According to a new Bloomberg report by Mark Gurman, Apple is trialing iPhones that replace the Lightning port with USB-C. The change would be significant, though it is not entirely unexpected. Apple has already switched the iPad Pro, iPad Air, as well as the iPad Mini to USB-C. In addition, the EU made clear a proposal in September that would necessitate many devices, which include smartphones, to include USB-C ports.
Following this week’s tweets by renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the significantly predicted Apple will switch to USB-C in the second half of 2023, when the next iPhone lineup is expected. Apple’s conversion to USB-C is unlikely to happen before 2023. Also, it looks like Apple is testing a USB-C to Lightning adapter so that its new and old products can work together.
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My latest survey indicates that 2H23 new iPhone will abandon Lightning port and switch to USB-C port. USB-C could improve iPhone’s transfer and charging speed in hardware designs, but the final spec details still depend on iOS support.— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) May 11, 2022
Apple has reportedly worked on iPhones without a charging connector in recent years, according to Gurman, but the latest report from him indicates a portless iPhone isn’t coming soon either.