D-shaped headphone connector will help Apple design thinner mobile devices
D-shaped headphone connector will help Apple design thinner mobile devices
Apple's pursuit for a thin and light design has resulted in the development of a new headphone connector.
According to Apple Insider, Apple was granted a patent application for a shrunken-down headphone connector which it filed in May 2011. The patent describes the thinner and shorter headphone connector as "D-shaped". The diameter is also specified at just 2.0mm which is about 40% smaller than the current 3.5mm plug format.
If and when Apple decides to implement this new headphone connector, you can expect its iPhones, iPads and iPods (if this product lineup is still around) to be slimmer. The iPhone 7 is already rumored to be between 6.0 and 6.5mm thin due to advancements in glass-on-glass solutions. While this might bode well for sleeker devices, this will disrupt the convenience factor for consumers as they'll need to use adapters to ensure compatibility with all existing headphones and earphones in the market.
So far, Oppo is one of the few companies to achieve a super sleek design for their devices. The R5 smartphone is just 4.85mm thin as it does not have a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Source: Apple Insider