Gurman: AirPods and Mac Accessories Likely to Switch to USB-C by 2024

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 usb c ken pillonelAirPods 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 Europe by the end of 2024. In his latest "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that Apple has been preparing to make changes to its devices to meet these new legal requirements.

Gurman believes that Apple will beat the legislation's date of application in late 2024 with most of its products. The iPhone 15, he claims, will beat the EU's mandate by a year, featuring a USB-C port in the fall of 2023. The entry level iPad, the only ‌iPad‌ to still feature a Lightning connector should switch to USB-C by the end of this year.

Gurman speculated that if Apple releases a new ‌iPhone‌ SE model in March 2024 with a Lightning port instead of a USB-C port, it will be in compliance with EU law since it would launch before the end of the year – but any new ‌iPhone‌ SE model released in 2025 or 2026 would need to feature USB-C.

Gurman noted that all AirPods models, as well as the Magic Mouse, Magic Keyboard, and Magic Trackpad will need to make the switch when new versions are released. He anticipates several major Mac updates next year, including a new iMac and a Mac Pro, and said that "one could probably assume that move coincides with accessory updates."

Despite the switch to USB-C across Apple's family of products, Gurman said that he thinks the USB-C era will be far shorter than the tenure of the 30-pin iPod connector or Lightning, "at least for Apple's mobile devices." The iPod connector and Lightning will have been on new Apple devices for around 11 years each before they were phased out, and Gurman still believes that "Apple's future is wireless and that some version of the canceled AirPower dream from 2017 will still eventually come to fruition – well before a decade from now."

He added that "at some point in the next few years," Apple will probably begin transitioning entirely to inductive charging on the ‌iPhone‌ and the ‌iPad‌, a move that largely exempts the devices from EU law mandating a the inclusion of a USB-C port.

Related Roundups: AirPods 4, AirPods Max, AirPods Pro 3
Related Forums: AirPods, iPhone

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Top Rated Comments

Justin Cymbal Avatar
39 months ago
That would be awesome

It will be so much more convenient to only have to bring USB-C cables with me when traveling instead of both USB-C and lightning

Having everything using the same charger is definitely the way to go - looking forward to the iPhone getting USB-C as well
Score: 41 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DEMinSoCAL Avatar
39 months ago

IMHO government mandates on ports will only stifle innovation. Why would anyone try to make something better than a USB-C when they have a massive hill to climb in order for it to be implemented.
It's called being a standard. When everything uses it, if there is a need to change it, it will change, otherwise we don't need 10 different connectors for devices.

When was the last time the AC outlet in your home was upgraded to something different? Aren't you happy there aren't 10 different types of residential AC outlets in your country?
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
krspkbl Avatar
39 months ago
lightning needs ditched ASAP. cmon apple rip the bandaid off. give us USB-C.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PinkyMacGodess Avatar
39 months ago
The thing is, they could change them right now. Why wait...

EDIT: Those that disagree: all they would have to do is swap the connector, at the minimum.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I7guy Avatar
39 months ago
In other news….water is wet. As much as I like lightning and dislike usb c it makes sense to have consistency across the product lines.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
icanhazmac Avatar
39 months ago
IMHO government mandates on ports will only stifle innovation. Why would anyone try to make something better than a USB-C when they have a massive hill to climb in order for it to be implemented.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)