It’s not yet official, but the information comes from an often well-informed source, South Korean analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. According to him, Apple is preparing to make a radical decision about its famous iPhone. The next devices from the apple brand should indeed say goodbye to their famous Lightning port, introduced in 2012 at the same time as the iPhone 5, for a much more classic USB-C.
Also according to Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 14, which is expected to be released this fall, should be the last to feature the Lightning port. It is then the iPhone 15 which will be responsible for making the transition with the new charging cable. Unsurprisingly, the brand’s other accessories should also follow the same transition from the second quarter of 2023.
European conflict
This announcement comes as the European Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee supported the creation of a universal charger for smartphones, tablets and other headphones in late April to reduce electronic waste and improve using all these portable devices. Called for a long time by Parliament, the project of a universal charger has been under debate for more than ten years. Currently, the market still has three types. Last fall, the Commission put forward its proposal: keep only the USB-C port.
In September 2021, Apple, which claims that its Lightning technology equips more than a billion devices worldwide, had made its opposition known to this subject. “This regulation would stifle innovation instead of encouraging it and would harm consumers in Europe and around the world,” assured the group for whom the Lightning port was a significant source of income.