Next iPhone to ditch headphone jack: report

Eli Blumenthal | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Will Apple ditch the headphone jack on iPhone 7? Rumor has it Apple will drop the 3.5mm headphone jack standard on the iPhone 7 slated for September 2016.

NEW YORK— Is the headphone jack on the iPhone going the way of the iPod? According to the latest rumors, the answer is yes.

Although the latest iPhone 6S and 6S Plus are bound to be popular gifts this holiday season, that hasn't stopped the Internet from speculating on what will be in Apple's next iPhone. According to Japanese blog Macotakara, Apple will be getting rid of the 3.5 mm headphone jack that has been standard on iPhones and other devices for years.

Macotakara has been accurate in the past, most recently correctly predicting that the iPhone 6 would come in a 4.7-inch version and 5.5-inch 6 Plus variant.

According to the report's "reliable source," Apple will be replacing the included Earpods with those that plug in through the device's Lightning port. Users could also use Bluetooth wireless headphones, which have become increasingly more popular over the years. Those with older headphones will likely still be able to use them, though they would likely need an adapter that plugs into the Lightning port.

The move is said to allow Apple to make the next iPhone even thinner, which is in line with what the company has traditionally done following an "S" year like this past one was.

As usual with early rumors like this one, Apple has remained mum on the topic.

The move to change the headphone jack or ports on the iPhone is also not unprecedented for Apple. The first iPhone in 2007 had a recessed headphone jack that was deeper into the phone than most devices and required an adapter to work with many headphones. This part of the iPhone was largely criticized by critics and users and Apple returned to a standard port with the iPhone 3G in 2008.

The company switched to the now standard Lightning port in 2012 with the iPhone 5 after using the larger 30-pin connector on its iPhones, iPads and iPods. That move was initially met with a tepid response, though users and accessory makers quickly adapted.

The headphone rumor is one of many early iPhone 7 theories. Others that have popped up in recent days include an Apple patent that would allow the phone to be used with gloves (something rival Android and Windows phones can already do) and that the company has a patent to make the phones more water resistant.

If recent history holds true Apple will likely unveil the next iPhone in the fall of 2016, with plenty of rumors and speculation happening between now and then.

Follow Eli Blumenthal on Twitter @eliblumenthal