iPhone 7 release date, specs, price, rumors & leaks: Apple to ditch headphone jacks in new phone?

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Future Apple smartphones such as the iPhone 7 may render headphones obsolete in the future, according to rumors.

The new iPhone 7 might not come with the traditional 3.5mm headphone jacks, according to Japanese Apple blog Mac Otakara as reported by Apple Insider. The feature is said to be removed because the thinness of the new iPhone might not accommodate the audio jack.

So what happens when there are no more audio jacks? The new smartphone might accommodate the "Lightning Connector" which is a digital-to-analog converter plug with Bluetooth connectivity for headphones. This means that Apple may let users plug headphones into the port originally used to charge iPhones.

There are downsides and upsides to having this new feature integrated into the iPhone 7.

Tech Insider states that the rumored feature could have more disadvantages than good news. Due to the headphones and charger using the same port and the possibility that the former may use the power source for potential features would mean that the battery may drain faster than usual.

Apple might need to roll out with exclusive headphones with Lightning plugs in order to listen to music using their smartphones or have them to have mandatory splitter adaptor which could be sold for another price. The website adds that another Lightning port may be situated next to the charging port, but there has been no news or confirmation from the company.

For the upsides, aside from the fact that the removal of the headphone jacks would mean slimmer iPhone designs, the Lightning port can enable noise-canceling features for headphones, according to the website. Additionally, this could give users more access to system controls as the Lightning connector is digital instead of analog.

As for the release date of the iPhone 7, Digital Spy pointed out that Apple has been consistent with their yearly smartphone releases. It is possible that the new phone might be released on Sept. 2016, the same month that they roll out new phones since the iPhone 4S in the past five years.

However, Apple has also been consistent with bringing something new to their devices and we might see the iPhone 7 to be different than its predecessors. The site states that the company might incorporate flexible and curved designs and may come slimmer and more water-resistant. As for the price, it might be something of a bank breaker seeing as how the iPhone 6S is expensive at £539 (more than $800) for the 16GB model as Apple's latest model.