[–] PotatoFarm ago
You are probably right, just remember that the iPhone would need a DAC anyway to feed the speakers. (Something he mentioned)
Naturally, there is an interesting argument to have between the advantages of specialized DACs... but to be honest, we'll be entering audiophile lands and well, facts become quite blurry quickly. Specially when big money is involved.
[–] Rakosman ago
This is what I meant. Originally I used the term DAC, but not everyone understands what that is.
And yeah, the DAC is what turns the digital signal into an an electric current that drives the magnet in the speaker, and thus it would be gone with the port. I suppose they could use pins on the data port to transmit the signal - effectively creating just a proprietary equivalent to the headphone jack.
Another thing that I didn't consider before is that Apple for a while has been using extra rings on the phone plug for player controls and mics.