone – and therefore better sound quality.
 |
| Apple is expected to shave another millimetre from its next smartphone design |
 |
| A number of third-party manufacturers already sell Lightning-equipped headphones |
Apple previously showed an interest in developing this technology in a US patent.
"As portable electronic devices get smaller and thinner, there are increased difficulties in providing the same or greater functionality in a smaller area," reads the background in the technology firm's patent.
"The one or more speakers [of this new system] can produce audio sound that can be directed (e.g., by way of one or more acoustic chambers) to one or more audio output openings."
Audio quality could also see a bump in Apple's own EarPod headphones, which are bundled with every model of iPhone.
Apple is expected to bundle Lightning-equipped EarPod headphones with the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, to help ease the transition for consumers.
 |
| Ditching the 3.5mm port could let Apple extend the display closer to the edge |
 |
| Apple is expected to update its included EarPods to use a Lightning port |
Lightning headphones are capable of receiving lossless stereo 48 kHz digital audio output from Apple devices, as well as sending mono 48 kHz digital input from a microphone.
Since the Lightning port is capable of charging and sending audio at the same time – it would be possible for Apple to include active noise-cancelling technology to the white headphone without adding any bulk.
According to a report in Fast Company, not only could this help to improve audio playback – it could "help remove background noise in phone calls."
Apple was first granted a patent for Lightning connector equipped headphones back in December 2014.
 |
| Philips introduced a pair of high fidelity Lightning-equipped headphones last year |
Alongside the new and improved headphone rumour there's also talk the next iPhone could be waterproof and support wireless charging – a first for the Apple smartphone.
San Francisco-based designer Matt Galligan this week posted a theory on blog site Medium that Apple is ditching the port so that it can include more screen space in future-generation smartphones.
The iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus offered a hint at how an iPhone without a Home Button could work – and Apple has already filed multiple patents for a display that can read fingerprints.
"It’s all about internal space," Mr Galligan has posted.
"Think about it … that jack at the end of your headphones has to go somewhere in the phone.
"Grab a pair of headphones, then act like you’re going connect them to your iPhone, but instead lay them on top of the phone instead where they’d otherwise go.
"See how close it comes to the screen? Basically there would be no way to fit the jack itself under the screen."
If previous years are anything to go by we're expecting all to be revealed in September.
If you can't wait that long for your next Apple fix don't panic too much.
The US tech giant might be planning to launch a new smartphone in March, which could be called the iPhone 5e.
Rumours suggest this new device will feature a 4-inch display, 8-megapixel camera and Apple Pay support.
Post a Comment Blogger Facebook Disqus