If Apple follows its traditional schedule, we should see a new iPhone in September. The iPhone 15 is poised to become Apple’s first iPhone with USB-C charging capabilities. And while online rumors and reports provide solid evidence that the iPhone 15 will ditch the Lightning port, new information hints at other iPhones following suit.
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A post by X (formerly Twitter) user @aaronp613 shows that six unreleased iPhone models were in tvOS 17 beta code. Although four model numbers belong to iPhone 15 models, two iPhone models belong to iPhone 14 models, most likely iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, according to BGR.
The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone Pro Max expected to be phased out by Apple after the launch of the iPhone 15 and its variants. Typically, Apple ceases official production and distribution of the previous iteration’s Pro models after a new iPhone is released to avoid hindering sales of the latest iPhone.
Should Apple offer iPhone 14 models with USB-C charging capabilities, it will be the first time Apple has changed the charging port for an already released product. Apple debuted the Lightning connector in 2012 with the launch of the iPhone 5.
Apple started experimenting with USB-C charging back in 2018 with iPad Pro. Apple knew then that the clock was ticking on the Lightning cable and wanted to test the waters with consumers. Since then, everyone has iPad models has used USB-C charging, but the iPad is the only Apple product to ditch the Lightning cable.
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Apple’s use of the Lightning cable for all of the company’s handheld devices was a revolutionary business decision. With the Lightning cable, users could efficiently charge their Apple devices with a charger made only by Apple. Third-party Lightning cables may be faultywhich forces consumers to trust Apple cord for $17.
However, over the past ten years, the European Union (EU) has been working to pass legislation requiring all consumer electronic devices to use the same charging port: USB-C. The legislation finally became law late last year, and all tech companies must comply by 2024 or risk expulsion from the EU.
A $17 cord isn’t what keeps one though 3 trillion dollar company in business. The Lightning cable keeps Apple in control of its exclusive ecosystem, helps maintain its walled garden, and maintains its stake in Lightning cable licensing deals.
Relegating this control to a universal cable would be the antithesis of Apple’s business model. Nevertheless, it is necessary to follow the law, and not only in Europe. Apple’s home state California passed a law earlier this year that all home electronics must use USB-C charging by 2026.
Apple is also rumored to announce one soon AirPods Pro case with a USB-C charging port instead of a Lightning port, showing that the company is slowly phasing out a staple design feature.
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It is possible that consumers may feel strange when switching from one charging port to another, which Apple’s choice to remove the headphone jack is still a matter of contention. But that didn’t stop people from buying the iPhone 7.
There are still many steps for Apple to take before the Lightning port and cable become a relic of technology history. And while USB-C charging is standard for most headphones, smartphones and other non-Apple devices, Apple users don’t like it when their Apple exclusivity is threatened.
Let’s hope the USB-C port doesn’t challenge that exclusivity.
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