Apple makes patient for new iPhone design.

According to NewScientist, Apple isn't keen on the many holes in its devices: headphone jacks, microphones, volume controls, power supply ports, etc. Although the hardware is necessary for standard use and convenience, each gap in the external housing can collect dirt, liquid, and grime that may damage the very components the casing is supposed to protect. Every dust particle that breaches the housing increases the risk of shorted circuits and overheating.

Apple's patent, however, looks to reduce the number of holes in the casing by combining the functions of two components -- the headphone jack and a microphone -- into a single jack. The new headphone jack will also house a sound input device so that, according to the patent, "the plug aperture and the cavity provide an acoustic path to the microphone."

Additionally, if separate from the voice input mic, the headphone jack microphone could work in conjunction with the voice input and be used for noise cancellation -- which Apple refers to as "audio beamforming." The speaker's voice is isolated from surrounding noise, making for a clearer phone call.

http://m.minyanville.com/?guid=&catid=5

That's the source. Courious to see if it has anything to do with the antenna too.

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