Belkin announces simultaneous Lightning headphone and charging adapter for iPhone 7

The elimination of the 3.5-millimeter headphone jack on the iPhone 7 has caused some users to question how they will charge their handset while listening to music on wired headphones. Accessory maker Belkin has the answer — Â for $40 extra.

Belkin's new $39.95 Lightning Audio + Charge RockStar for iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus was "developed closely with Apple," the company said on Thursday. It features a single male Lightning plug on one end, and two female Lightning ports on the other.

Either Lightning port will work with Lightning-connected headphones. And users will also be able to use Apple's official Lightning to 3.5-millimeter headphone adapter for use with legacy ports. It works with any Lightning device running iOS 10 or later.

The accessory supports one Lightning audio device and one charger at a time. it's set to launch Oct. 10 on Belkin's website, as well as Apple's online and retail stores.

Features of the dongle include:

Dual functionality so users can listen to Lightning Audio and charge at the same time
Compatible with Lightning Audio headphonesâ€ and Apple Lightning to 3.5 mm Headphone Jack Adapter
Supports pass-through charging up to 12W for iPhone and iPad
Supports up to 48 kHz, 24-bit audio output
Works with the Apple iPhone 7 Smart Battery Case and battery packs for on the go charging

"We're excited to offer the Lightning Audio + Charge RockStar to our customers, extending our family of RockStar multi-port products and creating an easy way for people to charge and listen on the go," says Steve Malony, VP, GM Belkin.

92 Comments

jasonfj 421 comments · 22 Years

About 8 years ago

Wow. Clumsy.

mac_128 3452 comments · 12 Years

This is a complete fail. Apple needs to offer something as simple as a pass through connector on the Lightning cable included in the box.

In either event, I wouldn't buy this until we see an unboxing to know what Apple has included.

Can two Lightning headphones plug into this and use it to share audio? What happens if someone tries that?

baconstang 1154 comments · 10 Years

So, to charge the phone and use the lightning for a line out, requires two adaptor/dongles?
How elegant!

lorin schultz 2744 comments · 10 Years

This would be a good solution at half the size and half the price. Better than nothing though.

packfan73 9 comments · 8 Years

Seems like they should have a model that builds the 3.5mm dongle into it at least... At $40 it seems better to just buy the Apple dock for $50, you can plug your headphones into it and charge at the same time. At least for my use case(desk at work) that would be best.