With a switch to USB-C, iPhones could become compatible with all sorts of smartphone accessories.
Apple has been sticking to its own Lightning connector for many years, while almost all Android smartphones now use a USB-C connector. The peculiarities of the iPhone ensure that the accessory also uses the Lightning connector and is therefore useless for Android users.
However, this should soon be over if you believe the analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. On twitter he said that the new iPhone will probably leave the Lightning port behind in the second half of 2023 and rely on a USB-C connection. If Apple follows the usual cycle, the iPhone 14 will appear in the second half of this year and then the iPhone 15 in 2023. The latter would be the first model with a USB-C connection.
Switching to USB-C could allow for faster data transfers and also increase iPhone charging speeds. This is currently still charging with 20 watts, while some smartphones from the competition have reached speeds of 120 watts.
In a little Apple history lesson, we’ll tell you what Beethoven has to do with the unprecedented iPhone 9:
more on the subject
What Beethoven has to do with the fact that there never was an iPhone 9
The EU would welcome the change
One reason for switching to the USB port for the iPhone could also be the EU. It has agreed that a unified charging port should be introduced for all smartphones, tablets, cameras, headphones, portable speakers and portable video game consoles, such as t3n reported.
This unified connection would then be USB-C. Should the law come into force, all of the above devices sold in the EU must have a USB-C port for charging. However, the law still has to be approved by the plenum and then negotiated by the EU Parliament and the EU states. If everything goes according to plan, it could come into force in mid-2024.
If that is the case, Apple will have to equip its iPhones for the EU market with a USB-C connector. Even a completely disconnected iPhone that is talked about every now and then would be against the law. This is where Apple’s MagSafe wireless charging technology comes into play.
Apple is also planning gaming hardware
In addition to the iPhone, Apple is still working on other projects. There are rumors that the company wants to get into the games business. This could bring an Apple handheld console to rival the Steam Deck:
Apple wants to get into the games business: This is how the iPhone maker could compete with the Steam Deck
Would you welcome a switch from Lightning to USB-C? Might it even be a reason to buy the iPhone? Or do you have a Lightning iPhone and are skeptical about the change? Please let us know.
