Apple announced a new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 plus , as well as a new model of the Apple watch, in a much-anticipated event in San Francisco Wednesday.
The new iPhone will not have an analog headphone jack, possibly leading to a significant shift in the way people listen to digital music and other audio.
Apple instead announced that the new phones will come with headphones which plug into the lightning port, which until now was used only for charging. Consumers may also buy Bluetooth wireless headphones for the product.
During its annual fall product launch event Wednesday in the western U.S. city of San Francisco, California, the world’s most valuable publicly traded company also announced that the phones will be water and dust resistant, featuring a new kind of home button as well as an improved camera. The iPhone 7’s are also expected to have faster processors and more memory.
Other than some new colors, the new iPhones will look similar to the models Apple has been selling since 2014.
A new Apple Watch that will feature a GPS tracker for more accurate workouts and increased water resistance was also unveiled.
The elimination of iPhone’s analog headphone jack could mean future iPhone users would need wireless listening devices or those with a cord that fit into the port that is used for recharging the phone. Some analysts believe Apple may ship the new iPhones with adapters that allow older headsets to plug into the charging port.
Despite a decline in iPhone sales, Apple is believed to have scrapped its two year development cycle, meaning a major revamp of the iPhone will not occur until 2017.
iPhone sales dropped two consecutive quarters this year, the first declines in the history of the device.
