Apple is yet to confirm the existence of its upcoming flagship, but rumours have outlined the possibilities of what to expect from the iPhone 7. Of all the speculations that have been swirling around the upcoming flagship, there has been a lengthy debate on whether Apple would ditch the 3.5mm headphone jack from the iPhone 7 or not. According to the latest leak, Apple seems to be giving up the standard audio jack in favour of a common Lightning port for audio and charging.

The new leak shows a pair of headphones featuring a Lightning connector instead of a 3.5mm connector, which are said to come with the iPhone 7, Dutch site iPhone7.nl reported citing images sourced from Chinese social media site Weibo. The authenticity of the images not verified and could be photoshopped for all we know. It is advised to take the leak with a pinch of salt.

Last week, there was a report that suggested that Apple would ship standard 3.5mm EarPods with the iPhone 7, but also ditch the 3.5mm audio port. According to Japanese news blog Mac Otakara last week, Apple would also include a Lightning-to-3.5mm adapter so the standard EarPods and other headphones connect to the handset. But that simply adds as an extra accessory that users would have to carry every time. This may be seen as a bit of inconvenience to many.

However, all of these are just rumours and there is no confirmation on whether the iPhone 7 will or will not ditch the 3.5mm headphone jack this year. But the idea of a jack-less iPhone 7 doesn't seem odd at all as LeEco has shown us how smartphones can still survive without it.

LeEco introduced USB Type-C audio jack in the Le 2 and Le Max 2 smartphones, which have been successfully selling in China and India. In fact, by ditching the 3.5mm jack, LeEco achieved a new standard of CDLA in its audio that delivers lossless audio. We reviewed the Le USB Type-C headphones and found them to be extremely impressive.

Read: LeEco USB Type-C headphones Review

If Apple is willing to do the same with its iPhone 7, it needs to have an impressive trick up its sleeve to justify the loss of the 3.5mm headphone jack. Other than the headphone jack debate, there have been other rumours about the design and image leaks to show what to expect from the upcoming flagship.

While the exteriors are largely to remain same in the iPhone 7 as the current series, key upgrades include the new A10 chipset, 3GB RAM, iOS 10, dual camera for iPhone 7 Plus, OIS, waterproof and dustproof build and more. The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus smartphones are expected to be launched in September and nothing is certain until then.