Apple removed the headphone jack a few years ago when it launched the iPhone 7, and now the company is making another controversial decision by removing the 3.5mm audio adapter from all older models.
This means that if you buy a new iPhone today, regardless of the model you choose, a headphone adapter will no longer be included in the box, so you'll have to purchase it separately from the Apple Store.
The iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max were the first iPhone models to come without the 3.5mm audio adapter in the box. On the other hand, both the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 were offered with the dongle at launch.
The change was noticed by Reddit user aeppacher who says he works at Verizon.
"I was servicing some people who wanted to buy an iPhone 8. I told them they would need to get a dongle and they were surprised to see it was missing from the box. I'm assuming this was a packaging error like the new XS/XS Max that don't come with the dongle," the original post states.
“I checked the packaging and it no longer mentions the adapter in the packaging information. It seems if you buy an 8/8+ you won't get a dongle.”
Several other users who recently purchased an iPhone have confirmed that there is no longer a headphone adapter in the box. Others, however, claim that the dongle is still there, although there is a chance that their iPhone is part of older stock and the change may be seen on devices that have been around for a while.
Apple's website no longer lists the headphone adapter under "what's in the box," suggesting you'll have to buy it separately. The adapter is sold at Apple Stores for $9.99.
The new iPhones still come with Lightning headphones , but this decision is likely to affect a significant number of customers who wanted to use their own third-party headphones with their smartphones.
