iPhone Sticking With Lightning Port Over USB-C for 'Foreseeable Future'

Apple will retain the Lightning connector on the iPhone for the "foreseeable future," with no intention of switching to USB-C, according to reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Apple Prefer Lightning Over USB C Feature
In spite of much of the industry moving toward USB-C, Apple will not be using it to replace the Lightning connector on the iPhone 13, or indeed on any ‌iPhone‌ model for the time being. In a note seen by MacRumors yesterday, Kuo explained that Apple is reluctant to move to USB-C since it is a free, open standard, as well as less waterproof than Lightning.

We believe that USB-C is detrimental to the MFi business's profitability, and its waterproof specification is lower than Lightning and MagSafe.

Currently, Apple is able to strictly regulate the quality of Lightning cables and accessories through its Made for ‌iPhone‌ (MFi) program. MFi also generates a significant amount of income for the company since third-party manufacturers have to pay Apple a considerable commission to make Lightning cables or accessories.

iphone 5 lightning
Apple has used the Lightning connector on every ‌iPhone‌ since the ‌iPhone‌ 5 in 2012, but it has transitioned several of its devices to USB-C, including the iPad Pro, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and most recently, the iPad Air. With the need to connect to external drives being less pressing and some USB-C features such as external display connectivity outright impossible on an ‌iPhone‌, Apple is understandably less motivated to switch to USB-C on its most profitable product for MFi.

Transitioning the ‌iPhone‌ to USB-C this year would also leave a significant number of devices such as the entry-level iPad, iPad mini, AirPods, and a plethora of accessories such as the Magic Trackpad and MagSafe Duo charger, stuck with a connector that would no longer be widely used on any flagship products. Switching the ‌iPhone‌ to USB-C may, therefore, tip the scales against Lightning across Apple's product lineup, potentially forcing the company to phase out the connector entirely across a large number of products sooner than it wants to.

Amid rumors of a portless iPhone, Kuo clarified that Apple is more likely to switch directly to a portless model rather than first change to USB-C:

If the iPhone abandons Lightning in the future, it may directly adopt the portless design with MagSafe support instead of using a USB-C port.

In spite of this, Kuo stated that ‌MagSafe‌ wireless charging technology is not yet ready to displace a wired port, having only debuted as recently as October 2020 on the ‌iPhone‌ 12 lineup. ‌MagSafe‌ is currently unable to transfer data, complete a device recovery, or take diagnostics, which would seemingly be essential features on a future ‌iPhone‌ with no ports.

At present, the MagSafe ecosystem is not mature enough, so the iPhone will continue to use the Lightning port in the foreseeable future.

Overall, this means that Apple is intending to stick with the Lightning connector for the upcoming iPhone 13 at minimum, but could well extend to models beyond that, too.

Kuo's recent spate of reports about the future of the ‌iPhone‌ included the speculation that in 2022, at least some ‌iPhone‌ models will abandon the notch and switch to a "punch-hole display design" instead, and in 2023, Apple may unveil a 7.5–8 inch foldable iPhone.

Related Roundup: iPhone 13
Related Forum: iPhone

Top Rated Comments

zorinlynx Avatar
36 months ago
I know I'll catch flak for saying this, but...

I'm glad. The lightning connector is a lot more durable than USB-C. I honestly think that this is why Apple keeps using it in their highest volume products.

We tend to plug and unplug our phones a lot to charge them, sometimes on a daily basis.

I've seen Macbooks with USB-C where the socket has worn out to such an extent the plug will fall out if you turn it sideways.

I've never seen a lightning connector wear out. At the worst it needs an occasional cleaning.

Yes, it's annoying to have a different connector than my Android friends but honestly, it's not a big deal. I almost always have a cable in my car I can use in an emergency.
Score: 85 Votes (Like | Disagree)
IG88 Avatar
36 months ago

It continues to shock me the number of people that actually care what kind of port their iphone has.
Yea, crazy how a person might want to use the same charger / cable for their iPad & iPhone.
Score: 43 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Suckfest 9001 Avatar
36 months ago
Well obviously, they gotta figure out how to squeeze as much money as possible and going the proprietary cable route is better for them financially. Horrid for everyone else who wants a unified home cable-wise.
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
McKodiak Avatar
36 months ago
Every time portless gets brought up, I have to bring up CarPlay. I think Apple would have to make a piece of hardware to accommodate non-wireless CarPlay cars. On some level, I don't mind buying Bluetooth headphones because Apple removes the headphone jack. I will not buy a new car because Apple removes the iPhone port.
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lemon Olive Avatar
36 months ago
There has to be a reason to switch to USB-C, and that reason cannot be "muh single connector".

Apple has to gain something by moving to USB-C. Meaning there has to be a benefit to the user base that exceeds the negative trade offs from such a move. iPad Pro got USB-C because it was needed to achieve a competitive feature, which was 4K video out. They could not do that with Lightning, and iPad Pro was less competitive with devices like surface pro without it. And, iPad Pro is not used by the general market, so those customers were unlikely to complain about a cable changing.

iPhone on the other hand is a totally different animal. There is no motivating reason, and there is every reason not to. After nearly 10 years of Lightning, no one wants their cables and MFi accessories to not work, or have to be replaced. That is such a negative downside with no obvious upside.

Nevermind the fact that there are at least 20 different spec'd cables out there that have a USB-C connector on the end, making the "single connector" fallacy a joke.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ghostface147 Avatar
36 months ago
Weird. USB-C is used in some form on most of their products. A portless model would be super super slow for those who transfer a lot of data over a cable now.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 16 4 Web Push

Apple Confirms Governments Using Push Notifications to Surveil Users

Wednesday December 6, 2023 5:06 am PST by
Unidentified governments are surveilling smartphone users by tracking push notifications that move through Google's and Apple's servers, a US senator warned on Wednesday (via Reuters). In a letter to the Department of Justice, Senator Ron Wyden said foreign officials were demanding the data from the tech giants to track smartphones. The traffic flowing from apps that send push notifications...
best buy snowflakes

Best Buy's New Weekend Sale Has Record Low Prices on MacBook Pro and MacBook Air

Friday December 8, 2023 7:37 am PST by
Best Buy's month-long holiday sale continues this weekend with multiple all-time low prices on Apple's line of MacBook Pro and MacBook Air computers. In addition to Apple notebooks, Best Buy's event has discounts sitewide on home appliances, TVs, video games, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive...
iOS 17

iOS 17.2 Will Add These 12 New Features to Your iPhone

Friday December 1, 2023 12:19 pm PST by
iOS 17.2 has been in beta testing for over a month, and it should be released to all users in a few more weeks. The software update includes many new features and changes for iPhones, including the dozen that we have highlighted below. iOS 17.2 is expected to be released to the public in mid-December. To learn about even more features coming in the update, check out our full list. Journal ...
beeper mini

Apple Puts a Stop to Beeper Mini's iMessage for Android Feature

Friday December 8, 2023 2:24 pm PST by
Apple appears to have closed the loophole that Beeper Mini used to bring iMessage to Android, putting a stop to blue bubbles from Android devices. Beeper Mini quit working earlier today, with users receiving "failed to lookup on server: lookup request timed out" error messages. Beeper said on Twitter that it is investigating the issue, but Beeper CEO Eric Migicovsky told TechCrunch that "all ...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 May Reuse Existing iPhone 14 Battery

Wednesday December 6, 2023 1:17 pm PST by
Recently, MacRumors has received details on the battery currently being tested on the upcoming fourth-generation iPhone SE, and the information corroborates previous findings in relation to the device. The iPhone SE 4, known by its device identifier D59, is expected to use the exact same battery found in the base model iPhone 14. Partially assembled prototypes of the next iPhone SE have been ...
maxresdefault

Review: Two Months With the iPhone 15 Pro Max

Thursday December 7, 2023 12:04 pm PST by
Apple's iPhone 15 lineup came out in September, and while most reviews are done shortly after a new device launches, we like to follow up with a longer term review that gives us an opportunity to provide a deeper dive into what it's like using these phones on a day to day basis for months. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera has been...
apple watch black friday

Apple Watch Ultra 2 Hits New Record Low Price of $699, Alongside Series 9 and SE Sales

Friday December 8, 2023 8:55 am PST by
Amazon has a few big discounts on Apple Watch today, headlined by a new all-time low price on the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Many of these watches can be delivered by Christmas, with delivery dates around the middle of next week for most models. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site ...
iOS 17

35 Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 17.2 Coming Next Week

Wednesday December 6, 2023 5:57 am PST by
Apple made the first beta of iOS 17.2 available to developers in October. Since then we've seen three more betas, and with each iteration Apple continues to add more new features and changes, many of which users have been anticipating for quite a while. Below, we've listed 35 new things that are coming to your iPhone when the finalized version is publicly released in mid-December. 1....