These are the headphones you'll have to wear after Apple kills iPhone's jack
(Picture V-Moda)

Headphone manufacturers are 'ready' for Apple to kill off the headphone jack, according to interviews by Tech Insider.

Companies such as V-Moda and Skullcandy are expecting a shift to headphones which plug in via the Lightning port – or which connect wirelessly via Bluetooth.

Persistent rumours have suggested that this year's iPhone will ship without the familiar 3.5mm jack.

'It's a big shift for us and for the consumer,' said Sam Paschel, chief commercial officer of Skullcandy.

'We truly believe it's going to trigger a repurchasing cycle around headphones, with a very fast and very large shift to Bluetooth.'

As well as headphones which use the Lightning port on headphones, several manufacturers are preparing models which use USB-C – a new port which appears on some Android phones.

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Here's the headphones you'll have to buy once Apple kills off the iPhone headphone jack
(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Why Apple might kill off the 3.5mm jack

Various reports have suggested that Apple is considering ditching the traditional 3.5mm headphone jack, in favour of headphones which plug in via the Lightning port.

If true, it would mean that millions of iPhone users would have to upgrade their headphones, or use an adapter.

The move would mean iPhones could be 1mm thinner – down to 6.1mm.

Headphones which plug in via the port are already on sale – such as Philips' M2L cans – which offer better sound quality by using the port's power to drive a built-in amplifier and digital-analogue converter (DAC).

If true, users could also opt for wireless Bluetooth headphones – or use an adapter to attach older headphone jacks.

If users switch to using USB-C or Lightning, headphones can also come with digital-analogue converters and amplifiers built in – leading, in theory, to higher sound quality.

Earlier this year, Chinese phone maker LeEco released three phones, which use the new USB-C connector instead of the headphone jack.

Intel this month revealed a proposal to 'remove the 3.5mm audio jack from audio sources' and use the USB-C connector instead.