Now, more reports suggest the yet-to-be-announced iPhone 7 will feature a single, multipurpose lightning port that will double up as a headphone port as well as charger. According to a report in Chinese site Anzhuo, supply chain sources have confirmed the removal of the 3.5mm port on iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. It claims Apple will instead focus on wireless headphones to output sound, and will sell the handset with a new, wireless equivalent of Apple’s ‘EarPod’ headphones. Users will also be able to use the lightning connector on the phone to connect a headset
Elsewhere, Lightning-based headphones would experience less 'crosstalk', or signal interference, according to The Next Web. Lightning-connected earphones are already available from third-party manufacturers such as Philips' Fidelio but Apple could be looking to monopolise the market. In the past, the company has famously ditched support for hardware and software once it believes it has become obsolete. It was the first to remove the floppy disk's slot from its computers in 1998, and it more recently did away with all but one USB-C ports on its laptops, as well as Flash on iOS.
Its Lightning charging technology was then brought into replace Apple's previous 30-pin charger in 2012.
Writer - Liam McClelland | @Liamicy