iPhone 7 release date, specs rumors: no 3.5mm headphone jack

Will the new iPhone 7 finally feature a 3D display screen?Apple

A new leak has pointed to the growing rumor that the upcoming iPhone 7 will no longer have a 3.5 mm headset jack.

According to jailbreaker going by the name Chase Fromm (Twitter account name @kyoufujibaya) a hidden hint was found in the code of the iOS 9.3 beta 1.1 which reads ""Headphones.have.%sinput.NO." The code snippet gives the notion that the iPhone 7 will no longer be having a headphone jack.

Earlier this month a report coming from a Chinese website, Anzhuo, indicated that the iPhone 7 would no longer be sporting the staple 3.5mm headphone jack to allow for a slimmer handset design. Apple has long been trying to find a way to work around reducing the thickness of iPhones but the headphone jack had always been a bottle neck. Now, it seems the Cupertino-based tech giant is planning to remove it all together.

To replace the headphone jack, it is rumoured that the company is working on a lightning-compatible headphone design. Anzhuo shares some images of what seem to be Apple headphones with lightning connectors at the end. One concern that fans have expressed is whether future iPhone 7 owners will be able to charge while listening to music or watching a video with headphones.

Another Tweet by Fromm also indicates that the iPhone 7 will be LiFi ready. Light Fidelity (LiFi) capabilities is much like WiFi only much faster, and it seems that the upcoming Apple handset will sport the connectivity feature.

Other rumoured specs include an A9 processor, which will be Apple's strongest and most powerful chipset to date. It is also believed that the iPhone 7 will be waterproof as some alleged suppliers of the company are hinting that the antenna bands will be changed to more water resistant material.

Apple fans are looking to the third quarter of this year for the launch of the next iPhone model as it has always been a tradition for the tech company to launch a new iPhone in the fall.