Sources say that Apple, in its never ending quest to make the iPhone thinner, might do away with the 3.5 mm headphone jack which is the global standard and has been for a while. Instead, the next iPhone will apparently allow earphones and headphones to connect via a multipurpose Lightning port.
Apple actually made this possible with iOS 7.1, when it introduced a new Made-For-iPhone/iPad/iPod (MFi) spec to allow headphones and earphones to connect to the device over the Lightning port. There was some speculation in the immediate aftermath that the next iPhone could do away with the 3.5 mm audio port, though it’s only now that we’re hearing more reliable reports.
This move could also allow Apple to switch to a digital audio output standard instead of the current analog output we use, though accessories will probably ship with a Digital to Analog converter so as to support both standards.
Apple will also have to update the MFi specs to make lightning port support compulsory for audio accessories, with manufacturers having to ship with an adapter to support both Lightning and the standard 3.5 mm port.
While this move will certainly help Apple make its next iPhones thinner, the company is bound to face some backlash, both for doing away with a popular standard and from those who have been asking for a thicker phone with better battery capacity. The last time Apple changed standards, which was when it introduced the Lightning port, the Internet raged for weeks, as it has a tendency to, with customers who were forced to buy new accessories, such as docks, having the loudest voices.
Would you switch away from the 3.5 mm port in favour of the Lightning port? Have you already? Or would you rather have Apple keep the iPhone at its current thickness and increase the battery capacity instead? Let us know in the comments below, on Google+, on Facebook, and on Twitter!
[button link=”http://9to5mac.com/2014/06/03/apple-introduces-mfi-specs-for-lightning-cable-headphones-support-arriving-in-future-ios-update/” icon=”fa-external-link” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Source: 9to5 Mac[/button]Last Updated on November 27, 2018.
