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APPLE appears to have discontinued an iconic accessory that marked a major change for the iPhone.
Supplies of the item have vanished from the online Apple Store in the United Kingdom and United States.
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The Lightning to 3.5 mm Headphone Jack Adapter is now listed as “sold out” for delivery.
And the website also notes that “Apple Store Pickup” is currently unavailable.
The dongle was designed to let you connect headphones with a 3.5mm cable into the Lightning port of an iPhone.
It was an important item because Apple removed the headphone jack from its smartphones with the iPhone 7 in 2016.
This dongle let plug headphones into the Lightning port using their normal audio cable.
It was included as standard in iPhone boxes right up to the iPhone XS release in 2018.
Apple hasn’t confirmed that the dongle is discontinued, but there’s no sign that the item will return.
The tech giant is quickly moving away from the Lightning port altogether.
Apple finally swapped the port on its iPhone series last year with the iPhone 15 – moving to USB-C instead.
Now most Apple products use USB-C, including Mac, iPad, and AirPods.
A big benefit of USB-C is that it’s not Apple exclusive, so you’ll find the cable on Android phones, many laptops and computers, and in modern cars too.
It means that you’ll need to have fewer cables at home, because most modern electronics are moving towards USB-C.
So that could be a key sign that this dongle won’t be re-stocked in the future.
Hundreds of Apple fans reacted to the news on Reddit.
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One said: “I’m glad we still have one from that iPhone 7 Plus box years ago, and it’s sleeping in my storage box.”
Another added: “I still have multiple family members using Lightning-equipped phones, almost all of them actually, even if my phone now has USB-C.
“This wasn’t a super important product but if you need one the Apple one was probably the one to get. Not ideal.
“I guess I’m mostly surprised they have run out of stock of them. Obviously they were selling some still, or they would not have run out of stock.”
WHAT IS USB-C?
Here’s what you need to know…
You’re probably familiar with USB: a type of connector for your gadgets.
Well USB-C is just another type of USB with a different design for the port and connector.
USB-C dates back to 2014, and is now widely used for charging electronic devices and transferring data.
Since then, USB-C has soared in popularity – is very commonly featured on Android devices.
Most modern flagship Android phones use USB-C as their main connectors, and have done for years.
And now Apple has largely switched to USB-C too.
USB-C can provide higher data transfer rates and faster charging speeds.
And they have a symmetrical design that means that there’s no “right way up” to plug them in.
Importantly, the fact that they are increasingly common means that you’ll be able to use the same cable on more devices in the future.
In a surprising twist, some PlayStation owners revealed their sadness over the change.
One said: “Use mine often for hooking my OG AirPods Max with my PlayStation Portal. Might buy a spare just in case now!”
Another wrote: “This is going to be a problem for people with AirPods Max that uses Lightning and want to connect with a cable.
“Use case: I use mine with my PS5 controller.”
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