Next year, Apple will almost completely get rid of Lightning ports in favor of USB-C in iPhones, iPads, AirPods and accessories, but this will be a temporary solution
By the end of 2024, European legislation obliges all gadget manufacturers to switch to a single charging standard — USB-C. Currently, the loudest case for this law is the iPhone itself, which still uses its own Lightning format. Bloomberg analyst Mark Gurman talked about the company’s plans and his own vision of the future of Apple devices in this matter.
Mark writes that the iPhone 15 will get USB-C as soon as next year. Likewise, with the iMac and Mac Pro update, the Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, and Magic Trackpad wireless controllers will also receive such charging ports. The same will happen with the next models of the AirPods line. The last of the company’s tablets that still uses Lightning is the regular iPad, which could get an update before the end of this year, which could also switch to USB-C.
Apple will take this step earlier than required by law, so as not to set a precedent of “if you don’t like the way Apple products work, try to change it with the law.” So pre-empting legislative initiatives will create the appearance that the company had exactly such plans regardless of regulatory norms.
The company, of course, will explain this by faster data transfer (because 48-megapixel photos and videos in ProRes are too slow to transfer via Lightning) and charging. Unification will also play a role in this.
The only exception Mark notes will be the iPhone SE, which may come out with the old Lightning port, but that will happen before the law requires it to switch to USB-C. The updated iPhone SE will be released by the end of 2024, so there will be no problems with its sales because only new devices that will be released after the law comes into force must have USB-C.
But, according to Mark, it won’t last long. USB-C will not last as long in the company’s products as the 30-pin connector and Lightning used:
At some point in the next few years, Apple will likely begin a full transition to inductive charging in iPhones and iPads, like the Apple Watch.
Perhaps the company has not closed the AirPower project but is still working on its improvement. In addition, it will not contradict the law, because it does not affect devices with induction charging in any way.