The United States Patent as well as Trademark Office released an Apple patent today that explains a hybrid analog/digital stereo headset system qualified of switching over flawlessly between wired as well as cordless sound modes (by means of AppleInsider).
The license for ‘Sound class-compliant charging accessories for cordless headsets and also headsets’ identifies the system from traditional headphones by its use of an electric connector with the ability of transmitting both electronic and also analog signals, which would make it suitable with Apple’s proprietary Lightning connector protocol.

The wired calls in the adapter use ‘differential signaling’ that enable it to move power and audio data through a single cord without compromising sound top quality, while the wireless part of the earphones makes up an internal battery, cpu, memory, and antenna for communicating with a source tool such as an iPhone.
Design details are thin, yet the license keeps in mind that the hardware would match in-ear, on-ear and also over-ear designs of headphones.
As with all Apple licenses, the normal caveat applies because the innovation may not see the light of day in any type of future item. That claimed, the system it defines is constant with rumors that Apple prepares to ditch the headset jack for the fall 2016 apple iphone 7 in favor of a Lightning-equipped headphone device or Bluetooth-based wireless listening remedy comparable to the Bragi Dash headphones.