So long, Lightning port! The 2023 iPhone looks set to offer USB-C
(Pocket-lint) – After a decade of including a Lightning port on all iPhone devices, Apple is reportedly considering dropping it for a USB-C port.
Bloomberg has claimed the Cupertino-based company is now testing iPhone units that swap the Lightning port for USB-C. But don’t expect to see the switch in this year’s iPhone lineup. The move to USB-C likely won’t happen until 2023 “at the earliest”, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said.
Keep in mind Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo – who is well-known for accurately predicting Apple’s product roadmap – also recently suggested Apple would ditch the Lightning port in favour of USB-C in the second half of 2023.
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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.— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) May 11, 2022
The 2023 iPhone won’t be the first Apple device to come with USB-C. Apple already offers it on the iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPad Mini because USB-C is capable of faster transfer speeds.
So, why did Apple wait so long to consider bringing USB-C to the iPhone, especially because it’s been years since the technology became popular? Well, Gurman pointed to a European Union proposal that would require many devices, including phones, to have USB-C. Gurman specifically said this legislation was “a key reason” for Apple’s switch to USB-C.
Oh, and remember that portless iPhone Apple supposedly began developing? Bloomberg’s report made it seem like that’s not going to be a thing anytime soon.
Writing by Maggie Tillman.
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