The Morning After: Apple may be testing USB-C iPhones

Finally?

Vadym Plysiuk via Getty Images

Oh my, it might actually be happening. I’ve wanted this for a while, and Apple’s excuses for sticking with its Lightning connector get weaker each year. Now a report from Bloomberg says the company is testing new iPhones and adapters with USB-C — what MacBooks and iPads already use.

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TMA (Engadget)

An adapter currently in testing could "let future iPhones work with accessories designed for the current Lightning connector" — you may recall the in-box adapters that appeared when Apple nixed the headphone port from its smartphones.

It’s probably not entirely altruistic. The EU has been pushing for a universal phone charging standard for years and recently proposed legislation that would make USB-C the de-facto charging port for all phones.

It’s unlikely to be part of the iPhone 14, though. The report suggests the port change wouldn’t arrive “until 2023 at the earliest." Subsequent comments from reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggest this could be part of a wider move away from Lightning ports, also used on Apple’s AirPods, mice and keyboards.

— Mat Smith

 

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