Apple again rumored to drop 3.5mm headphone jack from 'iPhone 7' for Lightning, Bluetooth

Rumblings out of East Asia again suggest Apple will ditch the industry standard 3.5mm headphone jack in favor of a Bluetooth wireless/Lightning audio solution, potentially forcing customers invested in the stalwart format to purchase new gear.

Sources from Apple's Chinese supply chain supposedly "confirmed" Apple's decision to switch away from the common TRRS 3.5mm jack when its next flagship handset debuts this fall, relying instead on wireless protocols, reports Anzhou. With the spec change Apple is not only looking to engineer thinner devices, but also to stimulate sales of new wireless headsets, the report said.

A separate rumor from WeiFeng, again citing inside sources, claims much the same, but adds Apple plans to include Lightning as a wired audio option. The hybrid solution could offer users a choice between "wired" and "wireless" audio output profiles depending on the situation, for example talking on the phone or listening to music.

It should be noted that AppleInsider cannot confirm the veracity of either report.

Japanese website Mac Otakara first reported on Apple's rumored headphone jack replacement in November. Despite no corroborating evidence, the topic is already polarizing Apple fans who on the one side see a move away from the aging industry standard as forward progress, while others are concerned that decades' worth of audio equipment investments will be made obsolete overnight.

Although details remain elusive, Apple was most recently thought to be preparing a Lightning version of its free EarPods headset, a tweak that requires a digital-to-analog converter be integrated into its plug. The company could provide backwards compatibility with existing hardware by including a Lightning-to-3.5mm jack adaptor with each iPhone or iPod purchase, though past product releases suggest such a component would be available only as an optional accessory.

204 Comments

lord amhran 900 comments · 12 Years

About 8 years ago

This Apple-obsession with thinness is getting asinine

rogifan_old 725 comments · 9 Years

lord amhran said:

This Apple-obsession with thinness is getting asinine

iPhone is Apple's cash cow. If they're removing the headphone jack it's not to make the phone a few mm thinner. Plus the iPod touch is thinner than the iPhone but still uses the 3.5mm headphone jack. IF Apple is doing this they better include decent wireless headphones in the box along with an adapter. Taking away the headphone jack and then telling people they can get an adapter for $30 would be horrible for sales. The fact that Apple Pencil comes with a charging adapter even though you can charge it from any lightening port makes me hopeful.

josephwinters 109 comments · 17 Years

Asinine? Why? If anything it's forward thinking and progression. It's not like they ever compromise quality to be thin. this makes sense to me.

They will conveniently provide an accessory solution that allows our phones plugin support to the existing audio headset format. It's not a huge deal in my opinion. Being Apple fans , investors, hobbyists, and supporters, we should be used to this paradigm by now.

josephwinters said:

Asinine? Why? If anything it's forward thinking and progression. It's not like they ever compromise quality to be thin. this makes sense to me.

They will conveniently provide an accessory solution that allows our phones plugin support to the existing audio headset format. It's not a huge deal in my opinion. Being Apple fans , investors, hobbyists, and supporters, we should be used to this paradigm by now.

This absolutely is a risky move. That jack is used by millions of people every single day. Apple may have very good reasons for eliminating the headphone jack but those reasons better be immediately apparent and ones that people can easily understand and accept. Like making the phone as water resistant as possible, allowing for a bigger battery etc. If people think it's just so Apple could make the phone slightly thinner or sell them a pricey adapter it will be a huge turnoff and could impact iPhone sales.

ksec 1502 comments · 18 Years

I think there will be a new Wireless EarPod included, which you could charge via lighting. Assuming Apple keep or even improve on the current quality of EarPod, this wireless EarPods would be worth $100 in today's market price. Some even charges $200 like Beats...... oh wait......