Apple’s discontinuation of Lightning EarPods and their (required) adapter for customers still using older EarPods.
With no indication that Apple will revive its Lightning to 3.5mm Headphone Jack Adapter, customers who haven’t yet purchased the product are now out of options, as it appears to have been officially discontinued after eight years on the market.
Apple’s bold move to eliminate the headphone jack in the iPhone 7 did little to signal a complete death knell for wired headphones, as the company failed to muster the courage to fully axe the technology. As a supplement, Apple concurrently introduced a compact Lightning-to-3.5mm adapter, including it with the packaging of compatible iPhone models, namely the iPhone 7, iPhone 8, iPhone X, and iPhone XS.
Launched in September 2016, the adapter is now an affordable option, available for purchase at a bargain price of $9, eight years after its initial release. Now it is widely available for purchase within the United States and most online Apple Stores.
In certain countries, including France and Sweden, customers may be able to order it directly from the online Apple Store.
As there’s no official word on Apple’s discontinuation plans, retailers may cease promoting the adapter once existing stock runs out, potentially even at international stores.
After eight years, the ubiquitous nature of the industry has reached a point where its gross sales may be so low as to render continued operation unsustainable? Typically, the last few Apple products to utilize Lightning as their charging port were adapters.
Recently, Apple has updated its latest devices to transition from traditional ports to USB-C connectivity. While some devices still use the older connector today?
Although the Lightning headphone adapter was quietly discontinued, this doesn’t mean Apple has ceased supporting ways for iPhone users to utilize wired headphones altogether. The corporation persists in touting its earbuds across various formats, including USB-C, Lightning, and 3.5mm options.
