No, hardware-wise you're still going through a DAC, and the complex audio subsystem of the OS is still deciding, upon receiving the connection signal, to re-route the application audio through that headphone DAC. Or not. Jack or Lightning doesn't change this.
> Apple can choose which manufacturers get to create Lightning-compatible audio devices.
Sure. Or you can use the included lightning-jack adapter and just use normal, un-DRM'd headphones.
>Once Apple gets the ability to add DRM, the record industry gets the ability to insist that Apple use it
See my first point: the audio jack wasn't your last guardian of freedom.
>In other words, if it’s impossible to connect a speaker or other audio device to an iPhone without Apple software governing it
Use the adapter. And see the first point.
> the only way to connect an iPhone 7 to a recording or mixing device will be over the suboptimal Bluetooth connection or a dongle provided by Apple.
Aha! They finally acknowledge the adapter! But do they acknowledge that it's functionally identical to a built-in DAC?
> It's possible that iOS or specific apps will be able to disable the dongle.
It's also possible the phone will halt and catch fire if you run an unapproved app. But disabling the dongle would be moronic. For one thing, they'd be incurring the wrath of ADA-defender groups.
>the converter you rely on to hear your phone on your hearing aids—just became less useful.
See previous point.
>But you shouldn’t have to depend on a manufacturer’s permission to use its hardware however you like.
Then don't even buy Apple. They've been locked down in so many other ways for a long time.
Anyhow.
The simple explanation (see Occam's Razor) is that the designers noticed that they were using valuable internal space for a redundant connector (considering the hardware has been able to route audio over Lightning for a long time), and figured they could reclaim that space for something else. Clearly, people disagree with this change. The market will tell.