One of the most ubiquitous components on not only smartphones but almost every tech device might be going out of fashion. Apple is allegedly planning to ditch the traditional 3.5mm headphone jack in favor of headphones that use the Lightning port.

Rumors regarding this decision have been steadily circulating around the tech community since late 2015. Speculations had it that Apple is planning to ditch the 3.5mm port in order to further trim down the iPhone's size as well as introduce a new set of Bluetooth-based headphones.

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Some analysts claim that iPhone users, who prefer to traditional wired headphones, will be forced to buy a 3.5mm-to-Lightning port adapter or buy a fully certified headphone that uses the Lightning port.

Aside from trimming down the iPhone's size, Apple could also introduce a new set of speakers to replace the 3.5mm headphone jack. Current iPhone models ship with only one speaker which is located at the bottom part of the smartphone. Rumors had it that the iPhone 7 will also sport a dual-speaker setup.

Apple is not the only smartphone manufacturer to turn its back on the 3.5mm headphone jack. Chinese electronics manufacturer Oppo released its flagship device, the Oppo R5, without the 3.5mm headphone jack and instead opted for USB-C port.

Barclays analysts Blayne Curtis and Christopher Hemmelgarn said in a statement acquired by Mac Rumors that, "We still believe there is potential for AAPL to add ANC in the IP7S but believe AAPL is including just the digital headphone in the IP7 this year. Recent speculation surrounding the elimination of the headphone jack in the IP7 is consistent with this move as AAPL will need to provide a digital headset inbox but likely was not willing to spend the extra cost for the ANC functionality."

For Apple to introduce Lightning-connected headphones, it must use a basic digital codec. Should Apple opt for this roadmap, it will open up the possibility of including more advanced noise-cancellation codec from Cirrus Logic, Apple's audio supplier.

Tagsapple, 3.5mm jack, Lightning headphones, dual-speaker setup, Apple iPhone, apple iphone 7