Ever since Apple removed the 3.5mm jack from its phones, the company has been selling a Lightning to 3.5mm adapter that lets you connect all the best wired headphones to your iPhone. But now, it appears that Apple has discontinued the product as sold out worldwide, so if you want to buy the adapter (or get a replacement), you’ll need to hurry.
MacRumors was the first to report that the adapter was listed as sold out on Apple’s online store in the U.S. and many other countries. It’s still available to buy from Apple’s online store in a handful of countries, including Denmark, Finland, France, Norway, and Sweden, but it will likely continue there until the devices sell out.
The Lightning to 3.5mm adapter was originally included in the packaging of all iPhone 7, iPhone 8, and iPhone X series phones. However, Apple stopped this practice with the launch of the iPhone XS, instead offering the adapter as an optional purchase online and in brick-and-mortar Apple Stores for $9/£9/AU$15.
Recently, Apple has only sold the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, and iPhone SE with a Lightning connector, and all three are expected to be discontinued next year. Meanwhile, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 series have USB-C ports, and Apple still sells USB-C to 3.5 mm adapters for these devices.
Because newer iPhones support USB-C and Apple sells 3.5 mm adapters for these products, fewer and fewer customers are using Lightning to 3.5 mm adapters. It may be that Apple simply no longer sees the need to continue selling Lightning adapters, as the only compatible iPhones Apple still sells will be phased out within a few months.
In fact, the iPhone isn’t the only one losing its Lightning port. Apple switched all of its products to USB-C in accordance with European Union (EU) regulations. Apple moved its iPad lineup to USB-C a few years ago, and we’ve seen this impact Apple’s Mac accessories, such as the Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad.
When Apple did away with the 3.5mm port on the iPhone, the company said the decision was made because more people were switching to wireless earphones, which offer a more convenient way to listen to audio without cables. With wired headphones becoming more of a niche issue and USB-C adapters now available to anyone who wants one, Apple apparently sees no point in continuing to make Lightning adapters.
