[ot-caption= “Apple iPhone 6 showing 3.5 mm headphone jack that is rumored to be removed in the upcoming 2016 model.” (via Pexels/helloolly)]

The most popular phone on the planet, Apple’s iPhone, always comes with an air of mystique and change as rumors of new innovations to swirl at the beginning of each year. Already in 2016, there is news that a big change may be coming for the iPhone, likely called the iPhone 7. This year, it appears that Apple is continuing its history of removing older ports in favor of slimming down and making their devices more compact, with the removal of the 3.5 mm headphone jack that is an industry standard for audio.

Previously, Apple was the first computer company to remove the floppy disc drive with the iMac G3 and then (more recently) removed the optical disc drive in the MacBook Air in the beginning of 2008. These alterations to the status quo of electronic devices came with much challenge and chagrin to the radical shift in design and usability. Many believed that these ports were integral to computer usage and would cripple their computers; however, the reality was far different from these predictions. Apple continues to be one of the most profitable and successful electronics companies on the planet, recently having the most profitable quarter of any company in history. Today, all new models of Apple MacBooks come without CD drives and sales have been unchanged in regards to this change.  The same is expected to occur with iPhone 7 sales.

Industry sentiment is that the 3.5 mm headphone jack is necessary for the current audio market, as virtually all headphone still use this connector. Notably, there is a significant increase in the number of headphones that support bluetooth.  In addition, Apple will most likely sell an adapter that will connect to the existing lightning port. This actually offers some added benefits beyond allowing people to give Apple more of their hard-earned cash for a $30 adapter.   Active noise canceling headphones can use the phone’s battery to power them instead of annoying batteries that must be charged separately or disposable. Additionally, given the prevalence of bluetooth headphones, none of these will be affected by the change; the extra space available in the iPhone from this change will allow for a larger battery or better, faster chips to have the phone continually improving without sacrificing size.

Given that this is all speculation and rumors from leaks, the world will just have to wait for Apple to unveil the next big thing in their iPhone line.  We will just have to wait to know for sure that there is no headphone jack.  But, this big change would fall in line with their track record for setting new industry standards and making the iPhone slimmer and slimmer each year.

Sources: Forbes, TechnoBuffalo, Engadget; Photo Source: Pexels, FreeStockPhotos