Belkin, not Apple, wants to help you charge and and listen to your new iPhone 7

If the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are anything like their predecessors, chances are they'll need to be recharged on occasion—like, for example, when you're riding a plane or a bus. One of the many complaints about the new Lightning-only hardware revision is that in these cases, music and podcast fans with wired headphones won't be able to charge up and listen to audio at the same time. That scenario goes whether you're using old 3.5mm headphones via the smartphone's adapter or upgrading to newer Lightning-port headphones. Charge or listen. Not both.

You might expect that another iPhone 7 adapter could solve this problem, and thankfully that's the case. But oddly enough, Apple won't be the company to provide that solution. Instead, longtime iPhone accessory maker Belkin will be offering a $40 Lightning Audio and Charge Rockstar dongle, which will launch on October 10.

The device is, quite simply, a Lightning-port splitter. It offers two ports where there was originally only one. However, Belkin makes clear that the split will only enable one port to work as a charger and one to work as a Lightning audio device, so if you have other peripherals or add-ons with Lightning functionality, don't expect them to automatically work. And be mindful, 3.5mm headset owners: you will still need to attach another dongle if you want to keep rocking—Apple's Lightning-to-3.5mm adapter. (If you didn't hear, that will come in the box with your new iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.)

If you'd rather avoid the dongle and enjoy audio while charging your phone, you'll need to opt for wireless options. In addition to a myriad selection of Bluetooth devices, you could pony up for new Apple Wireless hardware such as the $159 AirPods or the range of Beats wireless options announced at Wednesday's Apple press conference. However, that might be a tougher sell for frequent flyers, who have to turn off wireless devices on a regular basis.