Apple Ditches the Headphone Jack: What You Need to Know

— -- OK, take a deep breath. Change is hard, and saying goodbye is never easy, but you can't say we didn't see this coming.

Today in San Francisco, Apple broke off its long-running relationship with the 3.5-millimeter headphone jack by excluding it from the forthcoming iPhone 7.

Phil Schiller, Apple's marketing chief, delivered the news, saying that the company had the "courage" to remove the jack and focus on its Lightning connector (the same port that recent iPhone models use to charge and sync).

But wipe away those tears, because we've compiled your go-to guide for everything you need to know about this shift in the mobile audio world.

What Happens to My Old Headphones?

Don't get rid of them just yet: Apple was quick to make clear that an adapter for the company's proprietary Lightning port will allow you to use your old analog headphones with the new iPhone models and that the adapter will be included with new 7 and 7 Plus purchases.

If I Don't Want to Use the Adapter, What Are My Options?

Well, let's be clear: Apple wants you to ditch your old headphones in favor of an array of new Lightning-connected headphones that it announced today.

If you're not ready to purchase new headphones, you're in luck, because Apple is throwing in a pair of Lightning-based earbuds — essentially the same headphones that have come with iPhones until now but with a different connector — with every iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.

But Apple also introduced an array of new Lightning-based headphones for premium consumers.

In October you'll be able to purchase new Apple's new AirPods — wireless headphones that look like Apple's current offering, without the wires — for $159.

Apple also announced a slew of other headphones that will be released under its Beats brand.

All three new Beats models, as well as the AirPods, will feature the W1 chip, which, Schiller said, makes connecting the headphones to your iPhone easy through Apple's cloud service, iCloud.

"There's no buttons. There's no switching. There's no pairing. There's no unpairing. Those things are of the past," he said.

But Will the Lightning-Based Headphones Work With Other Devices?

Nope, unless the new device features a Lightning connection.

Schiller pointed out the adapter allowing analog headphones to connect to a Lightning port. But no one mentioned plans for an adapter that goes the other way, connecting a Lightning device to an analog jack. It is not clear if the company plans to release one.

How Are People Reacting to the Announcement?

Schiller's announcement, though not unexpected, generated buzz on social media that ranged from humor ...

to frustration ...

to impatience ...

to resignation.

ABC News' Olivia Smith contributed to this story.