Sources Within Apple’s Supply Chain Confirm ‘iPhone 7’ Will NOT Feature a 3.5mm Headphone Jack

We recently reported that Apple’s next-generation iPhone could potentially be so thin, that it wouldn’t even be able to accommodate a standard 3.5mm headphone jack. And now, so it seems, that theory — originally reported by the popular Japanese blog, MacOtakara — has been all but confirmed to be true by sources within Apple’s own product supply chain.

The report was originally posted within some comments made by a notoriously accurate Weibo user, who has leaked information in regards to Apple’s product plans in the past. However, at this stage in the game, we would still recommend considering this report with a couple grains of salt until such time a more concrete confirmation is made.

In Apple’s defense, however, the company is expected to release a set of Lightning-based EarPods alongside the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, which will supposedly be included in the box. To that end, if Apple does, indeed, end up axing the 3.5mm headphone jack, it only remains to be seen if the company will also include an adapter in the box, as well — so that users can continue to use their existing, 3.5mm-based accessories.

In June of last year, Apple introduced its MFi specifications protocol, which enables 3rd-party manufacturers to develop accessories — most specifically headphones — that can be used with the existing Lightning port in devices such as the company’s current iPhones and iPads.

Additionally, sometime this year, Apple is expected to introduce a new high-definition audio standard for Apple Music, which could further increase the likelihood that the company will transition to Lightning audio — because a standard, 3.5mm audio connection cannot support HD music playback.

This is What we DO Know about the iPhone 7 so far

• The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are expected to launch in the Fall quarter of 2016.
• The handsets will be powered by much faster A10 chip — manufactured by TSMC, in addition to Intel’s LTE chips in lieu of those manufactured by Qualcomm.
• The device might feature a new coat of dust proof, waterproof technology, in addition to a new, redesigned chassis.
• The iPhone 7 Plus variant could possibly feature a 256 GB storage option, coupled with 3 GB of RAM

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The company has apparently been testing several different iPhone 7 prototypes, however — some of which feature a USB Type-C port, wireless charging, dual cameras, a Touch ID scanner embedded into the display, and even AMOLED display technology. However, it still remains to be seen what features will ultimately see the light of day.

Learn More: Latest Report Claims iPhone 7 to Feature Double the Storage Capacity and a Huge Battery