Apple might be planning to make it even more difficult to use your old 3.5mm headphones if you buy a new iPhone this year.
New iPhones have included a Lightning port adapter for headphones ever since Apple removed the headphone jack on the iPhone 7. That free dongle is about to go away this year, according to one Apple analyst.
Barclays analyst Blayne Curtis told investors in a note today that their research indicates that Apple won’t bundle a dongle with the 2018 iPhones. In the report obtained by Macrumors, Curtis says Apple supplier Cirrus Logic will be the biggest loser.
Not including the adapter could push customers to buy Apple’s wireless AirPod earbuds. The dongle costs $9 when sold separately.
Barclay’s correctly predicted last year that the headphone adapter would be included in the iPhone 8 and iPhone X. The firm tries to talk to Apple suppliers in Asia to decern changes that could be coming to Apple’s products. Curtis says it’ll take until May to know for certain if Apple will ditch the dongle.
The 2018 iPhone lineup is expected to be unveiled around September. Three new models are rumored to be in the works with all three getting Face ID and edge-to-edge displays. Other features will likely include improved cameras, a new A12 processor and more.
