Apple is testing iPhones that replace the Lightning port with USB-C, according to a new Bloomberg report by Apple-whispered Mark Gourmet. But you shouldn’t expect to see it in this year’s iPhone range, as the change won’t happen until 2023 “at the earliest,” says Gourmet. The report follows tweets from trusted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo this week, which indicate that Apple will switch to USB-C in the second half of 2023, which is likely when the iPhone range will be released this year.
The switch would be great, though not a complete surprise. Apple has already moved the iPad Pro, iPad Air and iPad Mini to USB-C. And the EU unveiled a proposal in September that will require many devices, including smartphones, to include USB-C ports – Gourmet says the legislation is a “key reason” for Apple’s move to consider the change. There are also technical benefits to switching to USB-C, which is capable of faster transfer speeds than Lightning.
Rumors have also been circulating about Apple developing a portless iPhone, and Gourmet says Apple has been “working on an iPhone without a charging port” in “recent years.” But his report on Friday does not suggest that an unsportsmanlike iPhone will be available soon.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company first introduced the Lightning port with the iPhone 5 in 2012.
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