Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference keynote may be long over, but that doesn’t mean that the news out of WWDC has stopped.
9to5Mac recently discovered that Apple has introduced a new feature for device makers as part of its Made-for-iPhone (MFI) program. The new specification will allow manufacturers to make headphones that connect to an iOS device’s Lightning port rather than its 3.5mm headphone jack.
It’s said that these Lightning-equipped headphones will be able to receive lossless stereo 48 kHz digital audio from iOS devices and send mono 48 kHz audio. Additionally, the headphones will can support audio input via a microphone, volume controls via an in-line remote, the ability to launch specific apps and even work with a companion app for iOS.
Besides these enhanced audio and control features, the Lightning headphones can draw power from an Apple device or send power to that device. This could eliminate the need for an external battery in headphones.
While the improved audio quality offered by Lightning headphones is likely something that only audiophiles will truly appreciate, the other features of these Lightning headphones sound pretty great for most users. Not only is it super convenient to be able to control your audio using an in-line remote, but the ability to draw power from an Apple device can save users from having to keep external batteries on them at all times.
We’ll have to wait until Apple actually enables support for these features and Lightning-enabled headphones launch before we can enjoy all of the goodies described in today’s report, but at least now iOS folk know that they’ve got another new feature to get excited about.
Via 9to5Mac
