For the past several months, there have been consistent leaks and rumors indicating that Apple would remove the 3.5mm headphone jack from the upcoming iPhone 7 to make it the slimmest iPhone ever. The next-gen iPhone is said to come with Lightning-compatible headphones. Now a Chinese accessories maker has tried to make the most out of the potential switch.
Tama adapters are not certified Made for iPhone
Chinese firm Tama has unveiled three Lightning-to-headphone adapters aimed at the upcoming iPhone 7. Two of the adapters also feature micro USB port for charging. The accessories were first spotted by Japanese blog MacOtakara. If the iPhone 7 indeed gets rid of the headphone jack, as rumors suggest, Apple or third parties will have to offer Lightning-to-headphone adapters for customers using legacy headphones. The adapters will let people use their existing headphones with the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.
Tama’s adapters also feature separate volume buttons. Note that the Chinese company isn’t yet selling its products as certified Made for iPhone accessories. Tama has also not listed their price yet. Removing the headphone jack means iPhone users will have to rely on Bluetooth headphones or Lightning-connected ones. There are also rumors that Apple is working on new Bluetooth EarPods that will charge with the iPhone 7.
iPhone 7 to come with 32GB base storage
Other rumors indicate that Apple will finally ditch the 16GB base storage model and offer 32GB of base storage with the iPhone 7. It will be a big relief to customers who are forced to buy the 64GB model at a higher price because 16GB of storage is not sufficient for them. Besides, the next-gen iPhone 7 is also said to get rid of the protruding rear camera and the antenna bands.
Earlier this week, Japanese publication Nikkei reported that Apple may switch to a 3-year major upgrade cycle starting this year. It means the upcoming iPhone 7 may not see a radical design overhaul. In terms of design, it is expected to look “almost identical” to the last year’s iPhone 6S. Nikkei says, citing supply chain sources, Apple doesn’t expect the iPhone sales to rise this year.
