It’s about time that Apple ditch Lightning ports. According to TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is planning to switch its Lightning port to USB-C on iPhone(s?) slated for the second half of 2023. That sure sounds like it’s going to be the “iPhone 15” since Apple has its iPhones on an annual refresh cycle every fall.
An iPhone with USB-C has been wishful thinking for the past few years, but it’s never really materialized into anything beyond that. YouTuber Exploring the Simulation has even shown it’s possible. Last October, he made a convoluted DIY iPhone X that supports USB-C charging. But this rumor comes from a pretty reputable industry source and could be the light at the end of the tunnel.
Don’t get too excited —
There’s certainly still a lot of doubt that Apple would ever move away from Lightning for its iPhone to USB-C, even though it’s the more universal port. In fact, it’s more plausible that Apple would go completely portless for future iPhones and rely on MagSafe charging instead.
But consider that most of Apple’s other devices currently charge via USB-C, including its many iPad and MacBook models. There’s also been recent pressure from the European Union, which wants all smartphones to have the same universal charging connector. Unsurprisingly, Apple criticized the regulation, saying that it “stifles innovation.”
The benefit of switching to USB-C means that we’d likely get faster data transfer and charging speeds compared to Lightning connectors, which are coming up on being 10 years old. Let’s not forget about the added bonus of not needing a separate charger just for your iPhone.
Keep those cables —
There’s still some uncertainty about the switch, especially if you consider that Kuo previously said back in March 2021 that Apple is not planning to adopt USB-C since it would be “detrimental to the MFi business’ profitability.”
Of course, we won’t really know if this is true until Apple officially reveals the iPhone 15, or whatever the iPhone in 2023 will be called. Keep in mind that we’re not even at the iPhone 14 yet, so don’t throw those Lightning cables out just yet.
