Image Credit: Hannes Magerstaedt / Getty Images
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has spoken out against one of the most divisive new rumors circulating about the tech giant, saying that if the company is to ditch the iPhone 7’s headphone jack as is reportedly planned, they will be making a huge mistake.
Wozniak co-founded Apple alongside Steve Jobs, with him having developed the Apple I and designed the Apple II. Though still technically an Apple employee, Wozniak is no longer involved in the development of the company’s hardware and software, though he still had some thoughts on the current direction the company is headed in.
An artist’s render of what the iPhone 7 could look like. (Image: Steve Hemmerstoffer)
Speaking to the Australian Financial Review, Wozniak touched upon the speculation that Apple’s next flagship smartphone will no longer feature a headphone jack, saying: “If it’s missing the 3.5mm earphone jack, that’s going to tick off a lot of people.”
He continued: “I would not use Bluetooth … I don’t like wireless. I have cars where you can plug in the music, or go through Bluetooth, and Bluetooth just sounds so flat for the same music.
“Mine have custom ear implants, they fit in so comfortably, I can sleep on them and everything. And they only come out with one kind of jack, so I’ll have to go through the adapter.
He concluded: “If there’s a Bluetooth 2 that has higher bandwidth and better quality, that sounds like real music, I would use it. But we’ll see. Apple is good at moving towards the future, and I like to follow that.”
The iPhone 7 removing its headphone jack would certainly be a divisive move from Apple, and we’re on board with Wozniak’s opinion that it could stand to turn many off the upcoming device as a result of them therefore having to purchase new audio devices that accommodate for the jack’s absence. We’ll have to wait until the smartphone’s unveiling in September to find out whether or not this will be the case.
