Apple may plan to move further away from its own Lightning port than was originally suggested in reports earlier this week. According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the company is working on accessories, including AirPods, as well as mouse and keyboard peripherals that charge via USB-C.
1. The unportable iPhone can cause more problems due to current limitations of wireless technology and the immature MagSafe ecosystem.2. Other products with Lightning port (eg AirPods, Magic Keyboard / Trackpad / Mouse, MagSafe Battery) will also switch to USB-C in the foreseeable future. https://t.co/KD14TgBmtr
– 郭明 錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) May 15, 2022
Kuo shared the forecast in response to a tweet he posted on May 11. In an earlier announcement, he said Apple would redesign the iPhone to include a more universal port standard by the second half of 2023. Bloomberg later confirmed Kuo’s forecast.
Exactly when Apple can move its accessories to USB-C is unclear. Kuo only said the transition would take place “in the foreseeable future.” According to a report released by Bloomberg on Friday, Apple will not release a USB-C iPhone until next year. It would be most logical for the company to complete the relocation at once, but there is no guarantee that it will do things this way.
As with a potential USB-C iPhone, motivating Apple to move its accessories away from Lightning may have more to do with avoiding regulatory control than creating a better user experience. In an effort to reduce e-waste, the European Union has spent years pushing for a universal charging port, and last month came one step closer to imposing USB-C on all small and medium-sized electronics.
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