Next iPhone to come with exciting upgrades for audiophiles

Nov 28, 2015 09:19 GMT  ·  By

It's not a secret that Apple plans to make the next-generation iPhone thinner than the current model, and because of this upgrade, the company might be forced to make additional hardware changes under the hood.

One of these rumored changes is the removal of the traditional 3.5mm headphone jack, which might be mandatory because the next iPhone will be 1mm thinner, so fitting such a module could be a serious challenge.

But Mac Otakara claims (via AppleInsider) that Apple already has a backup plan, as it wants to replace the headphone jack with a Lightning connector or Bluetooth headphones. While the latter seems highly unlikely right now, the chances are that Apple will go for a Lightning port and either offer an adapter for its signature EarPods headset or equip it from the very beginning with such a connector.

Lightning port advantages

If Apple decides to go for the adapter, the digital-to-analog accessory would basically allow new iPhone owners to use any headset with the device, while the built-in connector would mean that buying new Apple headphones would become mandatory.

Needless to say, replacing the 3.5mm jack with a Lightning port comes with a handful of advantages, most of them related to using a digital channel instead of analog. Such a connector would offer higher audio quality while also making it possible for professional headphones to be used with iPhones.

Unsurprisingly, Apple hasn't commented on these rumors so far, but the company had already suggested earlier this year that exploring the opportunities brought by the Lightning connector was a priority, so it won't be a big surprise to see the iPhone 7 going for such an approach.

According to pundits, the next iPhone model is projected to see daylight during the summer of 2016, as Apple's looking to change the launch date from the typical fall schedule in search of increased holiday sales.