Skip to main content

The context you need, when you need it

When news breaks, you need to understand what actually matters — and what to do about it. At Vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. But we can’t do it on our own.

We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today?

Join now

Three options for when Apple inevitably takes away the headphone jack on the new iPhone

Because you know they will.

An Apple Store employee tries on a pair of headphones during a press preview of the new flagship Apple Store on May 19, 2016 in San Francisco, California.
An Apple Store employee tries on a pair of headphones during a press preview of the new flagship Apple Store on May 19, 2016 in San Francisco, California.
Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

Yes, it’s annoying that the headphone jack is going away. But, no, it’s not the end of the world.

Here are three options to consider after Apple does away with the standard 3.5mm jack on the new iPhone.

1. Headphones that plug directly into the lightning port.

There are a bunch of these now already on the market, such as this pair from Philips. Plugging into the lightning port means the headphones can draw power from the iPhone and the sound quality won’t suffer en route to your ears. The downside is that headphones you buy in this category will only work with an iPhone or iPad.

2. Bluetooth headphones

There are tons of these out there. The downside is that Bluetooth doesn’t deliver the highest-quality audio. On the plus side, there are no dongles to lose, and Bluetooth headphones will work with a wide range of devices, not just your new iPhone. This article from our colleagues at the Verge lists some of the better ones.

3. Use a dongle

Apple will likely include a dongle with the new iPhone to plug existing headphones into the lightning port. Motorola includes a similar kind of adapter on the two Moto Z models that it launched without headphone jacks.

This is probably the easiest option, plus you get to use the headphones you already have — until you lose the dongle and have to buy another one.

A final option is kind of a hybrid of those last two. Griffin recently introduced such a product, its $20 iTrip Clip. You plug your standard headphones into the iTrip Clip, which receives the audio signal wirelessly over Bluetooth.

Here’s Ina talking to NPR’s Here and Now about these headphone options:

This article originally appeared on Recode.net.

See More:

More in archives

archives
Ethics and Guidelines at Vox.comEthics and Guidelines at Vox.com
archives
By Vox Staff
Supreme Court
The Supreme Court will decide if the government can ban transgender health careThe Supreme Court will decide if the government can ban transgender health care
Supreme Court

Given the Court’s Republican supermajority, this case is unlikely to end well for trans people.

By Ian Millhiser
archives
On the MoneyOn the Money
archives

Learn about saving, spending, investing, and more in a monthly personal finance advice column written by Nicole Dieker.

By Vox Staff
archives
Total solar eclipse passes over USTotal solar eclipse passes over US
archives
By Vox Staff
archives
The 2024 Iowa caucusesThe 2024 Iowa caucuses
archives

The latest news, analysis, and explainers coming out of the GOP Iowa caucuses.

By Vox Staff
archives
The Big SqueezeThe Big Squeeze
archives

The economy’s stacked against us.

By Vox Staff