USB-C iPhone: everything that is known at the moment. It once seemed impossible to have an iPhone with a USB-C connector, but now we know that it will happen even sooner than you might think. Due to legal and technical limitations of the Lightning connector, the first USB-C iPhone could be released as early as 2023. Below we will tell about everything that is already known about him.
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Legal Restrictions
There are several reasons why Apple changed its plans for the USB-C iPhone. However, it is impossible to ignore the legal restrictions that have begun to appear around the world.
After several years of disputes and doubts, the European Union finally came to an agreement on a universal charging connector for all mobile devices. Starting in 2024, all smartphones sold in the 27 countries of the European Union must have a USB-C charging port. This also applies to the iPhone, as well as accessories such as AirPods.
A few weeks after the European Union passed the law, US legislation has expressed support. Many thought that the US authorities would do something similar. Senator Elizabeth Warren raised the issue again in her Twitter post:
Consumers don’t have to constantly buy new chargers for different gadgets. We can solve the problem by setting a universal standard. This will reduce costs, hassle and waste.
In early October, the EU law was finally adopted after a vote by the European Parliament. An overwhelming majority voted for the adoption of the law: 602 votes in favor, 13 against and 8 abstentions. There are exceptions in the law for devices that are too small to fit a USB-C port.
Now the law must be approved by the Council of Europe, after which it will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union. The requirements do not apply to devices that went on sale before the adoption of the law. However, it will affect the iPhone 16 line, which will be released in 2024.
Apple has spoken out against the law, according to which the company is obliged to release an iPhone with a USB-C connector. The company believes that such laws hinder the development of innovation and will only lead to more waste.
When will Apple release USB-C iPhone?
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested in 2019 that Apple would release an iPhone without connectors as early as 2021, but this did not happen. It’s clear why: wireless technologies are not yet reliable and powerful enough to completely replace Lightning or USB-C connectors. Wireless charging speed is not as fast, data transfer is slow and unreliable. In addition, wireless technologies are not yet very common among users.
Apple is still working on the iPhone without connectors. Moreover, the first copies are already being tested within the company. However, this or even next year, the release should not be expected.
The Lightning connector also began to lose ground. When it was first introduced in 2012 on the iPhone 5, Phil Schiller said that “the connector will remain state-of-the-art for the next ten years.” Ten years have passed since then. Obviously, the Lightning connector is now far behind the USB-C connector in terms of charging and data transfer speeds.
Rumor has it that Apple will increase the data transfer speed of the Lightning connector to the speed of the USB 3.0 standard on the iPhone 14 Pro, but even so, the USB-C connector will lead the way.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo wrote in May that the iPhone 15 in 2023 will have a USB-C connector for charging and data transfer. The data was later confirmed by Bloomberg. The article also says that the iPhone 15 will have a USB-C connector next year.
