One of the most persistent rumors yet with regard to the iPhone 7, according to Mac World, is the absence of the traditional headphone jack in the upcoming Apple iPhone.
The rumor very likely means that Apple has two options for headphones: Apple- custom Lightning model headphones or wireless headphones.
The rumor makes sense, too. Why would Apple make 2 ports, one of which limits its ability in the race for thinness that Apple seems to be running, when one port could suffice?
According to Apple Insider, Apple revealed at its 2014 WWDC event that headphone manufacturing companies could now make headphones that would connect to iOS devices through the Lightning port.
This announcement came mere weeks after Apple confirmed its acquisition of Beats Audio, the company responsible for the popular Beats headphones.
This, and the relentless buzz about iPhone 7 being made slim by ditching the headphone jack, has given birth to the idea that the first headphones Beats comes up with after being under Apple's management will connect to devices via the Lightning port instead of the 3.5 mm audio jack.
This is despite the assumption that the Beats acquisition is to mostly focus on Beats Music - which is the company's music streaming service.
Perhaps Apple could be releasing its own Beats-branded Lightning headphones.
When the Lightning headphone module was first made public during a WWDC session for developers, Robert Walsh (who is Apple's manager of platform accessories) said that there were many advantages of using the Lightning connector as opposed to the 3.5 mm audio jack. He talked about increased control for volume and playback, as well as more bandwidth.
As mentioned earlier, a huge advantage of headphones that use the Lightning connector to connect is that iPhones could get even thinner - thinner, in fact, than any Apple smartphone seen before. Although with iPhone 7' predecessors being so sleek already, it is debatable whether this is a good idea. Making the iPhone thinner could alternatively give Apple the freedom to incorporate a bigger better battery in its upcoming iPhone 7.
