We’ve been hearing rumors for months now that suggest Apple will be getting rid of the 3.5 mm headphone jack in the iPhone 7, which will presumably be replaced by an adapter that connects your earbuds directly to the Lightning port. But finally, thanks to Vietnamese site Tinhte, we now have some hard evidence to back up this claim.
The adapter cable looks to be about as simple as it can get—you just plug one side into your iPhone’s Lightning port, then connect your earbuds to the other end. The design and form factor are in line with previous Apple adapters, which is a solid indication that this leak is the real deal.
Adding to the credibility, the above video includes a little demonstration. We can clearly see that the new adapter works fine on a device running the iOS 10 beta, but an error message appears when the leaker plugs it into an iOS 9 device. At the very least, this would be pretty hard to fake.
Amazingly enough, this leak wasn’t recorded on a potato, for once. The video gives you a great look at the new adapter, and the leaker even snapped a few pics in crystal-clear quality, which you can check out below.
The downside to this new adapter is that it doesn’t let you charge your iPhone while you listen to music, but hopefully we’ll see some third-party accessories that let you do both at once.
This new 3.5 mm-to-Lightning adapter is rumored to be included with the new iPhone, so it’s likely that Apple’s signature EarPods will come with the same 3.5 mm jack they’ve always had (other brands already make Lightning headphones). Apple is said to be working on wireless earbuds, but you’ll probably have to make an additional purchase for those—if they even materialize.
Apple will surely face some backlash for releasing a device without a headphone jack, but this move should allow them to make the iPhone 7 a bit thinner, in line with the new Moto Z, which also axed the headphone jack in favor of a 3.5 mm-to-USB C adapter.
- Follow Gadget Hacks on YouTube, Facebook, Google+, and Twitter
- Follow Android Hacks on Facebook and Twitter
- Follow Apple Hacks on Facebook and Twitter
Just updated your iPhone? You’ll find new emoji, enhanced security, podcast transcripts, Apple Cash virtual numbers, and other useful features. There are even new additions hidden within Safari. Find out what’s new and changed on your iPhone with the iOS 17.4 update.
“Hey there, just a heads-up: We’re part of the Amazon affiliate program, so when you buy through links on our site, we may earn a small commission. But don’t worry, it doesn’t cost you anything extra and helps us keep the lights on. Thanks for your support!”