The Apple iPhone 7 will not have the standard 3.5mm headphone jack ubiquitous on all smartphones (including every previous iPhone), if a new report is correct.

Instead, says the report, iPhone users will have to buy a newly designed set of Apple EarPods or other headphones that work through the iPhone's Lightning port, or otherwise use Bluetooth headsets in order to listen to their iPhone's audio in private.

The rumor of the major change in design that would undoubtedly send shockwaves through the audio accessories market comes from Mac Otakara, an Apple news website based in Japan that MacRumors cited as often reliable.

The Japanese report itself cites a "reliable source" for the claims that the Lightning connector will soon become the only port through which you can physically plug in headphones. The report also sparked rumors that Apple is working on a new version of its EarPods that supports the new audio connection. The new EarPods are rumored to be included in the box with every iPhone 7.

Bluetooth headphones will still be an option, but to plug in wired audio, the report holds that iPhone owners will have to either buy a Lightning-equipped headset or a digital-to-audio headphone adapter -- in order to convert the signal and physically switch the standard 3.5mm audio jack found on most wired audio headsets for a Lightning-compatible connection.

The rumor report also stated that the iPhone 7 would be more than 1mm thinner than the previous generation (7.1mm thick), thanks to jettisoning the 3.5mm audio port.

There is some evidence prior to Mac Otakara's report supporting the possibility of a Lightning-only iPhone 7, though the rumor should be taken with a grain of salt nonetheless. As MacRumors noted, Apple began working with third-party manufacturers on developing Lightning-based audio devices as early as June 2014, though Phillips has been the only company to release two Lightning headsets since then.

If the company's change in audio ports is indeed going to happen, do you think it will become another controversy, like when Apple switched from the 30-pin power connector to the Lightning port in the first place?

Would the change affect your decision to get an iPhone 7? Let us know in the comments!