Will Apple stop bundling headphone dongles with future iPhones?

By Becky Roberts
published

Owners of the next iPhones may have to buy a dongle separately or rely solely on wireless headphones.

Arguably Apple’s most controversial iPhone moment was its removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack almost two years.

It has meant that owners of the iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X have had to plug their 3.5mm-ended wired headphones into the phone’s lightning connector using the dongle supplied in the box. Or buy lightning connector headphones. Or use wireless headphones.

Well, according to a Barclays research note spotted by Mac Rumours, Cirrus Logic – a supplier for the adapter – has "confirmed" that the dongle won't be bundled with the next batch of Apple iPhones due to launch next month.

If that’s true, Apple will be making a firm stance for an all-wireless future. And it can probably, and quite rightfully, expect more backlash for it.

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Becky Roberts
Becky Roberts

Becky is the managing editor of What Hi-Fi? and, since her recent move to Melbourne, also the editor of Australian Hi-Fi magazine. During her 10 years in the hi-fi industry, she has been fortunate enough to travel the world to report on the biggest and most exciting brands in hi-fi and consumer tech (and has had the jetlag and hangovers to remember them by). In her spare time, Becky can often be found running, watching Liverpool FC and horror movies, and hunting for gluten-free cake.