14 DAY TRIAL // The next-generation iPhone is expected to introduce a long series of improvements, especially because it marks the 10th anniversary of the iPhone, and the rumor mill has plenty of information in this regard.
But the most recent speculation on the changes that Apple could roll out on the next iPhone point to something that only a few people saw coming. And since the rumor itself is based on information provided by the Wall Street Journal, there’s a chance that there might be some truth behind these words.
In essence, the WSJ says that, in addition to other changes, Apple could give up on the Lightning port in favor of USB-C, a connector that is already being used by other phone companies and supposed to make it to the Samsung Galaxy S8 rival as well.
Specifically, the report published by the source mentioned above says that the next iPhone will come with “USB-C port for the power cord and other peripheral devices instead of the company’s original Lightning connector.”
After giving up on the headphone port for Lightning, is Apple ready to replace the iPhone connector with USB-C? Difficult to say, but when looking at the bigger picture, it’s hard to believe this is happening.
USB-C for the charging cable?
This tidbit of information is rather vague and could actually indicate that USB-C might not necessarily be used on the iPhone, but at the other end of the iPhone cable.
Apple has already adopted USB-C on the new-generation MacBook, so the company might be trying to offer iPhone users an easy way to charge their iPhones - it’s a well-known fact that MacBooks offer a high-speed charging port for the iPhone, so making such a connector available on the charging cable again makes sense.
On the other hand, replacing Lightning with USB-C on the iPhone is a move that doesn’t seem to align with the company’s long-term plans, mostly because Apple is putting a lot into the existing connector.
Giving up on it would mean that users have to get new headphones for the second time, after replacing the standard 3.5mm audio jack with Lightning for the iPhone 7, and the same thing happens with all the other accessories.
There are lots of add-ons out there that work with the Lightning port, so replacing it with USB-C makes all of them useless, and this can substantially impact not only sales of the new iPhone but also Apple’s relationship with its partners.
Without a doubt, staying with Lightning is a thing that Apple should and must do for the iPhone 8, and going for USB-C would only cause more criticism and frustration among its user base. We’ll find out more about the connector to be used on the next iPhone in a few months, as we get closer to the expected September release date of the device.