14 DAY TRIAL // More and more sources seem to suggest that Apple is planning to give up on the Lightning port and go for USB-C on the iPhone.
The move isn’t necessarily surprising, especially because the Cupertino-based tech giant has been said to be exploring such a transition for quite some time.
But now it looks like the first steps towards embracing USB-C will be made next year, when the iPhone – at this point, it’s not clear if all models or just certain versions – will finally come with this new connector.
But according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the company is ready to go all-in on USB-C, as it wants to drop the Lightning port not only on the iPhone but on all accessories that it makes, including the AirPods and so on.
“My latest survey indicates that 2H23 new iPhone will abandon Lightning port and switch to USB-C port. USB-C could improve iPhone's transfer and charging speed in hardware designs, but the final spec details still depend on iOS support,” Kuo says.
No portless iPhone just yet
“Other Lightning port products (e.g., AirPods, Magic Keyboard/Trackpad/Mouse, MagSafe Battery) would also switch to USB-C in the foreseeable future.”
Many believed that instead of going for a USB-C iPhone, Apple would rather remove the Lightning connector and create a portless smartphone, but according to Kuo, this isn’t an option right now. It all comes down to the current limitations that wireless technology comes with, which could mean that Apple might still explore this plan at some point in the future.
“Portless iPhone may cause more problems due to current limitations of wireless technologies & the immature MagSafe ecosystem,” he said. Of course, it’s important to keep in mind that all these plans could change overnight, so a certain dose of skepticism is definitely recommended.