In 2016, Apple made one of its most controversial decisions of recent times when it axed the traditional 3.5mm headphone jack on the iPhone 7. That led fans of wired headphones to have to use the Lightning adapter in the box, but this year’s iPhones might not get even that adapter…
Though Apple also packages this Lightning to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter with the iPhone X, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, this measure always had the whiff of a temporary one. Apple’s own launch of the AirPods evidenced that the firm was pushing users towards wireless audio solutions.
Given these factors, it might not overly surprise that, judging from a Barclays research note, Cirrus Logic has seemingly confirmed the dongle’s exclusion from boxes of future iPhones. Cirrus, which supplies components for this adapter, might now have all but ended speculation sparked by Barclays earlier this year.
“Reported a beat but gave mixed guidance with revenue below but earnings ahead. Cirrus didn’t update its FY19 guide… but they did finally confirm the dongle loss, adding more support for our below estimates,” MacRumors quotes the research note as detailing.
However, Apple is still selling this adapter separately for $9 and likely won’t cease doing so soon. In a separate note cited by AppleInsider, Cowen analyst Matthew D. Ramsay has also argued that some legal models will continue to include the converter.
