by Derek Krantz
Rumor has it that the new iPhone 7 may not have its classic headphone jack, and we may finally now know why.
Most of you are probably familiar with the small, circular hole for you headphones that has been around since before the time of the iPhone. 3.5mm wide, it almost universally is how audio connects to technology. Apple is reportedly planning to remove its classic audio port and have headphones go directly into the lightning port instead. For those of you who don’t know, the lightning port is the current place that we charge iPhones since it made its debut with the iPhone 5. 80 percent smaller than the chargers for previous iPhone models, the compact charger’s rounded rectangular shape has become familiar to most. It has also been speculated that Apple with create more premium wireless earbuds, which may or may not be called AirPods.
The news of this innovation has angered many loyal Apple consumers who believe that this will make using their phone to listen to music much harder due to the restrictions on what kind of headphones can be used. I completely agree with them. This would not be the first time that Apple has pulled something like this on us. They have changed the computer chargers multiple times, and the sudden shift to the lightning charger in 2012 caused significant frustration and anger from consumers. There is already a petition online with over 200,000 signatures to keep the current headphone jack that has been around since 1964. We all ask the same question: Is it really worth it?
If one theory about Apple’s motivation for the change is correct, then I can safely say that yes, it is worth it.
Some claim that it is to make a thinner iPhone, some say it’s for high-resolution Apple Music, and some just don’t know, but a writer Forbes.com claims that the removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack will enable Apple to create a completely waterproof iPhone 7. If this is actually the case, I am very intrigued. A development like this could open up a whole new set of doors for the applications of the device. The obvious benefit of a waterproof phone would be having one less thing to worry about ruining it with, but the ability to take underwater photo and video could be even more exciting for iPhone users like myself.
While some argue the very valid point that having such restricted headphone use still is not worth this new innovation from Apple, I disagree. Even with such an amazing new feature to the iPhone, people do not want to give up their current headphones. My response to you is simple; how many pairs of headphones does a person need? One. How many sets of headphones come in the box with a brand new iPhone? One! Yes, it is true that borrowing a pair of headphones from a friend will not be as simple as it is now, but I think the tradeoff is justified by Apple if they are truly developing a waterproof device.
I could see this causing a decline in iPhone sales due to many wanting to stick with their old phones. Obviously, the only opinion that matters is your personal one. Come September, you may have to weigh your options about what kind of features matter to you the most.