Apple has started to move away from its own charging ports and has adopted the global standards in its laptop range, most notable with the new Macbook Pro models as well as the new iPad range. Apple may be preparing to change the iPhone’s charging port – the company is reportedly testing new iPhones and adapters with USB-C.
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According to sources speaking to Bloomberg, the adapter being tested may “let future iPhones work with accessories designed for the current Lightning connector.” This means these iPhones could come with a Lightning-to-USB-C adapter for things like credit card scanners or flash drives that plug into existing iPhones. The report notes that this new port will not be used in new iPhones until 2023 “at the earliest.”
With almost every conceivable electronic gadget having adopted the global standard of USB, and more recently USB-C, many have been asking Apple to fall in line. It will be good for the consumer, as it costs makers of accessories much more to make devices with Apple in mind specifically, when it could make a single product with one port. The more widely available standard is only slightly bigger than Lightning, but can deliver power and data more quickly. The change could also make life much easier for those who already use USB-C to charge most of their devices and still have to carry a Lightning cable with them just for their iPhones.
This would be in contrast with previous rumours that Apple may be ditching the charging port altogether. However, they may have had to change its mind as it received a lot of backlash from European Union lawmakers, which has been pushing for universal phone charging for a long time. They have recently brought legislation to parliament that would make this standard compulsory for all phones.
