iPhone 7 Likely to Feature Dual Stereo Speakers in Lieu of 3.5mm Headphone Jack

iPhone 7 Likely to Feature Dual Stereo Speakers in Lieu of 3.5mm Headphone Jack
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The rumor mill has been churning at full speed with news and forecasts about Apple’s ‘iPhone 7’. One of the most notable rumors, as we recently reported, suggests that the Cupertino company’s forthcoming flagship will not feature a 3.5mm headphone jack.

And if a new report — originally submitted by Barclay’s analysts to AppleInsider — is to be believed, the space currently occupied by the headphone jack will be replaced with a 2nd speaker — effectively paving the way for dual-channel audio output.

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According to Barclays’ analysts, Curtis and Christopher Hemmelgarn, the space currently occupied by the standard 3.5mm headphone jack (on iPhone 6s) will be replaced by a second amplification unit — provided by long-time Apple audio components supplier, Cirrus Logic.

A quick examination of the current iPhone 6s will reveal that the slot occupied by the 3.5mm jack is directly opposite the device’s current speaker grille, which, as the Hemmelgarns suggest, would be a natural location to place additional audio output drivers.

A number of competing smartphones — such as those from the likes of HTC and Samsung — already feature the dual-channel speaker set-up, some of which are positioned on the same ends of the device, and some opposite, to enable better acoustic resonance when the phone is in used in landscape mode.

The analysts also decried recent reports that Apple’s iPhone 7 will boast a digital noise reduction capability — instead suggesting that the feature won’t likely see the light of day until at least 2017 at the earliest.

On the other hand, Curtis and Christopher emboldened earlier suggestions that — in light of the 3.5mm headphone jack’s absence — Apple’s forthcoming 10th generation iPhone will indeed include new Lightning-enabled audio earphones as a substitute.

Additionally, as we reported back in January, Apple might be planning to release a “truly wireless bluetooth” headset option as an accessory — one that not only ditches the cable connectivity of the current 3.5mm wire, but also the connection between individual earpieces.

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[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]

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