Are Music Buffs Ready for iPhone Without an Audio Jack?

While brands are experimenting with new methods of consuming music, it is too early to say if users are.

Time to ditch the 3.5-mm jack for the new-age music tech. (Photo: The Quint)

Over the years, technology has evolved in various corners with respect to the devices we consume music. Walkman, CD Players, to iPod and now smartphone. But one thing has always been constant, audio jack.

But if Apple decides to ditch the 3.5-mm audio jack to replace it with lightening connector for music as well this year, chances are the rest of the pack won’t refrain from doing so as well.

Days like these are closer than we think. (Photo: The Quint)

While there is a possibility that Apple might opt for wireless earpods (we’d love to see them happen), but we’re not sure if Apple would make such a drastic move. So, it would be fair (or maybe not) to say that lightening connector earpods could be in the making this year.

But the question we need to ask is, are we ready for a overhaul in the way we consume music? This is where LeEco, a brand from China could be Apple’s best guinea pig to test out waters.

Quit the Jack?

LeEco has taken the leap with its Le 2 and Le 2 Max phones in 2016 by opting for USB Type C for charging, data transfer and music. Yes, that’s right. The company owns the patents to this technology called CDLA or Continual Digital Lossless Audio.

Continual Digital Lossless Audio (CDLA) is a digital audio transfer standard. CDLA gives an end-to-end true lossless audio sound. In CDLA the audio is precisely correct and attenuation-free because in CDLA technology, the headset itself has an integrated audio processing chip and a decoder, and uses a Type-C port, which does not allow any sound quality loss

<b>Wikipedia</b>

While it would be foolish to consider their tech to be the go-to move for smartphone makers across the country but, the change is surely happening.

USB Type C earphones are the future? (Photo: The Quint)

Most smartphone makers are still cagey about moving to Type C for obvious reasons, but the change is inevitable.

Audio gear makers, JBL have been the first ones to jump the Type C queue recently, and this makes us believe that other big names like Bose, Sennheiser could follow suit soon.

Does it Work?

We tried out the USB Type C headphones with the LeEco Le 2 phone, and the results were quite encouraging for us. The lossless audio effect wasn’t entirely convincing, but we like where this is headed in terms of the audio quality on offer.

We played a few FLAC audio format files and the clarity with Type C, in comparison to 3.5 jack was apparent.

Listen to music, but you can’t charge at the same time. (Photo: The Quint)

However, these earphones have an uncanny resemblance to the Apple earpods. The other thing that’s worrisome about the use of USB Type C earphone is the phone’s battery. Unlike the 3.5-mm jack, these consume phone’s juice, and that’s the last thing you’d want from a road companion.

Also, you cannot charge the phone while listening to music, bummer.

This Could Make or Break the iPhone 7

It is hard to justify the use of USB Type C for music right now, especially when not many of them have taken it on board. But if Apple does manage to leave behind the age-old audio jack for its lightening connector standard this year, it is vital that the possible drawbacks are taken care of.

After all, you wouldn’t want to buy a phone worth at least 70K with earpods that add to your battery woes.