Apple May Have Discontinued its Lightning to Headphone Jack Adapter

Apple may have stopped manufacturing the Lightning to headphone jack adapter it launched with the iPhone 7 lineup back in 2016. MacRumors is reporting that the iPhone accessory is currently sold out on the online Apple Store in the US and many other countries, though you may have more luck if you’re in the EU.

Apple received a lot of criticism when it decided to ship the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus without a headphone hack, especially after Phil Schiller, Apple’s SVP of Worldwide Marketing said at the time that this was all about “courage.” Apple did bundle this Lightning to headphone jack adapter with iPhones for a couple of years, but that stopped with the 2018 iPhone XS which didn’t come with the adapter in the box.

As it turned out, many other smartphone manufacturers have since followed Apple’s example and removed headphone jacks from their flagship smartphones. Apple also deserves credit for popularizing wireless earbuds with its AirPods, and the company is now on its fourth generation of AirPods and second generations of AirPods Pro. Last year, the iPhone 15 lineup also abandoned Apple’s proprietary Lightning port for charging for a standard USB-C port.

While Apple is still selling two iPhone models with a Lightning port, the iPhone 14 and the third-gen iPhone SE, it probably doesn’t make a lot of sense for the company to keep manufacturing its Lighting to headphone jack adapter. Apple, however, is still selling a USB-C to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter for $9, just like the Lightning version that’s apparently discontinued.