Apple could be moving to a Type-C port on its iPhone 15 models finally replacing the Lightning port. According to a report by GSMArena, the iPhone could be making these changes in light of the demand for many of the company’s products that come with the same port. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently tweeted that the iPhone 15 that may launch in the second half of 2023 could be the first iPhone lineup to embrace the change.
He also went on to add that the company will be shifting its focus on this project. In the next 2 years, Apple will be working with its existing suppliers who currently assist with its accessories to enable this transition as well.
The transition from the Lightning port to Type-C is expected to bring more advantages to the Apple ecosystem. The company has integrated the Type-C port into some of its products and accessories. Currently, the reversible standard port is available on the iPad Air, iPad Pro and MacBooks as well. Apple’s premium Smart Keyboard Folio also come with a Type-C port as well.
The devices still using the proprietary reversible port are the iPhones, the base 9th generation iPad model, all the existing AirPods models and the 1st generation Apple Pencil.
Type-C accessories are profitable
As Apple had begun to integrate Type-C into one product after another, they have seen a positive response from customers. This has also led to a surprising growth in sales and demand for some of the company’s Type-C accessories too, according to Kuo.
There have been instances where many people have replaced their laptops with the M1 iPad Pro models. Combining the powerful chip with support for external keyboards and displays, it can be a great productivity device for some.
The EU has also been pushing Apple on bringing the standard interface to the iPhones over the past years. Apple had also faced the possibility of not being able to sell its best selling smartphones in the UK. So, it could be that the company is moving back on its decision to stick with its proprietary port and accept Type-C.
No more Type-C cables too in the box?
Type-C ports provide faster data transfers between devices and work well with many devices. Anyone who carries different types of cables to charge all the electronic devices they have would be thrilled with this change.
Apple has already removed chargers from its packaging and sells a 20W fast charger. Ironically, this has a Type-C port too. Yes, you could still use the old 5W standard Lightning charger. But in 2022, no one wants to wait 3 hours for their phone to be fully charged.
If and when Apple starts to add Type-C to its iPhone models, the company might soon stop adding the cables in the box too. So, slimmer packaging means reduced cost. And that also further helps to reduce its carbon footprint.
