iPhone 7 To Ditch 3.5mm Headphone Jack In Favor Of Slimmer Design [Report]

In September, reputed KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple’s next-gen iPhone 7 would be as thin as the latest iPod Touch, which has a depth of 6.1mm. Now Japanese website Mac Otakara has learned from supply chain sources that Apple is going to ditch the 3.5mm headphone jack to make the phone “more than 1mm” slimmer than the iPhone 6S, which has a thickness of 7.1mm.

No existing headphones would work with the iPhone 7

The 3.5mm headphone jack is a global standard for smartphones and tablets. “Reliable sources” told Mac Otakara that the iPhone 7 headphones will only be able to connect over Lightning or Bluetooth. Replacing the standard headphone hack with Lightning port will easily make the new iPhones at least 1mm thinner.

Sources said the same-sized Lightning port will support Lightning-equipped headphones. It will also have a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) for backwards compatibility with wired headphones. It means users who want to use Apple’s current EarPods or wired headphones with iPhone 7 will have to purchase a 3.5mm jack-to-Lightning adapter. The report adds that the Cupertino company may launch its own Lightning-equipped EarPods that would likely be shipped with the iPhone 7, but will be sold separately.

Last year, Apple launched the MFi (made for iPhone) program to let third-party manufacturers make headphones that connect to the iPhones and iPads via a Lightning cable. Philips was the only company that joined the program. However, a large number of manufacturers are likely to join the bandwagon if Apple removes the standard headphone jack. It means none of the existing headphones would work with the iPhone 7, forcing users to buy the new Lightning-equipped EarPods.

iPhone 7 to be waterproof

Earlier this month, the US Patent & Trademark Office granted Apple patent for “Liquid Expulsion From An Orifice.” The Cupertino company may use this technology to make the next-gen iPhones waterproof. The technology uses sound to eject liquid materials from speakers. Now the Cupertino company has won another patent, which employs shutters to close opening over critical components to block off liquid. The shutters activate automatically upon detecting liquid or airborne damaging elements. Users can also trigger it manually.