It appears Apple has discontinued a popular device as concerned buyers notice it has sold out across the world
It was once an essential device for iPhone users.
But now Apple appears to have finally retired a popular piece of technology.
Shoppers around the world are concerned when they discovered that the 3.5mm Lightning to Headphone Jack Adapter has sold out online.
Now that Apple is turning away from the Lightning cable and towards USB-C, the once popular product could finally be gone for good.
Die-hard fans rushed to social media to vent their frustrations, calling the change “the end of an era.”
MailOnline has confirmed that the cable is no longer available on Apple’s UK or US websites.
The adapter is reportedly still available in some countries, such as France, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden.
However, this will probably only be the case in these countries where stores still have limited stock.
Apple appears to have discontinued the Lightning to 3.5mm Headphone Jack Adapter, as consumers around the world are noticing that the popular piece of technology is now out of stock
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The Lightning Headphone Adapter first appeared in 2016, alongside the release of the iPhone 7.
This was the first iPhone release to replace the 35mm aux jack with the new Lightning cable.
The problem for many iPhone customers was that this decision rendered wired headphones, including all of Apple’s previous EarPods, useless.
The Lightning to 3.5mm Headphone Jack Adapter allowed users to continue connecting their older headphones to the newer iPhone models.
These small but essential cables came with every new iPhone from the iPhone 7 until the release of the iPhone XS in 2018.
By then, many customers had switched to Apple’s Lightning EarPods or the newer Bluetooth AirPods.
But the adapter still remained available separately for £9 from Apple stores.
However, Apple has finally done away with the Lightning cable in favor of USB-C, with the release of the iPhone 15 in 2023.
The Lightning To Headphone Jack Adapter was released in 2016 to allow iPhone users to connect their wired headphones to the Lightning port on the new iPhone
In 2016, Apple released the iPhone 7 (pictured), the first flagship smartphone to ditch the headphone jack in favor of a lightning cable. This meant iPhone users needed an adapter to connect their older headphones
As Apple moves toward USB-C, it is phasing out its remaining Lightning cable products. MailOnline discovered that the Lighting to USB cable (pictured) and Lightning to VGA adapter are also out of stock
This has led to Apple slowly phasing out its Lightning cable products, including the Lightning to Headphone Adapter.
Apple’s UK and US stores have also sold out of the Lightning to USB-C cable and the Lightning to VGA adapter, suggesting that these three older cables may all be discontinued.
On social media, some die-hard fans of the product have expressed their disappointment that this important piece of technology will no longer be available.
One commenter wrote about X: “I use mine all the time for my B&W 5 wired headphones. Foolish move to stop it.’
Another added: ‘I still use mine to connect to my aux chord in my car even though I have Bluetooth.’
One commenter simply added: “RIP.”
However, not everyone was so sad to see the headphone adapter fade into oblivion.
On X, a commenter wrote, “It was garbage anyway. Third-party variants are much more reliable.’
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Another commenter said they used the adapter to connect to their car’s audio even though they also had the option to use Bluetooth
One commenter simply added “RIP” (Rest in Peace).
“It makes sense now that Lightning ports are being phased out,” one Apple fan added.
While another commenter joked: ‘If you didn’t have one by now I guess you didn’t mean to.’
This isn’t the first time this year that Apple has discontinued a once-popular device.
In September, the company announced it would discontinue three iPhone models to make way for the iPhone 16, after it emerged that the iPhone 13, iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models would no longer be produced.
Similarly, Apple this month began a tactical retreat from augmented and virtual reality, amid poor sales of its £3,499 Vision Pro headset.
With only 370,000 headsets sold in the first three quarters of 2024, Apple has quietly scaled back production of the much-hyped headset.
A Chinese manufacturer of the Apple Vision Pro said it had already halved its assembly speed, to just 1,000 units per day.
Apple has been contacted for comment.
