Sure, we’ve seen reports and leaks pointing to Lightning based headphones, and yeah, there are even rumors that Apple may include a Lightning to 3.5mm adapter with each iPhone 7.
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A source having knowledge of the matter told Forbes that the low-power Bluetooth chip has been developed by Passif Semiconductor, a startup Apple acquired in 2013.
The iPhone 7 is all but certain to arrive without a traditional headphone jack. Although Apple has shown inclination toward developing its own chips in recent years to avoid relying on third-party vendors, it’s still unknown whether the new wireless earbuds will be powered by Apple’s own custom chip. While it’s expected to offer a dedicated dongle to connect wired headphones, a new Bluetooth set would help it push claims that the iPhone 7 is the first truly wireless smartphone. With this year’s iPhone launch event knocking at the door, the speculated Bluetooth headphones may be announced alongside. And development is quite far along: Forbes reports that Apple meant to debut the new wireless earbuds as early as previous year, but chose to delay them after hitting unexpected “performance snags”.
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This isn’t the first time Apple is rumored to be working on wireless earbuds. In 2016, Apple is believed to stay faithful to the design language that iPhone 6 brought on in 2014. When the solution is not available outside the enterprise, Apple puts its resources to work and asks its own engineering team to build said components. Korean electronics giant Samsung’s Gear IconX, Bluetooth earbuds that sport biometric sensors and stream music from a mobile device, have a quoted battery life of 90 minutes. Headphones can be connected to the Lightning connector, too, but most users will likely opt for a wireless alternative.
