The next Apple iPhone could be missing the 3.5mm headphone port in favour of the recently announced Lightning module for headphones.

During WWDC in San Francisco, the company announced the new module during Apple's manager of platform accessories Robert Walsh''s session on Designing Accessories for iOS and OS X.

The module would allow headphones to plug directly into the Lightning connector, negating the need for the 3.5mm headphone socketand meaning those "Made for iPhone" headphones really would just be for the iPhone unless they had detachable cables.

According to Walsh, the Lightning headphone module would mean better controk over music apps, support for app-enabled headphones and both digital and analogue connections in one.

He said: "If your headphones, for example, support, let's say, noise cancellation, you can offer an app on your device that communicates with your headphones to control how that operates."

You would also be able to draw power from the Lightning connector which would mean your headphones wouldn't need batteries but this would have a negative impact on your device's stamina.

While replacing the 3.5mm headphone socket with the Lightning connector would allow Apple to save internal space, we aren't convinced the company will make such a big move but we will have to wait and see what arrives in September.