Those rumors that suggested Apple would do away with the headphone jack on the upcoming iPhone 7 may have been on the money after all, as a collection of new photos and a video have surfaced that display what appears to be a Lightning-to-3.5 mm adapter that would serve as the jack's replacement.
The adapter in the aforementioned media was reportedly obtained from a Foxconn factory in Vietnam, and if the adapter is actually real, not only would it give credence to the headphone jack-less iPhone 7 rumor, but it would do the same to the rumor that suggested such an accessory would come bundled with Apple's latest smartphone as a way to assuage the fears of fans who believed the first rumor was true.
What We See
The photos, quite honestly, are rather straightforward in what they're showing us. They depict a cord that is short and surprisingly compact, considering that many aftermarket Lightning-to-3.5 mm adapters are bulky and clunky-looking due to the need for a digital-to-analog converter. With that in mind, if this is indeed real, it would be interesting to see how Apple manages to circumvent that issue.
In addition, the design checks out. This alleged adapter looks similar to other adapters that Apple provides on its website, such as the USB-C to USB and Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet accessories.
Meanwhile, the video shows what happens when the adapter is plugged into a device running iOS 9 or lower, as opposed to iOS 10. When plugged into anything running iOS 9 or below, the device displays an incompatibility message to the user, however, when doing the same with a device running the beta of iOS 10, the dongle appears to work "immediately" without any issues.
However, just as there are some things that might make us excited, there are others that give us reason to doubt, namely the size of Lightning end.
Notice how the Lightning end isn't centered properly and looks uneven while in its sheath? Is this the result of an incomplete part, damage or simply a knockoff product?
What We Don't See
While the photos and video primarily focus on the form of the cable, they don't go all too much into its function.
Yes, the video does show what happens when the device is plugged into a device running iOS 9 or lower as opposed to iOS 10, but the report also makes the claim that the device gives priority to the Lightning port for audio output whenever both that and the headphone jack are in use. However, there is no point where we get to see audio being played through headphones connected to the adapter.
Is It Real?
All in all, it's hard to say whether what we're seeing is an actual Apple product or simply a knockoff. Sure, such an adapter would be the perfect solution to the no headphone jack problem (and a lot better than Lightning-equipped earpod headphones), but considering that it's been something that has been on the minds of people for weeks now, it wouldn't be surprising for someone to make a knockoff in order to trick expecting fans.
Regardless of whether this adapter is real or fake, though, Apple's solution will no doubt be sleeker than what third-party companies have to offer. Of course, no matter what it does, there is likely no getting around the fact that the removal of the headphone jack will cause conflict for those accustomed to using wired headphones while charging their phone at the same time.
