New iphone will be sans earphone jack

On many flagship smartphones launched today, you would note that the earphone jack is being phased out. The audio on these devices are routed via the USB Type-C port. Rumour about the next Apple flagship smartphone, the iPhone 7, is it will be minus the earphone jack. According to a new report by Forbes, Apple has already developed a custom radio chip for its Bluetooth earphones, or earbuds.

The BT earbuds are expected to have better battery life as compared to other Bluetooth headphones presently available in the market. Apple is expected to use a third-party supplier, such as Broadcom, which is presently being used for other wireless technologies across its products, for the new earbuds.

The report also states that Apple has already recruited developers from Oakland-based semiconductor startup called Passif, for the project. There are other reports that claim the headphones have been delayed in the past, due to unknown performance issues.

It is unlikely that Apple would bring the new earbuds alongside its much anticipated iPhone 2016 model this year. If they do, it will go head-on with the likes of Samsung's Bluetooth earphones, the GearIconX.

"The way it works at Apple is if it doesn't work 100 per cent, it gets cut," said one of the anonymous sources to Forbes.

Hence, there could be a possibility that, either users could see a top-notch headphone being unveiled soon, or nothing at all, if the product fails.