By Staff Writer (media@latinospost.com) | First Posted: Nov 30, 2015 07:20 AM EST

There are rumors that the Apple iPhone 7 will not have a headphone jack. Instead, the flagship smartphone might use Lightning-based headphones instead.

Mac Otakara, a Japanese tech website, reported that Apple is eyeing in eliminating the 3.5mm headphone jack from its next model. Instead, the iPhone 7 will feature Lightning-based headphones, Lightning-based EarPods, and third-party Bluetooth support. The move will apparently make the iPhone slimmer. The next iPhone will allegedly be one-millimeter thinner compared to the iPhone 6s. Mac World wrote that the rumor is most likely true, since Mac Otakara is a generally reliable source. Apple also introduced the MFi specification for Lightning-based headphones in 2014, so the company might already have been developing the new technology for several months.

Venture Beat explained that the new Lightning connector will be the same size and support Lightning-equipped headphones, as well as allow backward compatibility via a digital-to-analog (DAC) converter and wired headphones that still have regular 3.5mm stereo jacks. Users who wish to continue using wired headphones or the current Earpods can do so through a 3.5mm-to-Lightning adapter. VentureBeat also predicted that Apple will launch Beats-branded headphones that work via a Lightning port shortly before or after the iPhone 7 releases.

In 2012, Apple removed the 30-pin dock connector and introduced the smaller Lightning connector on the iPhone 5, which made the device slimmer, among others. The same approach is expected with the iPhone 7. The Lightning connector may be used for charging and audio output.

Furthermore, the iPhone 7 is rumored to feature an OLED display. LG recently confirmed that it is investing $8.5 billion in a new OLED plant, which will take care of expected demand for OLED panels in the next several years. Currently, LG handles OLED screen supply for the Apple Watch. LG and Samsung are also expected to supply the needed OLED displays for future iPhones, BGR reported. LG did not mention the iPhone during its press release, but the new P10 plant will be established in Paju. Production is set to start in the first half of 2018. If the working relationship is true, the iPhone will most likely have OLED displays in 2018, but not sooner or the iPhone 7, which is expected to launch in 2016.

However, Apple will not be the first company to launch a smartphone without a headphone jack. The HTC G1 was the first Android-based handset that released without one. More updates and details on the iPhone 7 and headphone jack replacement are expected soon.

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