Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak warned the company not to jerk the headphone jack from its upcoming iPhone.
The release of the newest version of the iPhone is expected in September, and rumors have been circulating that the phone won't include a traditional earphone port as the company moves toward newer techologies, CNN Money reported.
Wozniak objected to the rumored idea, telling The Australian Financial Review, "If it's missing the 3.5mm earphone jack, that's going to tick off a lot of people."
"I would not use Bluetooth … I don't like wireless. I have cars where you can plug in the music, or go through Bluetooth, and Bluetooth just sounds so flat for the same music."
Wozniak left Apple in 1985 after co-founding it with Steve Jobs in the mid-1970s. He continues to give advice to the company, however.
If the new iPhone is missing an earphone jack, users may have to connect earphones through an adapter hooked up to the Lightning port, typically used for charging the phone, AFR said.
Rumors have speculated that the new iPhone will also include dual speakers, eliminating room for the earphone jack, Fortune reported. The company hasn't confirmed any plans for its next iPhone, however, which will presumably be called the iPhone 7.
In 2014, Apple bought the Beats brand, which offers wireless headphones and earbuds.
Wozniak told AFR that he would use Bluetooth if the technology was improved with "higher bandwidth and better quality, that sounds like real music. … Apple is good at moving towards the future, and I like to follow that."
Rumors about the iPhone 7 include that the new release will double its storage space, including the option of a 256 GB model, Tech Times reported.