After a set of renders that showed off the new iPhone 15 Pro design, we now have confirmation that the iPhone 15 is switching from Lightning to USB-C.
The photo shared by Unknownz21 on Twitter doesn’t show much, but it’s definitely an iPhone, or a very good imitation of one. Besides the USB-C port, you can see Apple’s pentalobe security screws as well as the symmetrical speaker holes on each side. The phone also appears to have more of a curved chamfer and possibly a new titanium body, although it could also be a metal mold prototype.
The iPhone has been rumored to be switching to USB-C for years and a new decision by the European Union requiring all smartphones to be USB-C by 2024 has likely accelerated the development of the new one. shipping by Apple. Apple has used Lightning as the charging port for the iPhone since its introduction in 2012 to replace the clunky 30-pin connector. At the time of its introduction, Apple hailed the cable as adaptive, reversible, and durable, all characteristics of current USB-C cables.
Three years after Lightning’s introduction, Apple shipped its first Mac with a USB-C port, the 12-inch MacBook, and has since rolled it out to all Macs, iPads, and chargers. After the iPhone 15 changes, it’s likely AirPods and AirPods Max cases will be next. Then it will only be a matter of time until Lightning is gone for good, as only a handful of accessories and old iPhones will remain.