Sketchy Photos Show Off Lightning-Enabled EarPods for iPhone 7

A new image found on microblogging service Weibo shows off what Lightning adaptor EarPods might look like if Apple launches the iPhone 7 without a 3.5mm headphone jack, which has been gaining traction since it was first rumored last November.

The images, discovered by iPhone7.nl (Google Translate), are almost certainly a knockoff due to a disproportionate Lightning plug that appears far wider than the thin adaptors currently bundled in with products like the iPhone 6s, 6s Plus, and Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Dock.

iPhone 7 EarPods sketchy

Otherwise, the EarPods appear largely similar to the model sold by Apple today, with the same slim, rubbery white cable and inline volume control, the latter component of which appears to be somewhat warped in the first image posted on Weibo. Despite the slim chance that these are official Apple EarPods, it's an interesting glimpse into what the long-rumored Lightning headphone adapters could look like come September.

Rumors about the removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack began late last year, and have since coalesced into reports that its omission will in fact be the focus of the iPhone 7, which could help make the 2016 iPhone up to 1mm thinner than the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus.

The expected shift into a Lightning port-only future for iPhones would require users to either use Apple's first party Lightning EarPods, carry an adapter dongle to use traditional 3.5mm headphones, or make an early switch to a wireless, Bluetooth option with the added worry of battery life.

Related Roundup: iPhone 7

Tag: EarPods

Top Rated Comments

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rp2011

41 months ago

Real or not, I can't help but laugh at the tech blog echo chamber decrying the removal of the 3.5 jack. This tells you the level of intelligence driving tech blogs. ...They all know each other, get chummy at events and all think what they say matters.
Nilay Patel being the main doofus on this one.
And they can't even adequately explain their gripe. Especially when not even knowing what Apples solution is. It's all just based on conjeture right now.

They are building a pre-emtive click bait of "outrage"

"How dare they!!"

Truth is, as long as the new phone has a pair of earphones, no one is going to give a rats ass.

And if you are in the hyper minority of .01 percent of the population who owns a pair of $500 dollar headphones to listen to music on a smartphone, then you have other issues and the money for an adopter.
Most people will lose or break their EarPods and just go to the corner store and pay $15 bucks for a new pair without any of the manufactured angst of the click-bait morons who run tech blogs. (Nilay Patel)

Rating: 6 Votes

m.x

41 months ago

"Oh great, they said at the Keynote that this will make the sound quality outstanding, and it's true on my iPhone 7! Now let's try them with my 12" MacBook"
...
"Oh wait"
...
"Hmm, I need an adapter..."

Rating: 6 Votes

Dilster3k

41 months ago

The images, discovered by iPhone7.nl ('https://www.iphone7.nl/nieuws/nieuwe-iphone-7-oortjes/') (Google Translate ('http://translate.google.com/translate?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.iphone7.nl%2Fnieuws%2Fnieuwe-iphone-7-oortjes%2F&hl=en&langpair=auto|en&tbb=1&ie=UTF-8')), are almost certainly a knockoff due to a disproportionate Lightning plug that appears far wider than the thin adaptors currently bundled in with products like the iPhone 6s, 6s Plus, and Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Dock.

I mean they will have to put the DAC somewhere, right?

Rating: 6 Votes

djdj

41 months ago

Real or not, I can't help but laugh at the tech blog echo chamber decrying the removal of the 3.5 jack. This tells you the level of intelligence driving tech blogs. ...They all know each other, get chummy at events and all think what they say matters.
Nilay Patel being the main doofus on this one.
And they can't even adequately explain their gripe. Especially when not even knowing what Apples solution is. It's all based on congecture.

They are building a pre-emtive click bait of "outrage"

"How dare they!!"

Truth is, as long as the new phone has a pair of earphones, no one is going to give a rats ass.

And if you are in the hyper minority of .01 percent of the population who owns a pair of $500 dollar headphones to listen to music on a smartphone, then you have other issues and the money for an adopter.
Most people will lose or break their EarPods and just go to the corner store and pay $15 bucks for a new pair without any of the manufactured angst of the click-bait morons who run tech blogs. (Nilay Patel)

Anyone who listens to music using headphones other than the ones that came with their phone will care. Some of us do care about sound quality, and we aren't going to put up with carrying an adapter.

I've bought each of the last 4 iPhone models, but I will not buy any additional iPhones if they ship with no headphone jack. That is a deal-breaker to me.

Rating: 6 Votes

lra108

41 months ago

Fake. Pic not blurry enough

Rating: 4 Votes

LovingTeddy

41 months ago

Real or not, I can't help but laugh at the tech blog echo chamber decrying the removal of the 3.5 jack. This tells you the level of intelligence driving tech blogs. ...They all know each other, get chummy at events and all think what they say matters.
Nilay Patel being the main doofus on this one.
And they can't even adequately explain their gripe. Especially when not even knowing what Apples solution is. It's all based on congecture.

They are building a pre-emtive click bait of "outrage"

"How dare they!!"

Truth is, as long as the new phone has a pair of earphones, no one is going to give a rats ass.

And if you are in the hyper minority of .01 percent of the population who owns a pair of $500 dollar headphones to listen to music on a smartphone, then you have other issues and the money for an adopter.
Most people will lose or break their EarPods and just go to the corner store and pay $15 bucks for a new pair without any of the manufactured angst of the click-bait morons who run tech blogs. (Nilay Patel)

Then when you buy 15 bucks headphone and find out it won't work with iPhone 7... What you gonna do?

Sucks to be iPhone 7 users... Not buying any lightning headphone. It is stupid.

Rating: 4 Votes

dannyyankou

41 months ago

Looks super fake to me.

Rating: 3 Votes

soupcan

41 months ago

So instead of a DAC and map inside the phone you put one in the base of the Lightning connector, just outside the phone...

Wait, no, now you'll have 2 DACs and 2 amps, since the phone itself still has speakers which needs their own DAC and amp.

"Digital audio" does not make sense in the slightest. Audio is and always will be an analog thing. You still need a DAC and amp somewhere to convert the digital signal into an analog one for the drivers themselves to use. There's no benefit to consumers whatsoever, and it only forces people into buying proprietary stuff that works just on iPhones.

Rating: 2 Votes

Digital Skunk

41 months ago

I still don't think this is the way Apple will go..
It's going to be all about the wireless.
Wireless ear/headphones.. wireless charging..

Whether they will still include (wireless) earphones in the box with the iPhone is a different matter.

I agree. After using a pair of wireless headphones, I'm never going back to wired headphones.

Rating: 2 Votes

pika2000

41 months ago

The fact that people still give theverge and people like Nilay Patel some kind of credit baffles me.

Rating: 2 Votes

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