[vantt1]

  What I was getting it was I thought they didn't have any analog component whatsoever, but they have to because there'd be no other way to carry an analog electrical signal to charge something-- similar to usb.  I was thinking they were more akin to an hdmi or optical cord, but I guess not.  I don't use any modern apple iDevices.

How should I put it...DC power is not a data signal. HDMI can carry power and still be a digital connection.

 

[eugenius]

Let's say they abandon the analogue output, as dumb as that is. Anything to keep this thread going ...
 
So you plug your Beats & other lightning compatible headphones (I presume STAX will be all over that) into the lightning port. Do they plan on charging through the headphones? Multiple Lightning ports? Breakout cables? The people who started this rumor didn't really think things through ...
 
PS: Aren't there USB headsets already?

 

[vantt1]

  Let's say they abandon the analogue output, as dumb as that is. Anything to keep this thread going ...
 
So you plug your Beats & other lightning compatible headphones (I presume STAX will be all over that) into the lightning port. Do they plan on charging through the headphones? Multiple Lightning ports? Breakout cables? The people who started this rumor didn't really think things through ...
 
PS: Aren't there USB headsets already?

USB is still analog, and we all know how much Apple despises analog formats.

 

[eugenius]

  USB is still analog, and we all know how much Apple despises analog formats.

 
WINNING!!!

 

[vantt1]

What I think: Apple is adding digital audio support to their mobile devices and is going to release a new adapter for the Lightning connector, while also keeping the old analog headphone jack for compatibility. 30-pin to Lightning was a proprietary change, but the 3.5 mm TRS connector is so universal that there's no way Apple's going to kill it off.

 

[ieee754]

What's the point of transporting digital signal over cable in headphones? I think that in future headphones could have their own small dacs, amps and batteries (when they become very light), but still there is no point of using cable while you can get the same signal quality with Bluetooth.

 

[Currawong]

*sigh*
 
The title is (after they modified it, as it was originally a false statement):
 

"Apple To Abandon Headphone Jack?"

 
This is because Betteridge's Law of Headlines applies.
 
This is how news services trick you with headlines. For the TLDR people out there: The answer is "no". 

 

[vantt1]

So now that the original topic at hand has been nullified, we can expect this thread to not be locked soon because it's going nowhere?
Wait, it needs to be a headline:
 
"Pointless Thread Titled "Apple to Abandon Headphone Jack?" to Stay Open?"

 

[Currawong]

Locking it is a good idea actually. The other thread covers the actual topic, of Apple buying Beats.