iPhone 7 Release Date Rumors: Leaked Image Shows Device Will Have Headphone Jack

For months now, rumors surrounding Apple's iPhone 7 device have varied but there has been one aspect that has stuck around until now -- the headphone jack. Previous reports all claim Apple is planning to remove the headphone jack in order to save on space in the iPhone 7, but a newly leaked image contradicts that rumor showing an apparent leaked spare part with a headphone jack included.

French website Nowhereelse.fr shared an image of a Lightning cable assembly, which is apparently destined for the forthcoming iPhone 7 device and this differs from the part found in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s smartphones.

The piece is a host to a number of different components, including the smartphones cellular antenna cables and the Lightning port. The new design to this piece, however, shows a separate white headphone jack on the far left-hand side. See the image here.

The validity of the piece cannot be confirmed as it was submitted to Nowhereelse.fr anonymously through a Weibo account, reports MacRumors. The site goes on to say that the piece could easily be destined for a Chinese counterfeit manufacturer, rathen than coming from Apple's official supply chain.

The recent rumors regarding the iPhone 7 suggest the device will feature a thinner body with no headphone jack, with Apple instead planning to utilize the Lightning port and Bluetooth as ways to connect headphones to the smartphone. Apple is also said to be working on Lightning-equipped EarPods to sell alongside the device. Other rumors claim the company is planning to add a second speaker in place of the headphone jack on the iPhone 7.

Whatever the case may be, this new information should provide some kind of relief to those customers who are afraid that Apple's next generation device would exclude a headphone jack, which could mean users with specific headphone needs would need to buy an adapter or find a wireless route.