Apple is about to do the unthinkable with the next generation of its flagship phone and get rid of one if its main features. According to a report from MacRumors, the upcoming Apple iPhone 7 may not sport a 3.5mm headphone jack and feature an all-in-one audio and charging connector instead. What is the reasoning behind removing this key component that is a staple feature in virtually every audio capable device? To make the new iPhone 7 a whole 1mm thinner than its predecessor, of course.

Thinner is better and more practical in a mobile society where the preferred everyday handset is lightweight, compact and ultra-portable. Sure, most iPhone users would likely welcome a sleeker iPhone 7, however, let's not forget about the portion of iPhone loyalists who gripe Apple users have with iPhone is the poorly designed charging cable. From the direction Apple is taking to rethink the phone's hardware aesthetics, perhaps Apple's engineer and design team are working to make this new port faster and stronger as well as multi-functional.

Rumor has it that the 3.5mm jack-less iPhone 7 will support both Lightning and Bluetooth equipped headphones. Gone will be the days of talking on the phone and charging at the same time. Will you have to buy new charging cables to replace your spares? And what about your existing earphones? Don't panic just yet, the identically-sized Lightning connector will be backwards compatible with wired headphones.

Reports say that the iPhone 7's tentative 3.5mm jack swap for the new connector won't render your standard plug headphones useless. Thanks to its digital-to-audio integration feature, all you'll need is a Lightning adapter to connect a standard 3.5mm gold-plated plug into your iPhone 7.

Apple will also release new Lightning equipped matching EarPods and will include a pair of these in the box with the iPhone 7. This will be the biggest connector change for the Apple iPhone since 2012 with the controversial switch from the 30-pin dock connector to Lighting with the release of the iPhone 5. If we are to believe these rumors about the all-in-one Lightning connection, some consumers may be initially skeptical to fully adopt the iPhone 7's new design.

Tags: iPhone 7 iPhone apple Rumors