With the launch of the 10th-generation iPad, Apple has eliminated the 3.5mm headphone jack on all of the latest-generation iOS and iPadOS devices.
Apple began removing the 3.5mm headphone jack from its iOS and iPadOS devices with the iPhone 7 in 2017. The last remaining iPhone with a headphone jack, the first-generation iPhone SE, was discontinued in 2018, and the last iOS device with a headphone jack, the seventh-generation iPod, was discontinued earlier this year. With the launch of the sixth-generation iPad mini last year, the entry-level iPad became the only remaining iPad model with a headphone jack. This model, the 10th-generation iPad, remains on sale for $329.
As Apple moved the iPad Pro, the iPad Air, and the iPad mini to a more uniform design, it continued to remove the headphone jack, and, as rumored, the 10th-generation iPad is no different. This marks the end of the headphone jack on any new iOS and iPadOS devices.
For users of the latest iPad who want to use wired headphones, or in scenarios where wired headsets remain widely used, such as in classrooms, Apple sells a $9 USB-C-to-3.5mm adapter. When Apple stops selling the ninth-generation iPad, it will be the final death knell for the headphone connector on the company's tablets and smartphones, and among Apple's hardware only Macs will still include the jack.
