We’ve been hearing over and over recently that the iPhone 7 might not have a standard headphone jack, and while this has raised the ire of many Apple fans, it has also upset Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak. He said ditching the headphone jack would make a lot of people angry, and there has been plenty of online comments by people which back up what he told The Australian Financial Review in an interview.
iPhone 7 may use Bluetooth EarPods
The rumor that the headphone jack will disappear from the iPhone 7 is one of the most persistent rumors we’ve been hearing about Apple’s next smartphone. We’ve also heard that the company might switch to some sort of headphones that connect to the iPhone 7 wirelessly via Bluetooth, which some are referring to as “EarPods.”
If the rumors are correct, it would mean that anyone who dropped some serious cash on expensive headphones would have to spend more money to buy new ones if they want to keep using them. Another possibility is the need to buy some sort of adaptor so that they would still work with the iPhone 7.
Wozniak: don’t do it, Apple
In an interview, Steve Wozniak, affectionately referred to as “The Woz” by some fans, told The Australian Financial Review that if Apple did remove the headphone jack from the iPhone 7, it would “tick off a lot of people.” He advised against using Bluetooth, saying that he actually doesn’t like wireless. This is very interesting in light of his standing as one of the great minds in technology and innovation within the last 20 years.
In fact, Wozniak dislikes wireless technology so much that when given the choice to plug in using a cable or connect via Bluetooth, he chooses the cable. He said music delivered over Bluetooth “just sounds so flat” compared to music that’s delivered using a cable, and he’s not alone, as many music enthusiasts prefer wired connections because they don’t believe Bluetooth delivers sound quality that’s as good as the quality provided by a wired connection.
Apparently the lack of a headphone jack wouldn’t keep him from buying an iPhone 7, however, as he said he would probably just use an adaptor to connect the earphones he has currently to his next iPhone. He added that he is pretty attached to the accessories he has for his iPhone, explaining that his earphones have custom implants for his ear to make them fit perfectly. He said they are so comfortable that he can sleep on them.
Bluetooth 2 needed to convert Wozniak to wireless tech
Wozniak believes that Bluetooth leaves much to be desired and expressed a desire for “Bluetooth 2 that has higher bandwidth and better quality, that sounds like real music.” If that becomes a reality, he said he would use it, and he continues to believe that the company he cofounded with Steve Jobs and Ronald Wayne “is good at moving toward the future.”
Wozniak also indirectly spoke to the rumors about the iPhone 7 having a magnetic Lightning port. Although he didn’t specifically say Apple shouldn’t switch to a magnetic one, he spoke highly of USB-C, which he believes will be “the future.” He believes USB-C elevates phones such as the Nexus 5X to “a higher level.”
Will Apple really ditch the headphone jack with the iPhone 7?
While most rumors suggest that the iPhone 7 will indeed be the first model to lack a standard headphone jack, we heard as recently as a couple of months ago that Apple management had changed their mind about that decision. That appears to have been just an isolated report, however, as everything since then has maintained the rumor that the headphone jack will be gone.
Apple is often hailed as a leading innovator, despite the fact that usually it isn’t the first company to do something. In this case though, getting rid of the headphone jack has the potential to line its pockets because people might just throw out their old Beats or Apple headphones — which they bought for a heap of cash — and buy new ones for even more cash.
