Just days after leading analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that Apple would probably dump the Lightning port in 2023, a new report claims that USB-C phones are already being tested.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that Apple has begun testing iPhone models “which will replace the current Lightning charging port with a more conventional USB-C connector” as this may require a change in EU regulations. He added that Apple is “working on an adapter that will allow future iPhones to work with accessories designed for the current Lightning connector”. .
Moving to USB-C will be a key. Apple switched from the 30-pin dock connector to the Lightning with the iPhone 5 in 2012, and it has been a staple of the iPhone and other accessories for the past 10 years. However, Apple is slowly moving away from Lightning on the iPad, the only remaining model without the 10.2-inch iPad USB-C.
Slightly thicker than USB-C Lightning, but last year, an engineering student made an iPhone with a USB-C port without changing the thickness or removing any components inside. In addition to being universal with other devices and accessories, a USB-C port will allow for faster data transfer. The iPhone’s Lightning port is currently limited to 480Mbps, much slower than 10Gbps on the iPad Air.
Like Kuo, Gurman says Lightning will not be eliminated from the iPhone before 2023, and this year’s iPhone 14 will still have a small proprietary port.