What’s the Newest iPad With a Headphone Jack?

One question we often get from people in the market for a new iPad is: “What is the newest iPad with a 3.5mm headphone jack?” The answer, while simple, just got a little more complicated.

The ninth-generation iPad, or iPad 9, is the newest iPad with a headphone jack. Other recent iPad models require a Bluetooth device or an adapter.

Apple recently made a change to its iPad lineup and this change directly affects the iPad 9. Here’s what you need to know.

Earlier this month, Apple launched two new iPads. One is a thin, high-performance iPad Pro. The other is a new iPad Air which comes in two screen sizes for the first time.

Once the Apple Store came back online, the iPad 9 went missing. That’s right, Apple has discontinued the ninth-gen iPad, the last remaining iPad with a 3.5mm headphone jack. The end of an era.

This is important because it means those who want the latest iPad with a headphone jack can no longer buy one directly from Apple. For the moment, the company doesn’t sell it refurbished form.

Those who want to pair wired headphones with the a newer iPad model must find one in stock at a carrier or third-party retailer. Fortunately, retailers like Amazon still have brand new iPad 9’s in stock. How long that lasts, we don’t know.

The iPad 9 is still a fairly solid buy in 2024. Released in September 2021, it has a 10.2-inch Retina display, an A13 Bionic chip, and a 12-megapixel rear camera.

Apple’s iPad 10 is newer and still sold on the Apple Store, but like the other iPad models Apple has in stock, it requires a Bluetooth-enabled device or an adapter for a wired connection.