Lightning Connector Turns 10 Today as iPhone Rumored to Adopt USB-C Next Year
Today marks 10 years since Apple introduced the iPhone 5 with an all-new Lightning connector, which replaced the previous 30-pin dock connector that originated on the iPod. Apple's former marketing chief Phil Schiller described Lightning as a "modern connector for the next decade," and this milestone has now been achieved.
iPhone 14 models remain equipped with a Lightning connector, but Apple is widely expected to switch to USB-C for iPhone 15 models next year.
Apple already offers USB-C ports on every Mac and nearly every iPad that it sells, along with the Studio Display, Pro Display XDR, some Beats headphones, and a few other accessories. Rumors suggest the upcoming 10th-generation entry-level iPad will also adopt USB-C, followed by AirPods charging cases and the MagSafe Battery Pack next year.
In June, the European Union announced that it reached an agreement to introduce a new law that would make USB-C the common charging port across all new smartphones, tablets, headphones, and many other electronics by fall 2024. iPhone 15 models are expected to launch around September 2023, ahead of the European Union's deadline.
While the Lightning cable was the first reversible charging cable, USB-C has become a very popular charging standard across a countless number of devices. A major benefit of USB-C for the iPhone would be faster data transfer speeds, as Lightning on the iPhone 13 and earlier tops out at 480 Mbps, while USB-C can achieve up to 5 to 10 Gbps depending on the spec, or even up to 40 Gbps if the iPhone supported Thunderbolt 3.
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While the iPhone still uses the Lightning connector for now, Apple has been transitioning many of its devices to USB-C in recent years.
Apple now offers USB-C ports on every Mac that it currently sells, ranging from the MacBook Air to the Mac Pro. Other devices with a USB-C port include the 2018 and newer iPad Pro, 2020 and newer iPad Air, sixth-generation iPad mini, Studio Display, and Pro...
Apple's transition from its proprietary Lightning connector to USB-C appears set to continue with the iPhone 15 and the next entry-level iPad model.
In early May, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said his latest supply chain survey indicated that at least one new iPhone 15 model will feature a USB-C port in the second half of 2023. Shortly after Kuo shared this information, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman ...
All three AirPods models and Mac accessories like the Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad are likely to transition to USB-C by 2024, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
AirPods Charging Case with USB-C port by Ken Pillonel. Earlier this week, the European Parliament approved a new directive to force manufacturers to offer USB-C as a common charging port across a wide range of devices in...
The iPhone 14 Pro could be Apple's last flagship iPhone with the Lightning port, a recent rumor from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman suggests.
Kuo last week claimed that at least some iPhone 15 models, set to launch in the second half of 2023, will feature a USB-C port instead of Lightning to improve data transfer and charging speeds. He previously said that Apple...
Wednesday October 19, 2022 3:09 am PDT by
Sami FathiApple is continuing its transition to USB-C across its product lines after the EU passed a new law that mandates a common charger across all consumer electronic devices sold by 2024.
This week, Apple announced a new Apple TV remote that features a USB-C port instead of a Lightning connector. The new Apple TV remote is the latest Apple product and accessory to adopt USB-C, but the company stil...
Monday February 28, 2022 7:12 am PST by
Sami FathiWhen Phil Schiller introduced the Lightning connector at the unveiling of the iPhone 5 in September 2012, he called it "a modern connector for the next decade," and with that 10-year mark coming up later this year, questions remain over what the future of the iPhone looks like and whether or not that future will include a Lightning port, or perhaps no port at all.
Every iPhone since the...
The AirPods, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max are all set to transition to USB-C as soon as 2024, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
AirPods Charging Case with USB-C port by Ken Pillonel. The European Parliament recently approved a major new directive to force manufacturers to offer USB-C as a common charging port across a wide range of devices in Europe by the end of 2024. In his latest "Power...
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Top Rated Comments
Whoever invented the USB-B micro (2 and 3) need to spend all eternity trying to plug them in....
Lets have ProRes video, and 48 Megapixel cameras, but keep 10yo IO.. Brilliant!
That said, the 13 pro isn't terrible with regards to IO, but I do notice how much faster my iPad mini 6 is with regards to mass file copy activity through the physical port.
My iPhone is a much different story. Somehow I've managed to get by and survive not being able to transfer data to/from it at multi-gigabit/sec rates. I do appreciate the mechanical robustness of the connectors and connections when it comes time to charge.