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Ming-Chi Kuo Says All 2017 iPhones Will Have Lightning Connectors With USB-C Fast Charging

Thursday March 2, 2017 7:02 am PST by Joe Rossignol
All three iPhones rumored to be launched in 2017 will retain Lightning connectors with the addition of USB-C Power Delivery for faster charging, including an all-new OLED model with a larger L-shaped battery and updated 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch models, according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.


An excerpt from his latest research note obtained by MacRumors:
New 2H17 models may all support fast charging. We believe all three new iPhones launching in 2H17 will support fast charging by the adoption of Type-C Power Delivery technology (while still retaining the Lightning port). A key technical challenge lies with ensuring product safety and stable data transmission during a fast charge. In order to achieve that goal, we think Apple will adopt TI's power management and Cypress's Power Delivery chip solutions for the new iPhone models. We note the OLED version may have a faster charging speed thanks to a 2-cell L shaped battery pack design.
Kuo expects Apple to retain the Lightning port given it has a slightly slimmer design compared to a USB-C port, to sustain MFi Program licensing income from Lightning accessories, and because he believes USB-C's high-speed data transmission is "still a niche application" for iPhone.

The 12.9-inch iPad Pro already supports USB 3.0 speeds and fast charging with a Lightning to USB-C cable, while iPhones and other devices with a Lightning connector still transfer at USB 2.0 speeds.

Kuo's prediction comes just two days after The Wall Street Journal seemingly reported that at least one upcoming iPhone model would have a USB-C port instead of a Lightning connector. However, the report's wording was somewhat vague and sparked a lot of confusing reaction among the Apple community.

Apple's latest MacBook Pro models are equipped with Thunderbolt 3 ports, which share the same connector design as USB-C, while the 12-inch MacBook also has a USB-C port. Apple could still bundle a Lightning to USB-C cable with its next iPhones to allow for connectivity with those notebooks out of the box.

Related Roundup: iPhone 8
Tags: KGI Securities, Ming-Chi Kuo, USB-C, Lightning
[ 245 comments ]


Top Rated Comments

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Klososky
25 months ago
I hope this means data transfer via Lightning won't still be limited to USB 2.0 speeds.
Rating: 25 Votes
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noobinator
25 months ago
Was hoping for USB-C. :(
Rating: 24 Votes
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jonnyb098
25 months ago

It's nice to see Apple catching up with other manufactures: OLED, edge-to-edge display, big batteries, fast charging and wireless charging have all been available on Android phones for a few years now.


Should they also catch up with the likes of Samsung and make their phones catch fire?
Rating: 21 Votes
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Zaft
25 months ago
This makes much more sense.
Rating: 20 Votes
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AG.47
25 months ago
It's nice to see Apple catching up with other manufacturers: OLED, edge-to-edge display, big batteries, fast charging and wireless charging have all been available on Android phones for a few years now.
Rating: 19 Votes
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Zaft
25 months ago

It's nice to see Apple catching up with other manufacturers: OLED, edge-to-edge display, big batteries, fast charging and wireless charging have all been available on Android phones for a few years now.

true, but the issue with those phones is the word "android".
Software is key.
Rating: 13 Votes
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GubbyMan
25 months ago
I trust Kuo more than anyone else but this makes me sad. We could have had a future where the only cable we need is USB-C. Instead, we will have 2 different cables. At least I hope that we will get a USB-C to Lightning so we can connect iPhones to MacBooks.
Rating: 11 Votes
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JeffyTheQuik
25 months ago
I'm hoping for USB-C.

As for replacing Lightning charge cords, that won't be a problem. They have a 3-7 month lifetime anyway.
Rating: 10 Votes
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Chupa Chupa
25 months ago
I hope that also means fast data transfer. As the iPhone's internal storage increases updating apps has become quite a chore. (I still tether to my Mac and I don't have auto update on because I don't always want to update an app the minute it's released).
Rating: 9 Votes
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Chupa Chupa
25 months ago

Why don't you update apps over wifi?


Because the WiFi in my house is inconsistent and prone to dropouts and I don't want to spare the bandwidth. I'd rather just tether and be able to control the process and timing 100%.
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Why don't you pay a paltry $3 per month to protect the data on your $800 iPhone?


Because I can pay $0 for the same backup. I didn't say I don't backup. I said I do tethered backups. I don't want ANOTHER monthly subscription. Enough already.

You sound like a car salesman... Your beautiful new $40K car. You should get XYZ unnecessary option to protect it. Heh.

BTW the data on my phone is worth more than the material cost of the phone itself. Silly argument you make. Everyone should backup but it doesn't matter what method they use.
Rating: 7 Votes

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