Apple is testing iPhones that trade the Lightning port for USB-C. But you shouldn’t expect to catch it in this year’s iPhone lineup, as the changeover wouldn’t occur until 2023 “at the earliest,” Gurman says.
The report seeks reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo’s tweets this week, indicating that Apple would swap to USB-C in the second half of 2023, presumably when that year’s iPhone lineup will be released.
The switch would be a big one, though it’s not a complete surprise. Apple has already moved the iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPad Mini to USB-C. And the EU revealed a proposal in September that would require many devices, including smartphones, to include USB-C ports — Gurman says that this legislation was “a key reason” for Apple’s move to consider the change.
There are also technical benefits to moving to USB-C, which is capable of faster transfer speeds than Lightning.
Rumors have also swirled about Apple developing a portless iPhone, and Gurman says that Apple has “worked on iPhones without any charging port” in “recent years.” But his report Friday doesn’t suggest a portless iPhone will be available anytime soon.
The company first introduced the Lightning port with the iPhone 5 in 2012.
Snap, the maker of Snapchat, is releasing its first self-flying drone called Pixy. At $229, it’s the lightest and easiest-to-use drone we’ve tried. Just don’t expect cinematic footage. Apple didn’t immediately respond to an appeal for comment.
USB-C (formally understood as USB Type-C) is a 24-pin USB connector system with a rotationally symmetrical connector. The designation C directs only to the connector’s physical configuration or form factor and should not be mistaken with its specific capabilities specified by its transfer specifications (such as USB 3.2).
The USB Type-C Specification 1.0 was broadcasted by the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) and was finalized in August 2014. It was conceived at roughly the same time as the USB 3.1 specification. In July 2016, it was embraced by the IEC as “IEC 62680-1-3”.
A gadget with a Type-C connector does not necessarily enforce USB Power Delivery, USB, or various Alternate Mode: the Type-C connector is familiar with different technologies while commanding only a few.
USB 3.2, unleashed in September 2017, replaces the USB 3.1 standard. However, it maintains existing USB 3.1 SuperSpeed and SuperSpeed+ data modes and presents two new SuperSpeed+ transfer modes above the USB-C connector using two-lane operation, with data speeds of 10 and 20 Gbit/s (1 and ~2.4 GB/s).
USB4, released in 2019, is the initial USB transfer protocol standard that is only available through USB-C.