The Apple Discussion Thread

[Fred G. Unn]



You guys just know Mophie and other battery case makers are going to quickly come out with new models that have a headphone jack built in. Won't it be great spending $99 on a case to get the battery time and headphone jacks we could have if Apple didn't keep making the phones so damn slim?

You're absolutely right! I hadn't really thought about it, but of course an aftermarket company will make a headphone jack built into the case/battery pack.

 

[ethanm]

You're absolutely right! I hadn't really thought about it, but of course an aftermarket company will make a headphone jack built into the case/battery pack.

It would have to come out of the side, right? Otherwise the bezel would be really long.

 

[Jr Mouse]



It would have to come out of the side, right? Otherwise the bezel would be really long. 

Most 3rd party battery cases are more than big enough to find a place for the jack.

 

[otc]

Obviously I think there are many differences between the floppy and the headphone jack (and apple didn't include a usb floppy drive and drivers on a floppy disk in the box of the imac), but it is pretty interesting reading this old article about dropping the floppy.

http://www.osnews.com/story/18/The_iMac_and_the_Floppy_Drive_A_Conspiracy_Theory

And the coup de grace? As an added bonus, Apple gets substantial free press due in part to the "controversial" fact that the iMac lacks a floppy. They have turned what looked like a crazy Steve Jobs oversight into something a lot more valuable than a million dollar "Seinfeld" ad. It got talked about on the Web, on TV and in the Wall Street Journal. How many articles, discussion groups, talkbacks, etc. have you seen related to this fact?

Although I'm not sure I see it. Everyone already knows the iphone exists, and you've still got a plethora of people who will literally line up to buy the damn thing a week or two before anyone else gets one. Sure, they could use some extra hype since they didn't do their standard 2-year form factor swap...

But when the imac came out, Apple was a struggling company, and people had no idea it existed...the free press introduced people to the product before it launched, and dropping the floppy just sort of clicked with people who were looking for a "simple" computer. The imac was cracking a new market, and I'd say that even if the floppy weren't close to dead, Steve probably scored big by saying "You don't need this thing anymore" and drawing the eyes of people who weren't computer savvy.

 

[jcman311]

Quote: Ahh, a lightning to 30 pin adapter. Thats where the DAC is. You were right! I have an adapter in the stream of charging to composite audio cable in my car.

 

[ipractice]

Got the 7+ 128gb matte black. Upgrading from a 6+, but just using it to hold me over until next year.

People keep complaining about how lackluster the 7 is... but they made some pretty big hardware leaps this year. Fusion core is huge, finally waterproof/dust claimable, new home button, dual camera system... These kinds of things are far more important to me then some gimmicky new features. These are the things that actually matter to me when using the phone on a daily basis. Not really noticeable features, but valuable. Apple will definitely be taking from this and learning for the 8 next year, which I'm perfectly fine with.

And on the headphone jack... I'd consider myself a casual audiophile. Not going to miss the headphone jack. I can honestly count the number of times I used my headphones in my phone in the last month, and in none of those situations would it be a huge hassle to use an adapter if I had to.

Only thing I'm worried about is the home button right now. General consensus seems to be negative, and I really like a physical button there. Makes sense to remove it though.

 

[NaTionS]

I wouldn't worry about the home button. If it's anything like the MacBook, it'll feel just like a physical button.

 

[Rumpelstiltskin]

Why is the dual camera a thing? My old HTC M8 had a dual camera

 

[GreenFrog]



I wouldn't worry about the home button. If it's anything like the MacBook, it'll feel just like a physical button.

According to reports, it's not like the trackpad because it doesn't isolate the taptic feedback to the home button only. Rather, the entire bottom bezel vibrates with each home button 'click.'

I think peoples' initial reactions are more negative just because it's so different and unexpected. I for one thought they were going to have it be isolated to the home button only. But I think this will be one of those instances where people get used to it over time.

 

[ipractice]



Why is the dual camera a thing? My old HTC M8 had a dual camera

I'm confident in Apple's implementation of it. Most smartphone dual camera systems up until this point have been lackluster or gimmicky like the M8's.

 

[the shah]

Isn't this two lenses you can switch between, a 28mm and 56mm short tele? That's the impression i got.

 

[MikeDT]

http://appleplugs.com/?utm=source

Upgrade to iPhone 7 with Apple Plug.

This isn't 2009. Your phone doesn't have a floppy drive, and it shouldn't have a headphone connector either. When we made iPhone 6 and 6s, the world wasn't ready for the future. Now, it is. Apple Plug is the perfect solution. Fill in your archaic headphone connector with beautiful aluminium and plug yourself into the future.

 

[Fred G. Unn]



Why is the dual camera a thing? My old HTC M8 had a dual camera

Isn't this two lenses you can switch between, a 28mm and 56mm short tele? That's the impression i got.

To me the really cool thing about the two lens setup isn't necessarily the two lenses themselves, but the fact that the processor can use the discrepancy between the two lenses to allow for some focal point and depth of field adjustment after the shot. We'll see how it's implemented and of course the sensors are still really tiny, but there is potential to do really amazing stuff.

Here's an article from about a year ago about a cell phone sized camera with 16 lenses:
http://www.fastcompany.com/3051941/...d-camera-aims-to-kick-bulky-dslrs-to-the-curb

I thought this passage was particularly interesting:

"Even as Light is preparing to release the L16 next year, it has also reached a licensing deal with Foxconn—which is making the camera—that allows the Chinese manufacturing giant to build a scaled-down version of Light’s technology into smartphones.

According to Grannan, Foxconn will have the right to incorporate multiple lenses with a focal length of up to 100 mm into its partners’ phones. Light doesn’t have any control over who those partners are, and won’t necessarily have advance notice about such partnerships, but one of Foxconn’s major smartphone partners is Apple.

Grannan said he expects Foxconn to begin shipping Light’s technology in phones by the end of next year. Light will be able to certify that such integrations meet its standards, and will receive a royalty on each phone sold."

 

[GreenFrog]

What are y'all doing for cases / skins? I've always liked the saddle brown apple leather case and am debating picking that up for my 7+.. but I hate how the cases all but cover up the entire phone. And with Jet Black, it renders that finish pointless.

So I'm thinking about picking up a clear skin, which also poses problems due to the curved edges of the phone. I'm 100% positive that they will start peeling at the corners after a couple days of using the phone and pulling out / putting into my pocket.

Hmmm...

 

[ChetB]

I think I'm going no case with the 7.

Now that screens are just $29 to replace and water resistance is improved, and since I went with the less scratch prone matte black, I'm willing to take the gamble.