Apple’s removal of the headphone socket on its latest iPhone 7 has had several knock-on effects, but one thing most people might not realise is that if you’re using wired headphones with it, you can’t charge it at the same time. Unless you buy a £35 adapter. Or a £49 dock.



The scrapping of the long-standing, universal 3.5mm phone connector, commonly known as the headphones jack, has already boosted sales of wireless headphones, which according to Apple is the way forward. It’s also upset a lot of people, whose often high-priced cabled headphones now need an adapter to plug into the Lightning socket of the iPhone 7, should they buy one.

But arguably the biggest problem for office workers around the country will be that the Lightning socket is the sole power source for charging the battery of the iPhone 7. It means for all those who sit at their desks, charge the phone and plug in their headphones to listen to music, Apple’s latest smartphone isn’t going to cut the mustard –you simply can’t do both.

Apple’s Lightning dock, which is great if you don’t move desks and you can trust your co-workers not to steal nice shiny things when you’ve popped home for the night. Photograph: Apple

At least, without buying an adapter that is. Apple’s only option for cable aficionados is the iPhone’s £49 Lightning dock, which has a Lightning socket and a 3.5mm headphone socket on the back, but is a bit impractical to carry around.

Accessory-maker Belkin to the rescue then, with it’s new £35 Lightning Audio + Charge RockStar – terrible name, likely an essential buy for many just to use the included headphones and charge. Great, another dongle to lose.

Belkin Lightning headphone and power dongle. Photograph: Belkin

Of course, if you want to listen to your old 3.5mm “legacy” headphones, you’re going to need to use another adapter, which at least Apple ships in the box with the iPhone 7.

One adapter plugged into the phone, another adapter plugged into the original adapter and the headphones plugged into the second adapter that’s plugged into the adapter plugged into the iPhone 7. What could possibly go wrong?

Maybe it’s time to buy some Bluetooth headphones.