Evidence suggesting that Apple plans to remove the headphone jack on the iPhone 7 is mounting.
Apple supplier Cirrus Logic has released a new reference design for headphone makers to “quickly develop” new headphones that feature Lightning connectors. The MFi Headset Development Kit will make it much easier for manufacturers to produce headphones that connect through a Lightning port, not a traditional 3.5mm audio jack.
Speculation that Apple has plans to abandon the traditional 3.5mm audio jack on the iPhone – forcing users to use the Lightning port instead – has been rampant in recent months. Cirrus Logic, which develops audio technology for Apple, could be hinting at Apple’s future intentions for the iPhone with this latest revelation.
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“New digital connectivity in mobile devices, including the Lightning-based interface, is creating opportunities for OEMs to innovate in product design and is accelerating the transition from analog- to digital-connected products within today’s billion-unit headset and headphone market.”
Yesterday, new images appeared online, depicting what appear to be Apple earbuds with a Lightning connector rather than the traditional 3.5mm headphone jack. The photos were posted to Chinese social media site Weibo, although there’s no way of verifying their legitimacy.
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Only a select few manufacturers have created Lightning-connector headphones to date, but that’s expected to increase significantly in the wake of the iPhone 7 launch. It’s also expected that Apple will release an adapter that will allow traditional headphones to plug into the Lightning port – for a fee, naturally.
However, don’t forget that the Cirrus Logic announcement doesn’t confirm any details. What’s more, Apple has yet to officially announce plans to abandon the headphone jack, so don’t panic just yet.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
