Tengrinews.kz - Apple has stopped making a popular device, sparking outrage and regret among users.
According to the Daily Mail, Apple appears to have finally stopped making one of its popular accessories, the Lightning to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter. Once a must-have for iPhone users, the device is now in short supply in many markets.
Shoppers around the world have noticed that the adapter is no longer available in Apple's online stores in the US and UK. While the accessory can still be found in some countries, such as France, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, experts believe that these are the last remaining stocks.
The end of the Lightning era
Apple's decision to phase out the Lightning cable in favor of USB-C, first introduced with the iPhone 15 in 2023, has become the catalyst for the disappearance of a number of accessories. Along with the headphone adapter, the Lightning to USB-C and Lightning to VGA Adapter have also disappeared from sale.
Photo: apple.com
The history of the adapter began in 2016, when Apple introduced the iPhone 7, which was deprived of the standard 3.5 mm audio jack. This move caused a wave of indignation among users, as most wired headphones, including the proprietary EarPods, could no longer be connected directly.
To solve this problem, Apple released an adapter, which was first included with the iPhone 7, and then sold separately for £9 (more than 5 500 tenge). However, since 2018, the company has begun actively promoting alternative solutions: Lightning EarPods and wireless AirPods.
User reactions
Amid the news of the discontinuation, fans of the device expressed their disappointment on social media.
"I use mine all the time for my B&W 5 wired on-ear headphones. Silly move to discontinue it," wrote a user on the X platform.
Photo: apple.com
Another added that he uses the device daily.
"I still use mine to connect aux chord in my car lolll even tho I have bluetooth. Aux sounds hits diff in my car," he noted.
Some took the news with humor.
"If you didn't have one by now, I guess it wasn't meant to be," the user joked.
There were also those who criticized the device.
"It was trash anyway. Third-party variants are much more reliable," the commenter emphasized.
Apple changes priorities
The discontinuation of the adapter is just the latest in a series of recent changes to Apple's product lineup. Earlier in September, the company announced it was discontinuing three iPhone models (13, 15 Pro and Pro Max) in favor of a new iPhone 16 line.
Apple has also faced difficulties in the augmented reality market. Weak sales of the £3,499 Vision Pro headset have forced the company to halve its production rate.
Earlier, Apple released the final beta version of iOS 18.1 for developers on Monday ahead of its official launch. This version introduces a new feature and fixes important bugs that were found in previous beta releases.
