While the Lightning was a welcome change from a time when iPhones still used a chunky 30-pin connector, it hasn’t aged very well. Apple’s port is the latest to be proprietary on smartphones, with all Android phones moving to USB-C. Lightning is also present on the basic iPad, on Apple’s “Magic” accessories (keyboard, mouse, trackpad) and AirPods.
The Lightning was introduced with the iPhone 5 and will celebrate its 10th anniversary in September. If it is now exceeded (transfer times on iPhone are terribly long), we understand that Apple insists on keeping its proprietary port. This assures him of a stable money income thanks to the licence MFi and the sale of accessories such as charging cables.
However, the noose is tightening around this singularity. Last year, the European Commission unveiled a proposal to impose USB-C on the iPhone. It’s not just to annoy Apple: Brussels estimates that its law could eliminate nearly 1,000 tons of electronic waste each year, while saving 250 million euros a year for consumers forced to buy additional chargers.
Universal charger: Brussels formalizes its plan to force USB-C on iPhone ????
According to rumors, Apple would have planned to give up on the Lightning in 2023 for the iPhone 15. A change far from impossible, because DIYers have already managed to integrate a USB-C port on an iPhone X. Otherwise, it could also be that Apple finds a solution by marketing an iPhone that only recharges wirelessly, but the slowness problems would not be solved.
On the one hand, we must admit that being able to charge your Mac, AirPods, iPhone and AirPods with a single cable is a dream. On the other hand, the abandonment of Lightning means for some a painful transition to a new ecosystem: new cables, new adapters, etc.
All of Apple’s Lightning products could switch to USB-C
And you, are you for or against the switch to all USB-C in the Apple range?