Fresh rumours suggest Apple could return a missing feature on the iPhone

APPLE caused serious anger when it decided to remove the 3.5mm headphone jack from the iPhone 7 and every subsequent model since.

The move came as the tech giant spruiked the future of wireless technology in the form of its highly popular AirPods, which some people claimed “changed their life”.

But not everyone was willing say goodbye to their wired headphones — especially those audiophiles who believe wired earphones are incomparably better in terms of sound quality.

These people were left to make the switch to Android or use Apple’s supplied adaptor, which doesn’t let you charge your iPhone and listen to music at the same time.

But now these people might have reason to rejoice, with fresh rumours suggesting Apple could be brining back the long-lost headphone jack on one of its forthcoming iPhones.

The iPhone SE 2 will be a follow-up model to Apple’s 4.7-inch entry-level device, which starts at just $549.

A video leak doing the rounds on Chinese social media has shown what is believed to be the forthcoming model complete with headphone jack and physical home button.

The footage also shows a glass back on the device instead of the aluminium of the current model, which would allow for the wireless charging found on Apple’s most recent handsets.

Other than the glass back, it appears the design of the iPhone SE 2 is almost identical to its predecessor, which was released in March 2016.

There is not much known on the specs of the phone, although Apple could introduce its A10 Fusion chip on the device, with a possible upgrade of storage from 16GB to 32GB.

If the camera remains the same, users can expect a 12MP rear camera and a 7MP front-facing camera. It’s unclear if Retina Flash could be added.

New iPhone (probably SE2) coming soon - code name: Jaguar
Glass Case, Wireless Charging, In Mass Production already. pic.twitter.com/vhcq71VPxJ

— Ben Geskin (@VenyaGeskin1) April 21, 2018

As for an official unveiling, Apple could use its Worldwide Developers Conference on June 4 to showcase the phone.

However, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a proven track record of predicting Apple’s moves, has issued a research note dismissing rumours about the iPhone SE 2 launching in the second quarter of 2018.

He highlighted last year’s iPhone release delays as evidence.

He wrote: “The announcement of three new iPhone models in the same quarter in the second half of 2017 was the first time Apple made such a major endeavour, and we believe the delay of iPhone X, which had the most complicated design yet, shows that Apple doesn’t have enough resources available for development,” reported MacRumors.

“With three new models in the pipeline for the second half of 2018, we believe Apple may have used up its development resources.

“Also, we think the firm will do all it can to avoid repeating the mistake of a shipment delay for the three new models. As such, we believe Apple is unlikely to have enough spare resources to develop a new iPhone model for launch in 2Q18.”

Continue the conversation in the comments below or with Matthew Dunn onFacebook and Twitter.