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How your current headphones can work with the iPhone 7 even if it ditches the audio jack

Updated Dec 19th, 2018 9:11PM EST
iPhone 7 Headphone Jack
Image: Zach Epstein, BGR

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First of all, it’s absolutely crazy that people are getting so worked up over a rumor. In case you haven’t heard, a bunch of reports have claimed that Apple plans to ditch the headphone jack on the new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus that will be released later this year. Bailing on the traditional audio port will apparently let Apple build a thinner housing for the new iPhone, and we all know how much Apple loves thin phones — so much that it’s comfortable selling phones with comparatively poor battery life just to keep them thin.

Battery life is people’s #1 concern when buying a smartphone, and they still opt for the iPhone in droves. You think people will stop buying iPhones because of an audio jack?

Look, even if Apple does do away with the standard headphone port on the iPhone 7, you still won’t have to buy new headphones if you don’t want to because your old ones will work perfectly with Apple’s next-gen iPhone. You read that right… and in this post we’ll tell you everything you need to know.

If — and that’s a big if — Apple does release an iPhone 7 without an 3.5mm headphone port, you’re going to have plenty of options when it comes to listening to music.

First, the new phones will absolutely come with free headphones that make use of Apple’s Lightning port. That goes without saying. Many people don’t like Apple’s EarPod headphones though, and we don’t blame them. If you have your one pair of high-quality headphones and you want to keep using them with the iPhone 7, you’ll have two options:

One option will be a physical 3.5mm to Lightning adapter. If an iPhone 7 without a dedicated headphone jack emerges, these adapters will flood the market faster than you can say “cha-ching.” Apple will likely sell its own adapter for about $4,500 (it’ll probably be $19) and you’ll be able to find no-name adapters for a fraction of that price on Amazon and eBay.

Your other option is one you can already take care of right now. For between $15 and $20 on Amazon, you can purchase a Bluetooth audio receiver that will connect to your current smartphone and your future iPhone 7. Then, you just plug your current earbuds or over-ear headphones into this tiny receiver and you’re instantly streaming high-quality audio to your headphones.

Good options include the $17 Mpow Streambot Mini Bluetooth 4.0 Receiver and the $15 Atill Multipoint Connection 4.1 Bluetooth Audio Music Receiver. Both units have incredibly high customer ratings on Amazon so you know they work very well, and both ship free with Amazon Prime.

Mpow Streambot Mini Bluetooth 4.0 Receiver: $16.99 with free Prime shipping

Atill Multipoint Connection 4.1 Bluetooth Audio Music Receiver: $14.99 with free Prime shipping

Maren Estrada Deals Editor

Maren Estrada has been the Editor of BGR Deals since it launched in 2013. She has more than 20 years of experience testing more than 1,500 products, and reviewing a wide range of consumer electronics including mobile devices, smart home products, computers, and home appliances.

Previously, she was a leading consultant specializing in copywriting, product development, and new product launches.