In case you haven’t already figured it out, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus both do completely away with the 3.5mm headphone jack. Instead, Apple is now pushing the industry to use Lightning-based and wireless Bluetooth headphones and speakers.
So with that in mind, how will you possibly use your existing headphones and speakers with your new iPhone while you’re trying to charge it? Well we’ve got four solutions for you that will get your mind off of the missing headphone jack.
1. Use the Apple Lightning Dock
One solution to the debacle is purchasing the Apple-branded Lightning Dock to use as an accessory with your iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus as it sits on your table.
This accessory lets you charge your iPhone with the Lightning nub that sticks out of the top, but on the back, you will find a 3.5mm headphone jack tucked away, as well as a Lightning port for power-in.
The Apple Dock can be had in various color options for $49, or for $39 in the basic white color Apple is known for.
2. Use Bluetooth headphones or speakers
It could finally be time to embrace the power of Bluetooth. In the midst of things, you will be getting rid of tangle-prone wires and having a much more seamless experience.
On the other hand, the one thing people always seem to complain about with Bluetooth headphones is when they’re watching videos, sometimes there’s a sound delay between the sound and what’s going on in the movie as the audio is transmitted to the headphones.
Apple claims they’ve solved this problem with an all-new Apple-designed Bluetooth chip in the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus and recommends using their upcoming $159 wireless AirPods, which are supposed to have virtually no delay at all.
3. Use a Lightning adapter
Another option, which is good for those of you who don’t use docks, or might need to use audio accessories and charge at the same time while traveling, is to use an adapter.
There are sure to be many adapters available that will let you split the single Lightning port you have into two separate Lightning ports. In fact, Belkin just announced one called the Lightning Audio + Charge RockStar, which will be available in October, and will allow you to plug your Lightning charge cable into one side, and a pair of Lightning headphones into the other.
The solution is obvious here; with an adapter, you can charge and listen to music with headphones at the same time. Of course, you still have to own a set of Lightning-based headphones, which are still pretty scarce at this point in time.
4. Just use your iPhone’s speakers
Believe it or not, Apple packed a stereo speaker system into the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. This means the audio quality should be clear and sound high-definition.
If you’re in a pickle and can’t use your headphones or speakers with your new iPhone because it’s charging, maybe it’s best to just bite the bullet and listen to whatever you might be listening to in speaker mode.
To use speaker mode, make sure no headphones or speakers are plugged in or connected wirelessly, and play whatever it is that you want to play. The sound should then come from your iPhone’s internal speaker system instead.
Wrapping up
No solution is going to be perfect for everyone, and with everyone having different kinds of accessories and using their devices differently, perhaps the best thing to do is just get with the times and upgrade your 3.5mm headphone jack accessories to wireless or Lightning.
What will you do to charge your device and use it to listen to audio at the same time? Share in the comments below!