Who Cares About the Headphone Jack? This Is What iPhone 7 Needs

Apple is set to unveil its next iPhone on Sept. 7. Certain improvements are a given, including a better screen, longer battery life, and a faster processor. But as usual, the rumor mill has also served up a few interesting tidbits.

The biggest news is that Cupertino might ditch the headphone jack, which has become a scandal amongst pundits. "Oh, noes! What are we going to do??"

At this point, I rely solely on Bluetooth when listening to music. I have not plugged earphones into my smartphone for at least two years, probably longer. So I'm not quick to condemn the headphone jack's rumored disappearance. I just don't care.

On the design front, photos of a blue, metallic iPhone have leaked online. But if it releases a blue smartphone, Apple must release a red one. And I do not mean rose gold; I mean red. This color, found on cameras like the Olympus Tough TG-4 and all sorts of gear, would be a hot ticket and might encourage rivals to liven things up. I will personally be very disappointed if I do not see a red phone.

There are rumors the iPhone 7 Plus will have an odd dual-lens camera, or two 12-megapixel f1.9 cameras side by side. But why? The two lenses are too close for any sort of 3D application, which makes you wonder why Apple has not added a 3D aspect to its phones. While 3D is borderline dead, that's largely due to pricey 3D imagers. But 3D movies taken at birthday parties and other events involving your children are very entertaining, so it would be great fun when combined with a 3D display that could easily be turned on and off.

Apple may have developed some new technology to combine images or a new camera mechanism to make pictures better somehow using these two lenses. That would be a pleasant surprise. But I suspect we are looking at a mechanism similar to the dual-lens Kodak pocket cameras from a few years back. The versatile but now-defunct Kodak EasyShare V610 and V-705 employed the idea with a design that allowed the camera to extend its focal length and avoid one bulky long lens. This would be the obvious thing to do on a smartphone.

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Apple iPhone Event Set for Sept. 7

While I am not a big fan of camera phones for taking serious photos and prefer large sensor cameras, I have to admit that an Apple iPhone can take a fantastic picture. Exactly how many people actually demand these camera features remains to be seen.

Frankly, I cannot imagine what more Apple can do to improve the iPhone besides performance upgrades. Regardless of what it adds, though, people will line up to buy them on release day. Been there, done that.