Report: Apple will kill the 3.5mm headphone jack on the iPhone 7

By Jason Hahn Published November 28, 2015

Apple lightning connected headphones — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Even though the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus mildly surprised the world by being ever-so-slightly thicker than the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, Apple’s apparent obsession with thinness is far from over. A Japanese blog cites a source who says Apple intends to do away with the traditional 3.5mm headphone jack for the iPhone 7 and require users to hook up their cans via a Lightning connector or Bluetooth.

The move would enable Apple to shave off “more than 1mm” from the thickness of the current iPhone 6S, according to 9to5Mac, citing the Japanese blog Macotakara. This could give Apple an opportunity to boast that the iPhone 7 is the thinnest iPhone ever.

Recommended Videos

The 3.5mm headphone jack is essentially the bottleneck to supreme thinness, since it “can hardly be thinner because it is the world standard,” according to Macotakara. Apple once considered replacing the 3.5mm port with a 2.5mm port, according to 9to5Mac. Last year, Apple introduced Lightning headphone specs, though Lightning headphones are still a rarity.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

“The report claims that Apple will bundle Lightning connector-equipped EarPods with the next iPhone, incorporating a tiny DA (Digital to Analog) converter into the connector,” according to 9to5Mac.

If this report is accurate, Apple’s move would open the floodgates for manufacturers of 3.5mm-to-Lightning adapters. It also surfaces questions about charging the iPhone while a headphone is plugged in.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Jason Hahn is a part-time freelance writer based in New Jersey. He earned his master's degree in journalism at Northwestern…

Mobile

I tried Apple Fitness Plus as a beginner and loved what I found

Apple Fitness Plus on an Apple TV, with an iPhone 16 Pro Max.

When my Apple Watch Series 10 arrived, it came with a three-month trial for Apple Fitness Plus. It was just the right time, as I’d been out of the exercising loop for a few months and wanted to get back into it at my own pace.

But I was a bit worried about Apple Fitness Plus. Would it be suitable for me as a beginner? What I discovered was something way more motivational and fun than I expected.
Fear of the unknown

Mobile

Some iPhone users report overheating when using Apple Intelligence

The Nomad Magnetic Leather Back on the iPhone 16 Pro Max

After a long wait, iOS 18.2 has finally rolled out to the public at large and unlocked more Apple Intelligence features like Image Playground, Genmoji, and an upgraded Mail app. It might have also introduced a way to keep your hands warm on these frosty winter days, according to some users.

Reddit user u/dsdxp posted on the iPhone subreddit that they had unlocked a secret feature in the iPhone 16 Pro. The comment was obviously sardonic, but many other users responded with their own stories of troubling temperatures from their iPhones. The common element between all of the stories was the Image Playground app and the excessive heat it creates while in use.

Mobile

Apple is about to stop selling multiple iPhones in Europe. Here’s why

The iPhone 14 Plus held in a man's hand.

The iPhone SE and iPhone 14 series will no longer be available for purchase in Europe at the end of the year. In an effort to make technology more consumer-friendly, the European Union ruled that any mobile device sold must be able to charge through USB-C, according to iGeneration. While more modern entries in Apple's lineup already meet those guidelines, the iPhone SE and iPhone 14 do not.

These aren't the newest additions to Apple's lineup, but the iPhone SE and the iPhone 14 series are still sold in Europe. These will be pulled from shelves as the deadline approaches. Customers have plenty of options, but this decision will leave the European market without an iPhone SE option until the next model releases in 2025.