A few days ago, the renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that Manzana would release his first iPhone with USB-C in 2023. In this way, a fairly recurrent rumor of the last three or four years has been revived, although the novelty at this time is that those from Cupertino They would already be testing mobile prototypes with said port instead of Lightning.
so he mentioned it Mark Gurmannfrom Bloombergwho also indicated that the company is working on a new adapter for devices and accessories that currently exist with Apple’s proprietary connector.
Like Kuo, Gurman says that Apple’s intention is to keep the Lightning port on the iPhone 14, which will launch this year, and make the switch to USB-C from 2023 at the earliest. Among the reasons for the company to embrace this technical change, the renowned journalist mentions two: to adhere to the European regulation that intends to impose the use of a single charger among multiple devices and begin to unify criteria with iPad and Mac.
One of the problems that Apple faces with this change is related to the many accessories of the brand that still use the Lightning connector. Such is the case of the AirPods, the MagSafe battery and the MagSafe double charger, among others. Here the new adapter would enter the scene in which Californians would be working.
Third-party accessories for the iPhone, the great concern of Apple
But changing the iPhone port from Lightning to USB-C would bring with it a bigger concern for Apple: loss of control over third-party accessories. Today there are multiple products for the apple mobile developed by other companies, but under the strict supervision of the company led by Tim Cook.
And while the new adapter would help soften the effect on those devices, Apple would no longer be able to control all products developed outside of Cupertino. And I would even have to make amends with the idea that the iPhone can work with cables, chargers and other accessories that they have not been specifically designed for him but that take advantage of USB-C technology, which has slowly become the mobile industry standard.
And this can also translate into an economic impact. Let’s not forget that other brands they pay apple to use the Lightning connector on your accessories, and this could decrease over time. If it happens, however, it won’t be overnight.
The firm from the apple has assembled a very varied catalog of accessories around its proprietary connector and has been able to exploit it very well. And as much as the iPhone 15 does come with a USB-C port, its predecessors with Lightning will continue to be manufactured for a few more years and will coexist on the market.
As we said at the beginning, rumors of an iPhone with USB-C have been around for years; however, the chances of it happening this time seem to be higher than on previous occasions. For now, Kuo and Gurman set their chips for next year.