Apple has revealed that the upcoming iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will not include a traditional 3.5mm headphone jack and will instead utilise wireless and Lightning-port connectivity.
The announcement, which came at an Apple media event on 7 September, confirms the most controversial and hotly-debated rumour surrounding the Cupertino giants latest iOS smartphone range.
To placate the legions of potential iPhone 7 buyers who happen to own a regular set of headphones, Apple will include an adapter in every iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus box that plugs into the phones Lightning charger port.
As well as bundling each iPhone 7 with a pair of EarPods which connect via the Lightning port, Apple also took the lid off a new range of Lightning-supported and wireless Beats headphones and a premium set of wireless buds called AirPods - in-ear buds that Apple said will offer five hours of listening time on a single charge.
The in-ear AirPods eschews Bluetooth connectivity in favour of a W1 chip. Apple promised that the AirPods will produce a magical experience and deliver incredible sound. The wireless technology works alongside iCloud and iOS to give users a seamless experience that does not require additional pairing across iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and even iMac.
On the Beats front, Beats Solo 3 Wireless, Power Beats 3 Wireless and a new Beats X range designed for fitness fanatics were also revealed.
Both the AirPods and new Beats range were always expected to show up at Apples big reveal for the iPhone 7 in San Francisco after a Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) listing surfaced in late August. Apples Beats PR team also all-but-confirmed the existence of a new Beats by Dre range in an email prior to the event.
