Apple's controversial iPhone accessory may have been discontinued
It's now sold out in most countries, suggesting there's no stock left
🤔 One of Apple’s most famous accessories seems to have been discontinued
👋 The Lightning to 3.5mm jack adapter has sold out in the US
🌎 It’s also not available in other countries
🎧 The adapter was introduced in 2016 when Apple removed the headphone jack from the iPhone 7
Apple has released a few controversial accessories over the years that have been rather polarising, usually because of their price. The Apple Polishing Cloth is always the butt of many jokes, as are the Apple Mac Pro Wheels Kit. However, there’s one controversial iPhone accessory that will go down in history: the Lightning to 3.5mm jack adapter.
Apple introduced the adapter in 2016, the year it removed the headphone jack from the iPhone 7. The decision disrupted the market substantially, and means that headphone jacks have disappeared from most smartphones as companies began manufacturing bluetooth wireless earbuds instead.
Apple made the transition a little easier for those who weren’t ready to give up on their wired headphones by including a $9 adapter. However, it looks like it could now be confined to the annals of history, as the Lightning to 3.5mm jack adapter has sold out in the US and other countries, suggesting Apple may have quietly discontinued it (thanks, MacRumors).
The decision makes sense, as Apple has now ditched the Lightning port in favor of USB-C since it introduced the iPhone 15, and Apple sells a USB-C to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter.
It appears Apple isn’t restocking other Lightning accessories, as MacRumors also spotted that other cables and adapters are no longer available, including the Lightning to VGA adapter.
Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.