When Apple first announced the iPhone 7 just over a year ago, many were upset about the lack of a headphone jack. As a result of the one and only Lightning port, charging your iPhone and listening to music through headphones at the same time becomes an issue.
However, one year later and post-launch of the iPhone 8, Apple is finally selling a dongle that allows for one to plug in their headphones through a 3.5mm jack and charge their iPhone at the same time.
Made by Belkin, the new RockStar adapter is the second iteration of the dongle, with the previous version having offered two Lightning ports. The new dongle sells for $34.95—$5 cheaper than the Lightning-only version—and is available on Apple’s website.
The dongle supports 24-bit audio output up to 48 kHz. However, this is only through the 3.5mm headphone jack. This means that if you try to plug Apple’s Lightning EarPods in the Lightning port on this dongle, no music will come through the headphones.
By combining these two ports into one adapter double-dongles can finally be avoided, saving the ordeal of having to plug Apple’s headphone dongle into a second adapter. It ultimately makes for great convenience, just at a slight (and worthwhile) cost.
h/t The Verge
