New iPhones May Not Have a Dongle, as Apple Nudges Us to AirPods
Could the headphone jack stage a comeback?
The Lighting to 3.5mm Headphone Jack Adapter has come included with every new iPhone ever since Apple decided to ditch the headphone jack with the September 2016 release of the iPhone 7. But this attachment, better known by its mildly phallic nickname “dongle,” might not be included in Apple’s upcoming release.
In a research note obtained by MacRumors, Barclays analyst Blayne Curtis predicted that Apple might not include the dongle with its rumored releases this year. The analysts are Barcley’s routinely visit Apple’s Asian-Pacific supple chain to collect information about upcoming launches.
“We currently model no dongle this year,” stated the note.
Apple will include a headphone adapter dongle with each iPhone 7.
This potential move could be an effort to get customers to buy Apple’s AirPods instead of using their standard earbuds. But this also coincides with another widely circulated rumor that the next iPhone might bring back the headphone jack.
On April 26, images from Chinese social media claimed to showcase Apple’s rumored iPhone SE 2. The pictures displayed a smartphone with an all-glass back for wireless charging and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Apple could be killing off the dongle because its next phone might not even need it all together.
While these two separate speculations might seem to line up, there is no hard evidence to prove either of them and Apple has yet to make a statement regarding its next release. The company’s next media event is scheduled for June 4 at the start of WWDC. iPhone fans will likely have to wait until then to get some closure regarding the future of the smartphone.
The dongle might be on its way out, but it’s still on sale on the Apple Store for $9 as a stand-alone product. As it stands the connector has garnered mostly negative reviews, which might be another reason Apple wants to do away with it.
If Curtis’ prediction turns out to be true we might be looking at a dongle-less future. But whether or not this means the return of the headphone jack reminds to be seen. Apple users might need to go out and buy their own dongles or completely do away with them. We’ll have to see if WWDC offers any clarity in the matter.
