It appears Apple has discontinued a popular accessory that many iPhone users still use to listen to their music and media: the dongle.
The 3.5mm Lightning to Headphone Jack Adapter has been sold out on both the UK and US Apple websites without being restocked for some time now. The device allows iPhone users to connect headphone jacks to their devices that don’t have the female connection ports.
This includes not only headphones but also wired speakers, car audio systems, and airplane entertainment.
Apple is making the shift away from its Lightning port in favor of USB-C, and with the shift, it will also begin phasing out certain items that use its proprietary charging technology.
The adapter was first launched in 2016 along with the iPhone 7, which was the first iPhone to not include the 3.5mm headphone jack. Apple removed the port as a means to make the device more water-resistant, but users were not happy at the time.
The Lightning to 3.5mm Adapter helped solve the solution for those who had wired headphones and didn’t want to upgrade to Bluetooth or use Apple’s specific headphones.
The Lightning connector has slowly been phased out since the iPhone 15 marked the official shift to USB-C in 2023.
While the adapter is no longer available in the UK or US, it can still be found in other countries, like France, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden.
There are also similar products available on sites that aren’t affiliated with Apple, including Amazon.
The New York Post was the first to report on the apparent discontinuation of the adapter. Apple has not responded to a request for comment on the report.