Key Takeaways
- Say bye to the Lightning-to-3.5mm adapter.
- Wireless earbuds’ popularity means it’s not really needed anymore.
- Nearly all of Apple’s devices and accessories have made the jump to USB-C.
I still remember the uproar of outrage in 2016 back when Apple first removed the 3.5mm headphone jack from the iPhone 7.
Phil Schiller “Courage” jokes aside, it really did suck — especially since wireless earbuds weren’t that common yet and even Apple’s own AirPods hadn’t launched. In an effort to soften the blow at the time, Apple offered a Lightning-to-3.5mm headphone jack adapter in the box with the iPhone 7 line.
Now, it looks like that adapter has hit the end of the line, as first reported by MacRumors.
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Say bye to the Lightning-to-3.5mm adapter
Wireless earbuds are so popular now that it’s not really needed
The adapter is currently listed as sold out in the U.S. and most other regions. While this isn’t always an indicator that a product has been discontinued, it usually means that’s the case, especially when it comes to Apple’s Store.
Given how popular wireless headphones are and that Apple has pretty much entirely transitioned all of its devices and accessories to USB-C, this isn’t surprising, but it’s still the end of an era. Apple is still selling its USB-C-to-3.5mm adapter, however.
“I’ve long since moved onto wireless earbuds, and in fact, I don’t even know if I own any wireless headphones anymore.”
Apple dropping the 3.5mm headphone jack kicked off an industry trend, with most Android manufacturers also quickly dropping the port. The most notable example is Samsung, which initially made fun of Apple dropping the headphone jack, only to also remove it a few years later with the Galaxy Note 10 and then, eventually, the Galaxy S20. While I initially wasn’t a fan of companies ditching the standard 3.5mm headphone jack from smartphones, I haven’t thought about the shift in years.
I’ve long since moved onto wireless earbuds, and in fact, I don’t even know if I own any wireless headphones anymore. Actually, I probably have a pair of Apple’s EarPods collecting dust in a box somewhere — I should dig them out for nostalgia’s sake.
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