iPhone 7 features leaked: Will Apple ditch the headphone jack?

Apple is already on the task of finalising most of the design aspects of its iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus and if reports are to be believed the devices could be unveiled in five months.

The industry is abuzz with rumours that the next iPhone could bring about new refreshing changes into the iPhone that has already significantly evolved since the iPhone 5 but sort of made very little design improvement between the iPhone 6 and the 6S?

Among the latest set of leaks, the next iPhone is all set to shed the headphone jack from both new models and a possible introduction of dual camera.

Images of the new iPhone casing was recently leaked by a Hong Kong based Chinese website and it does obviously indicate the change in camera structure. The new design clearly indicates that the next iPhone could come with dual cameras.

This could also mean that Apple might improvise on the camera sensors. Currently the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus comes with 12MP sensors and advanced pixel technology.

A new pill shaped camera casing can be seen on the new design. However it needs to be seen if the dual camera mode will be introduced on both the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 plus or limited to the latter.

It can also been seen that Apple has re-positioned the two antenna bands on both ends. The bands have been moved to the top and bottom ends. Also seen in the new design are three dots that could possibly indicate a smart connector, similar to that on the iPad Pro.

The leaks have prompted Apple accessories designers to create a mock up.
   
Although the leaked images do not show the bottom of the casing, there are rumours that Apple might remove the 3.5mm headphone jack from the new iPhones.

Apple instead plans to use the all-in-one Lightning connector for audio output and charging.

The photo does not reveal the bottom of the smartphone, but multiple reports claim the iPhone 7 series will drop the 3.5mm headphone jack in favour of an all-in-one Lightning connector for audio output, charging, and accessory connectivity.

This isn’t surprising at all. Way back in 2014 Apple is said to have introduced specifications for manufacturers that allowed them to create headphones that connect to iOS devices using a lightning connector.

To listen to music stored or streamed as digital files, a digital analog converter (DAC) changes the digital data stream into an analog electric signal, which then drives an amplifier, which then drives a loudspeaker to produce sound. The 3.5mm jack can only carry an analog signal, so the DAC must be housed within the player. For a smartphone, the compromise between size and performance limits the quality of DAC, and therefore the music experience.

Commenting on the move to do away with the 3.5mm audio jack axiom Managing Director Faisal Al Bannai says, “The quality of music reproduction from portable music players has improved exponentially in that time, but the headphone jack will never let us experience that change fully.”

Although Apple did not remove the headphone jack on either the iPhone 6 or 6S, it might end up doing so this time.

But with the headphone jack gone, will the iPhones then get slimmer? While some believe that Apple could introduce dual speakers in place of the headphone jack, it is also speculated that a further slimming of the iPhone could make the device go bending again. Following the initial iPhone 6 bend-gate controversy, Apple made the iPhone 6s thicker and heavier. While the iPhone 6 was 6.9mm thick and weighed 129 grams, the iPhone 6s is 7.1mm thick and 143 grams. Making it more thinner could once again make the iPhone susceptible to bending issues which Apple would definitely try and avoid.

“The height and width of any smartphone is now determined by the size of the screen, so having a slimmer handset is now the key to making it more compact, and less bulky to slip into a pocket or bag,” said Al Bannai.

“At the cutting edge of design, the 3.5mm required for the headphone jack has become the obstacle that stops the case becoming slimmer. Apple could potentially shave as much as 1mm from the thickness of the iPhone case just by removing it, and if you look at the micro-USB slot on Android devices, it is visibly narrower than the headphone input from top to bottom,” he adds.

According to him Apple would be taking a calculated risk if it does go ahead with this change, which seems fairly certain. “There may be some consumer resistance, but buyers in that segment will most likely accept losing the old-fashioned headphone jack if it means having the slimmest phone on the market, and if they can see that there is a viable alternative – which there is. If Apple moves, others will follow very quickly, and in fact, the leading Android brands will probably already have their own super-slim, micro-USB only designs well on the way to production.”

Currently these are just rumours and will not be confirmed until the day Apple announces the new devices sometime in late September. Yet one needs to be aware that Apple could only be playing catch up with flagship android devices and once again prove be a copycat.

It should be noted that both the above mentioned features are already available on Android devices. The LG has already introduced the dual camera in its latest flagship the G5 and so has Huawei with the P9. Earlier Apple had initially resisted the temptation to increase its screen size but had to change its strategy following a large screen onslaught by Android devices.