New iPad Pro May Kill the Headphone Jack, Too

A new alleged leak claims that the new iPad Pro 2018 will not have a standard 3.5-millimeter headphone jack — but it may be thinner than any phone.

After eradicating the headphone jack from all its phones, Apple may drop the audio port from its new 2018 iPad Pro tablets. Apple really, really hates those cables. This isn't the first we've heard of this rumor, and this latest round comes from a leaker on Twitter named @CoinCoin (reported by PocketNow) noting that the slate's thinness will make a headphone jack hard to include.

The rumor says that the 2018 iPad Pro 12.9 will be thinner than the current version: 5.9 millimeters vs the current 6.9 millimeters. In fact, it’s way thinner than the 7.7-millimeter thick iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max. The OnePlus 6 is 7.3 mm thin and the Galaxy S9 is 8.5 mm.

MORE: Apple's New iPad Pro Leaks in Crystal-Clear Images

The iPad Pro is expected to also drop the Lightning port in favor of a USB-C port. The latter will allow it to charge, connect to USB-C headphones — or  analog-based headphones via a dongle adapter — and connect to a TV directly to act as a 4K HDR video player.

The new iPads are expected to have thinner bezels and dual frontal cameras with infrared capabilities for FaceID on the front (with no notch). You can also expect a new magnetic connector at the bottom (so you can attach a keyboard while keeping the screen in portrait mode), and support for the new Apple Pencil 2, which will not have a lightning connector and instead pair and charge wirelessly, like the AirPods.

And now, if the rumor is confirmed, no headphone jack. I wonder when the jack will drop from the Macbook and iMac lines. I can’t imagine it surviving past 2019.

Image credit: OnLeaks/MySmartPrice