Headphones

Most people weren’t too surprised when Apple revealed that the iPhone 7 wouldn’t come with a headphone jack. Rumors and speculation over the decision had been circulating for months, but a lot of fans were still angry about it. Apple, however, thinks it was the right choice, and the company may eventually do the same thing with the MacBook Pro. MacRumors was the first to notice that Apple has been sending out surveys to MacBook Pro users asking about a number of features found on the laptop. But the question that sticks out the most is: “Do you ever use the headphone port on your MacBook Pro with Retina display?” Other questions ask how satisfied users are with their laptop’s battery life, how often they use specific ports, and what method they use to upload photos from a digital camera to a MacBook. Apple is expected to release its refreshed MacBook Pro series next month. Leaked images of the laptop's chassis suggest it will include a 3.5mm headphone … [Read more...] about Is Apple now considering removing the headphone jack from the MacBook Pro?

At yesterday’s Apple event, the company confirmed rumors that have been circulating for months: the iPhone’s headphone jack is no more. Quite a few people are unhappy about this, so in an interview with Buzzfeed, Apple’s VP of worldwide marketing Phil Schiller, VP of hardware engineering Dan Riccio, VP iOS, iPad and iPhone marketing Greg Joswiak, and CEO Tim Cook defended the decision. The foursome said there were several reasons why Apple ditched the 3.5mm connection, the main ones being the amount of space it takes up, the way it hinders water resistance, and the fact it’s antiquated. “The audio connector is more than 100 years old,” said Joswiak.“It had its last big innovation about 50 years ago. You know what that was? They made it smaller. It hasn’t been touched since then. It’s a dinosaur. It’s time to move on.” Riccio, who called the jack a mere “hole filled with air,” said its inclusion had held … [Read more...] about Apple says it was right to remove “dinosaur” headphone jack from the iPhone 7

You’ve no doubt heard the widely believed rumor that Apple will drop the 3.5mm headphone jack in its next iPhone. With Android devices such as the Moto Z already having abandoned the audio port, people are angry at companies trying to phase out the old standard - but Intel says its removal could be a good thing. Back in April, the chipmaker spoke about how it wants to replace the 3.5mm jack with USB Type-C. And at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco earlier this week, Intel architects Brad Saunders and Rahman Ismail discussed the upcoming new USB-C audio standard, reports CNET. Sanders said that one of the main benefits of removing the jack is the space it will free up inside phones, allowing them to become slimmer. Additionally, the analog circuitry it uses can interfere with other electronics inside a device. The use of digital audio could allow sound-processing options usually only available with expensive headphones, such as noise canceling, “concert hall” … [Read more...] about Intel says USB-C advantages could make dropping the headphone jack worthwhile

Rumors say it’s pretty likely that Apple will drop the popular 3.5mm headphone jack from its next smartphone. The decision isn’t sitting well with most potential iPhone 7 buyers; even Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has warned that moving to an all-in-one lightning connector is “going to tick off a lot of people.” There’s a possibility that Apple will include some Lightning-equipped earphones and a Lightning-to-jack adaptor with the next iPhone, but Wozniak doesn’t think this will placate everyone. “Mine have custom ear implants, they fit in so comfortably; I can sleep on them and everything. And they only come out with one kind of jack, so I'll have to go through the adapter,” he told The Australian Financial Review. If the 3.5mm jack does disappear, there’s always the wireless option. But Woz thinks we’re not yet at the stage where this can match the quality provided by wired headphones. "I have cars where you can plug in the … [Read more...] about Steve Wozniak warns Apple over removing the 3.5mm headphone jack for the iPhone 7

In a move that no consumer really wants, Apple will be ditching the headphone jack in the upcoming iPhone 7 to make the smartphone thinner, at least according to a report from Fast Company that corroborates previous rumors. The report suggests that Apple will force consumers to use the company's proprietary Lightning jack to connect headphones, either through a Lightning-to-3.5mm adapter, or by purchasing new headphones with a Lightning jack. The iPhone 7 also may not come with a pair of Lightning headphones in the box; instead, Apple will sell a pair of noise-cancelling, Lightning-equipped headphones separately. To support the noise-cancelling headphones, Apple is reportedly working with one of its chip partners, Cirrus Logic, to bring the feature to the iPhone 7. The noise-cancelling system will be integrated into both the phone and headphones, and will also use technology from Wolfson Microelectronics. Apple will also allegedly be making the iPhone 7 waterproof, which is a handy … [Read more...] about More reports claim iPhone 7 will ditch headphone jack, add waterproofing

        Chinese smartphone maker OPPO on Tuesday said it would invest $7 billion in research and development in the next three years to develop core technologies in hardware, software and system in addition to 5G/6G, Artificial Intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), Big Data and other emerging technologies.OPPO said it would launch smartwatches, smart wireless headphones and 5G CPE (customer-provided equipment) in the first quarter of 2020. “As the adoption of 5G and AI ramp up, intelligent connectivity is increasingly within reach. We believe the concept of connection is just the foundation, whereas the integration and convergence of things will be the future,” Tony Chen, Founder and CEO, OPPO said in his keynote address at the OPPO “INNO DAY 2019” event here.Revealing its insights and initiatives for the era of intelligent connectivity, OPPO also showcased a variety of smart devices including smart watches, smart headphones, 5G CPE … [Read more...] about Oppo unveils its first smartwatches, smart headphones and AR glasses, to launch in 2020