If Apple follows its traditional schedule, we should see a new iPhone in September. The iPhone 15 is set to be Apple’s first iPhone with USB-C charging capabilities. And while rumors and reports online offer solid evidence that the iPhone 15 will ditch the Lightning port, new information hints that other iPhones are following suit.
Also: Every product we expect at Apple’s September event: iPhone 15 Pro, Watch Ultra 2, more
A post by X (formerly Twitter) user @aaronp613 shows that six unreleased iPhone models were in tvOS 17 beta code. Although four model numbers belong to iPhone 15 models, two iPhone models belong to iPhone 14 models, probably iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plusaccording to BGR.
That iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone Pro Max expected to be discontinued by Apple after the release of the iPhone 15 and its variants. Typically, Apple officially stops production and distribution of the previous iteration’s Pro models after a new iPhone is released to avoid hindering sales of the latest iPhone.
Should Apple offer iPhone 14 models with USB-C charging capabilities, it would be the first time Apple has changed the charging port on an already released product. Apple debuted the Lightning connector in 2012 with the release of the iPhone 5.
Apple started experimenting with USB-C charging back in 2018 with iPad Pro. Apple knew then that the clock was ticking on the Lightning cable and wanted to test the waters with consumers. Since then, all iPad models have used USB-C charging, but the iPad is the only Apple product to ditch the Lightning cable.
Also: The Apple products you shouldn’t buy this month
Apple’s use of the Lightning cable for all of the company’s handheld devices was a revolutionary business decision. With the Lightning cable, users could efficiently charge their Apple devices with a charger made only by Apple. Third-party Lightning cables can be defective, forcing consumers to rely Apple’s cord for $17.
But for the past ten years, the European Union (EU) has been working to pass legislation requiring all electronic consumers to use the same charging port: USB-C. The legislation finally became law late last year, and all tech companies must comply by 2024 or risk being banished from the EU.
However, a $17 wire isn’t what keeps a $3 trillion company going. The Lightning cable keeps Apple in control of its exclusive ecosystem, helps maintain its walled garden, and maintains its stake in Lightning cable licensing deals.
Relinquishing this control to a universal cable would be antithetical to Apple’s business model. Still, it is necessary to comply with the law, and not only in Europe. Apple’s home state of California passed a law earlier this year that requires all consumer electronics to use USB-C charging by 2026.
Apple is also rumored to announce one soon AirPods Pro case with a USB-C charging port instead of a Lightning port, showing that the company is slowly phasing out a notebook design feature.
Also: I ranked the best iOS 17 features from most useful to downright gimmicky
It’s possible that consumers may feel strange switching from one charging port to another, as Apple’s choice to remove the headphone jack remains a point of contention. But that didn’t stop people from buying the iPhone 7.
There are still many steps for Apple to take before the Lightning port and cable become a relic of technology history. And while USB-C charging is standard for most headphones, smartphones and other non-Apple devices, Apple users don’t like it when their Apple exclusivity is threatened.
Let’s hope the USB-C port doesn’t challenge that exclusivity.
#Apple #add #USBC #charging #older #iPhones