Possible Photo of 'iPad Mini' Dock Connector Flex Cable with Headphone Jack at Bottom

Nowhereelse.fr shares [Google translation] a new photo of what it believes may be a flex cable component for the "iPad mini", housing Apple's smaller dock connector, the headphone jack, and the home button connector. The layout of the component is similar to that of a part said to be for the next-generation iPhone that surfaced back in May.

The report notes that Kyle Wiens of iFixit has offered his thoughts on the photo, with Wiens reporting that it is indeed consistent with being an Apple component but that he is unable to confirm its authenticity. The part does bear a close resemblance to the part claimed to be for the next-generation iPhone, and it also carries a part number in the style of Apple's other iOS device flex cable components.

ipad mini dock headphone
Possible iPad mini dock connector/headphone jack component with similar part from next iPhone shown for comparison

The most troublesome aspect of the part is the location of the headphone jack directly next to the dock connector. While evidence has accumulated suggesting that Apple will be moving the headphone jack to this location on the next-generation iPhone, case leaks, design drawings, and physical mockups have so far all suggested that the headphone jack will be located on the top edge of the iPad mini, as found on the full-size iPad.

Related Roundup: iPad mini
Buyer's Guide: iPad Mini (Neutral)
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Coming Soon With These 8 New Features on Your iPhone

Thursday December 11, 2025 8:49 am PST by
Apple seeded the second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to developers earlier this week, meaning the update will be released to the general public very soon. Apple confirmed iOS 26.2 would be released in December, but it did not provide a specific date. We expect the update to be released by early next week. iOS 26.2 includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, such as a new...
Google maps feaure

Google Maps Quietly Added This Long-Overdue Feature for Drivers

Wednesday December 10, 2025 2:52 am PST by
Google Maps on iOS quietly gained a new feature recently that automatically recognizes where you've parked your vehicle and saves the location for you. Announced on LinkedIn by Rio Akasaka, Google Maps' senior product manager, the new feature auto-detects your parked location even if you don't use the parking pin function, saves it for up to 48 hours, and then automatically removes it once...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

Apple to Make More Foldable iPhones Than Expected [Updated]

Tuesday December 9, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple has ordered 22 million OLED panels from Samsung Display for the first foldable iPhone, signaling a significantly larger production target than the display industry had previously anticipated, ET News reports. In the now-seemingly deleted report, ET News claimed that Samsung plans to mass-produce 11 million inward-folding OLED displays for Apple next year, as well as 11 million...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3

Thursday December 11, 2025 11:28 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3 and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B30, up from 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 firmware is 8B28, up from 8B21. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 are getting expanded support for Live Translation in the European Union in iOS...
iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
AirTag 2 Mock Feature

Apple AirTag 2: Four New Features Found in iOS 26 Code

Thursday December 11, 2025 10:31 am PST by
The AirTag 2 will include a handful of new features that will improve tracking capabilities, according to a new report from Macworld. The site says that it was able to access an internal build of iOS 26, which includes references to multiple unreleased products. Here's what's supposedly coming: An improved pairing process, though no details were provided. AirTag pairing is already...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds Second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Monday December 8, 2025 10:18 am PST by
Apple today seeded the second release candidate version of iOS 26.2 to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming one week after Apple seeded the first RC. The release candidate represents the final version iOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found. Registered developers and public beta testers can download the betas from the Settings app on...
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

iPhone 18 Pro Leak Adds New Evidence for Under-Display Face ID

Monday December 8, 2025 4:54 am PST by
Apple is actively testing under-screen Face ID for next year's iPhone 18 Pro models using a special "spliced micro-transparent glass" window built into the display, claims a Chinese leaker. According to "Smart Pikachu," a Weibo account that has previously shared accurate supply-chain details on Chinese Android hardware, Apple is testing the special glass as a way to let the TrueDepth...
ipad blue prime day

iPad 12 Rumored to Get iPhone 17's A19 Chip, Breaking Apple Tradition

Wednesday December 10, 2025 12:22 pm PST by
The next-generation low-cost iPad will use Apple's A19 chip, according to a report from Macworld. Macworld claims to have seen an "internal Apple code document" with information about the 2026 iPad lineup. Prior documentation discovered by MacRumors suggested that the iPad 12 would be equipped with an A18 chip, not an A19 chip. The A19 chip was just released this year in the iPhone 17, and...
studio display purple

Apple Studio Display 2 Code Hints at 120Hz ProMotion, HDR, A19 Chip

Thursday December 11, 2025 4:19 am PST by
Apple's next-generation Studio Display is expected to arrive early next year, and a new report allegedly provides a couple more details on the external monitor's capabilities. According to internal Apple code seen by Macworld, the new external display will feature a variable refresh rate capable of up to 120Hz – aka ProMotion – as well as support for HDR content. The current Studio...

Top Rated Comments

portishead Avatar
174 months ago
I always put my iphone in my pocket upside down so I'm glad they're putting the headphone jack on the bottom.
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mad-B-One Avatar
174 months ago
Maybe the headphone jack position has something to do with the adapter for the old dock connector.

Suggested by a blogger:




PS: In before "This is not called iPhone 5" posts! :D

PPS: NOT in before (I know, you were joking): ;)
Blah blah double down on secrecy blah blah.

Blah, Steve would never have allowed this blah blah.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Stuipdboy1000 Avatar
174 months ago
Blah blah double down on secrecy blah blah.

Blah, Steve would never have allowed this blah blah.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Xenomorph Avatar
174 months ago
Blah blah double down on secrecy blah blah.

Blah, Steve would never have allowed this blah blah.

Steve's double-downing needs to be snappier!
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lifeinhd Avatar
174 months ago
Do you mean iPad, or have you just completely been fooled into thinking the iPad came out in 2007?...
Erm, of course I mean iPad, why else would I specifically say iPad...?

EDIT: Perhaps you were referring to docking my iPad in my car? In which case I assure you I do dock my iPad in my car...

Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
faroZ06 Avatar
174 months ago
Maybe the headphone jack position has something to do with the adapter for the old dock connector.

Suggested by a blogger:

What that image suggests is that the analog audio cannot be transferred through the new Dock Connector alone! It requires the headphone jack output in addition to the new Dock Connector to go to the old Dock Connector. Either:

1. No more audio through the new Dock Connector. That would be terrible.
2. Digital "optical" audio through the new Dock Connector. Wouldn't that be a big improvement?
3. Still analog through new Dock Connector, but they decided to make it take the headphone jack too for some reason. Maybe just for physical stability?[COLOR="#808080"]
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)