Chance Miller
A USB-C iPhone may have once seemed impossible, but the latest rumors
suggest it's actually coming sooner than you may think. Amid regulatory
pushback and limitations of the Lightning connector, the first USB-C iPhone
could be released as soon as 2023. Head below for the latest details on what
we know so far.
There are a number of reasons as to why Apple seems to have shifted its tune
on releasing a USB-C iPhone. One thing that's hard to overlook, however, is
looming legislation around the world.
After multiple years of back and forth, the European Union officially
reached an agreement for a "common charging port" standard. Starting in
2024, all smartphones sold within the 27 countries of the EU will be
required to use USB-C for charging. This includes the iPhone and even
peripheral accessories like AirPods.
Just a few weeks after the EU passed its legislation, lawmakers in the
United States voiced their support and called on the US to pass something
similar. Senator Elizabeth Warren renewed this call in a post on Twitter
today, saying:
block quote
Consumers shouldn't have to keep buying new chargers all the time for
different devices. We can clear things up with uniform standards-for less
expense, less hassle, and less waste.
block quote end
Apple has pushed back against legislation that would make a USB-C iPhone
mandatory, saying that such laws stifle innovation and actually lead to more
environmental waste.
Will Apple release a USB-C iPhone?
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo first predicted in 2019 that Apple would release a
port-less iPhone as soon as 2021, but that didn't come to fruition. It's
easy to see why: wireless technologies simply aren't reliable or powerful
enough to completely replace a connector like Lightning or USB-C. Charging
speeds aren't as fast, data transfer is slow and unreliable, and consumer
adoption just isn't there yet.
A port-less iPhone is still in the works and is something being internally
tested at Apple, but we wouldn't expect to see it launch to the public this
year or next year.
The Lightning connector is also starting to show its age. When it was first
unveiled in 2012 with the iPhone 5, Apple's Phil Schiller touted that it
would be the "modern connector for the next decade." It's been a decade
since that announcement, and it's clear that Lightning is falling behind
USB-C in things like charging speeds and data transfer speeds.
Apple is rumored to boost Lightning data transfer rates to USB 3.0 starting
with the iPhone 14 Pro this fall, but USB-C still leads the way.
So that leads us to where we are today. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted
in May that the iPhone 15, coming in 2023, will feature a USB-C port for
charging and data transfer. This report was eventually corroborated by
Bloomberg, which also said that the iPhone 15 may switch to a USB-C port
next year.
A USB-C iPhone is sure to make many consumers happy, particularly those who
already own an iPad or Mac that also uses USB-C. That being said, with the
sheer number of iPhone users, Apple will undoubtedly face criticism for
changing the iPhone's charging connector - even if a switch to USB-C is
ultimately the right decision.
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