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The smarter of the two Apple founders speaks up...


MrKnobs

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Posted

Although I agree with the Woz as far using BlueTooth for anything but human speech, the adapter would just fit on the end of the existing headphone jack, so what would be the issue?

Tempest in a teapot...as long as Apple doesn't do their usual greed grab and charge $39.99 for the adapter...although that would not surprise me at all...

  • CMS Author
Posted
Although I agree with the Woz as far using BlueTooth for anything but human speech, the adapter would just fit on the end of the existing headphone jack, so what would be the issue?

 

I dunno. Somebody tell me. Does the Lightning connector carry analog audio at headphone amplifier level? I just assumed that it was a digital plus power connector, no analog audio. But I could be wrong.

 

If there was analog audio comeing out of that connector (and how about going into it, for an external mic or headset), then electrically, only an adapter would be necessary. But it's more bulk and a longer lever arm, thus putting more stress on the phone's connector, and it's another piece to get lost.

 

  • Moderators
Posted

in the actual article, they say the option is Bluetooth OR an adapter to the charger connection, so I guess they're routing the audio out there....no one said it was perfect, and frankly, a thinner phone is not necessarily a better phone, IMHO..but it is Apple, after all, and they know better than anyone what the world needs, right? :wave:

  • Members
Posted

So...you can use headphones with an adapter. A friend of mine has the R2D2 cylinder Mac, and its lines are so clean and it's so compact...well, at least until he started adding on hard drives, an optical drive, a Thunderbolt chassis, and a bunch of other adapters...

 

I do think there is a potential advantage to Lightning headphones, though...assuming there's a digital audio output that bypasses the internal D/A converters. Then as soon as some company brings out headphones with built-in, high quality converters, you'd in theory have better sound. But jeez, it's a friggin' phone. There might be a reason why the hot new thing along with vinyl is refurbished iPods with solid-state drives.

  • CMS Author
Posted

An adapter could contain a D/A converter. There's what's essentially the output half of a sound card contained in a USB plug and call it an "adapter," Parts cost would be only about fifty cents more than the cost of the connectors and package. As an Apple accessory, the cost would probably be much greater than the usual markup.

  • Members
Posted

Many of us use our iPhones to trigger things, such as cameras, and this could potentially ruin that. But we're a small segment, and I am sure they do not consider this at all.

  • Members
Posted
Keep the headphone jack

 

Terry D.

 

Agree with you about Woz. I remember reverse engineering the firmware and software for the Apple iie back in the 80s and being astounded by the simplicity and elegance of the design.

  • Members
Posted
Although I agree with the Woz as far using BlueTooth for anything but human speech, the adapter would just fit on the end of the existing headphone jack, so what would be the issue?

Tempest in a teapot...as long as Apple doesn't do their usual greed grab and charge $39.99 for the adapter...although that would not surprise me at all...

 

 

ummm... It's probably a bit more sinister than what you may be thinking.

 

You can bypass DCMA with analogue, but not if it's a pure digital data stream right into the (expensive) earbuds / headphones that have decrypting D-to-A converters. This is where it's going. :nudge-nudge-wink-wink:

 

  • Moderators
Posted

'Then as soon as some company brings out headphones with built-in, high quality converters, you'd in theory have better sound. But jeez, it's a friggin' phone. '

Well, there is an idea to work on!

And yeah, it is a phone that sells out every time they issue a new one...a built in market of sheep ready to be sheared!

  • Moderators
Posted

say no more, say no more...the folks at Apple can't seriously think that Bluetooth is a good option, so obviously they are looking at a $$$ accessory, and they will control the licensing on it to keep the retail high. Sinister? No...typical Apple 'we know they will buy it if we put our logo on it' approach.

  • Moderators
Posted

 

 

ummm... It's probably a bit more sinister than what you may be thinking.

 

You can bypass DCMA with analogue, but not if it's a pure digital data stream right into the (expensive) earbuds / headphones that have decrypting D-to-A converters. This is where it's going. :nudge-nudge-wink-wink:

 

Yep, that's why I posted this.

 

Terry D.

 

  • Members
Posted
Yep, that's why I posted this.

 

Terry D.

 

 

Apple recently invests a $billion$ (or was it more) into the streaming music business, and now this.

 

The tea leaf reading conspiracy buffs can lead to no other conclusion with this seemingly innocuous feature omission on future iPhoanz.

 

 

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