Return of the 4-inch iPhone? Rumor hints at March launch

Thought the days of the 4-inch Apple iPhone were gone? Not so fast.

The Cupertino, California, electronics giant might be working on such a phone for a March unveiling, according to a report Friday from tech blog 9to5Mac, which has built a reputation for reliably breaking Apple news. The model could be called the iPhone 5SE.

While Apple has met customer demand for larger screens in its iPhone 6 and 6S series, selling a smaller-screen phone would appeal to fans of more petite models. As Apple's main profit maker, keeping the iPhone fresh is imperative to a strong sales forecast. In a product marketplace where stalwart brands like Samsung and HTC struggle for steady growth, Apple continues to post a profit quarter after quarter.

Separately, 9to5Mac also reported that Apple is preparing to unveil new band styles for its Apple Watch in March, alongside a new version of the watch software. The second-generation Apple Watch design is said to be slated for the same month.

Apple declined to comment.

Here's what 9to5Mac says is coming:

Smaller, 4-inch iPhone

• March launch event
• Upgrades 4-inch iPhone 5S
• Would include curved glass edges like iPhone 6 phones
• Same 8-megapixel, 1.2-megapixel cameras as iPhone 6
• Support for Apple Pay, Live Photos
• No pressure-sensitive 3D Touch display
• Uses iPhone 6 processors (A8, M8)
• Colors: Silver, space gray, rose gold
• Pricing: Same as current iPhone 5S (varies by region)
• Could sell late March or April

New Apple Watch styles

• March launch
• New band styles, new materials
• Watch software update (currently in beta)
• Full redesign by the end of 2016

More iPads on the horizon

• New iPads code-named "iPad 6,3" and "6,4" could arrive in November

Source: Cnet

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Would it be a mistake for Apple to remove the headphone jack on the iPhone 7?

Rumors continue to percolate that Apple will drop the 3.5mm headphone jack in its next iPhone to help slim down the device. But is it a good idea?

About a month ago, a rumor got started that Apple was planning to do away with the 3.5mm headphone on the iPhone 7, likely to be released this fall, and would steer people toward using wireless headphones or wired headphones that connect via the remaining Lightning port.

The Japanese blog Macotakara was the publication behind the rumor, and it created a bit of a stir because after all, every smartphone out there has a 3.5mm headphone jack and it’d be a big deal if Apple suddenly decided to ditch it.

Well, the rumor grew a few more legs today when the Chinese site Anzhuo wrote that supply chain sources had confirmed that the 3.5mm port would be removed on the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, and that Apple would make a wireless version of its EarPods and perhaps bundle them with the next iPhones. Naturally, there’s no way to confirm any of this — Apple isn’t commenting on it — but it’s certainly worth pondering the possibility that it could happen.

These sites claim that the reason behind the removal of the headphone jack is a space-saving measure that would allow Apple to make the new iPhones even thinner. This wouldn’t be the first time Apple has removed once-standard ports or accessories from its devices. For example, it killed the DVD disc drive in its PCs and more recently, replaced the standard USB ports with a new, forward-thinking USB Type-C port in its superslim and light 12-inch MacBook.

If Apple does indeed remove the 3.5mm jack, it could make a lot of people unhappy. I personally use a lot of wireless headphones, but I also like to be able to plug in my wired ‘phones, which typically sound better than wireless models. I have a couple pairs of Philips Lightning headphones in the office, and frankly I don’t use them much, though they do sound good.
By Lightning headphone I mean the headphone uses a cable that plugs directly into the Lightning port on the iPhone, creating a digital rather than an analog connection. What are the benefits? Well, not only are you getting a direct digital connection, but the headphones can draw juice from your device to power components in the headphone, which could include an internal DAC (digital-to-analog converter) and amplifier that bypass the internal DAC of the iPhone and/or active noise-cancellation circuitry.

The only problem is you can’t charge your phone when you have a Lightning headphone using the port (potentially, I suppose, your headphone could be used to charge your phone). Also, it’s unclear how you’d connect an analog headphone to the Lightning port. Some sort of adapter would be required and knowing Apple, if said adapter wasn’t included with your new iPhone, it’d be a $30 accessory.

Reference: Cnet

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iPhone 7 Leak Reveals Radical Design Changes

We all know a iPhone redesign is coming. Apple’s pattern of numerical followed by ’S’ releases is well established and it means the iPhone 7 will see the first major redesign since the handsets went big with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. But few will have expected the redesign to be as potentially radical as this…

Picked up by G For Games from the leaker’s nirvana which has been Weibo over recent years, it is claimed Apple is currently testing no less than fivedifferent iPhone 7 models – each of which is notably distinct.

Design #1 – Goodbye Lightning Port

Perhaps the model which would have most practical impact on customers is a prototype which sees Apple ditch the Lightning connector. In its place would be USB Type-C, a standard the company has already backed heavily by making it the only port on its new MacBook. With Android phones widely expected to also shift to Type-C in 2016 this would potentially unify smartphone charging standards. On the flip side it would also cause chaos for owners of Lightning port accessories and the port itself was only introduced in 2012.




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Design #2 – Hello Wireless Charging

Tying in with growing rumours that Apple will ditch the 3.5mm headphone jack, is another iPhone 7 prototype which supports wireless charging. There’s no information on whether this will be compatible with existing wireless charging standards or if Apple has created its own. Given Apple’s reputation for “late but right” tech introductions, I doubt the company would launch anything if it weren’t able to offer similar charge speeds to wired charging (and this is something next generation versions of existing wireless standards are close to achieving).

Design #3 – Multi-Touch 3D Touch

Multi-touch wasn’t new when Apple introduced it with gestures like ‘pinch to zoom’ in the original iPhone, but it was the first time it had been used in a mobile device. Now Apple is allegedly testing integration of this technology with 3D Touch. How would this work? For example, think of a two finger simultaneous 3D Touch as a back button shortcut or three finger Force Touch to go back to the home screen.

But how practical is this? Personally I’m skeptical. I’m sure Apple is looking at how to expand 3D Touch functionality (right now it’s a great differentiator), but it already represents a major change and requires time to get customers and developers onside. Consequently, while I don’t doubt 3D Touch advancements are in testing, I can’t see Apple wanting to risk confusing customers after just one generation.

Source: Forbes

Rumor suggests the iPhone 7 will ditch the headphone jack

The standard 3.5-millimeter headphone jack is everywhere—from computers to smartphones to stereo equipment to that Walkman from 1987 sitting in your closet. But if a new rumor is to be believed, your next iPhone might not have one.

According to the Japanese tech site Mac Otakara, Apple is planning to cut the ubiquitous 3.5mm headphone jack in the iPhone 7, opting instead for Lightning-based headphones. According to Mac Otakara, the removal of the headphone jack appears to be part of an effort to further slim down the iPhone: The site claims the next iPhone will be a full millimeter thinner than the current model, the iPhone 6s.

Mac Otakara also says that the new iPhone will come with Lightning-based EarPods, and will support third-party Bluetooth and Lightning-based headphones. If you want to use 3.5mm headphones, you’d have to rely on an adapter dongle of some sort, the report states.

Signs point at ‘maybe’

While it’s a good idea to remain skeptical of any rumor, there are a couple indications that this one might be for real. MacRumors characterizes Mac Otakara as “often-reliable,” which would seem to give this latest rumor some credence. And as MacRumors notes, Apple introduced the MFi specification for Lighting-based headphones last year, so Apple may have been laying the groundwork for transition away from the headphone jack for a while.

Apple also has a long history of dropping older technology in its products, either to make room for new features or slim down its gear. The original iMac, for example, lacked a floppy drive, but it helped popularize USB. More recently, the 12-inch Retina MacBook ditched almost all ports in favor of a headphone jack and a single USB-C port.

It’s important to note that Apple wouldn’t be the first smartphone maker to drop the headphone jack—the HTC G1, the first Android-based smartphone, also shipped without a headphone jack. But given Apple’s size, influence, and market position, shipping an iPhone without a headphone jack might push other manufacturers to follow suit.

Such a development may lead to a fractured headphone market, but it’s also possible that Apple has other, bigger plans for the Lightning connector. Only time will tell.

Source: Macworld