Existing models of the iPhone all have a universal 3.5 millimeter headphone jack. It is something that is familiar with anybody who has ever owned an iPhone device. However, there are rumors circulating recently that Apple will be removing the headphone jack in the new and upcoming iPhone 7 (to be introduced later this year), and presumably, in future models in the coming years.
Apple is rumored to be thinking of getting rid of the headphone jack because it wants to make the iPhone 7 and other new iPhone models to be slimmer. But considering that almost every wired headphone available in the market right now is designed to be plug ready into the current iPhone’s headphone jack, the idea of its absence is understandably making a lot of people uncomfortable.
Some are already making their voices heard. One of them is SumOfUs.org, an organization that has actually created a petition in order to stop the iPhone maker from eliminating the standard headphone jack from its future smartphone devices. Interestingly, over 217,000 users have already signed the petition as of this writing. The initial goal was to acquire 210,000 signatures, and it appears that many users around the world share SumOfUs’ sentiments.
Intriguingly, this is not the first time that iPhone fans have united in expressing their objection to a change in the design of the iPhone or its accessories. As a matter of fact, nearly four years ago, a significant number of iOS users threw a fit when Apple decided to replace its 30 pin charging connector with the 8 pin Lightning connector. This single handedly made loads of cables, cords, and connectors, not to mention chargers and other accessories, instantly obsolete.
In a clever twist, rumors now abound that the headphones for the upcoming iPhone 7 will have to make use of that same Lightning port. Of course, if this turns out to be true, this will have a trickle down effect on everything. Not only will this make iOS users spend more money in order to replace their existing headphones, it will result to a very large pile of unusable headphones, which probably will never get to be recycled.
Again, everybody is basing everything on a bunch of rumors (there is even one involving the home button) for now. Unless Apple decides to confirm anything (which is not likely -- the iPhone maker has always been good with withholding information about upcoming iPhone models), we really do not know which is which. But considering that recent iPhones already make use of the Lightning connector for power and data transfer, this rumor may not be a rumor at all. And it does not help that wireless headphones now are growing in popularity. The truth will eventually come out, but until then, we will just have to wait and see.
