The Wall Street Journal today reported that at least one upcoming iPhone model will include a USB-C port instead of a Lightning connector.
If the report is accurate, a single USB-C cable could be used to charge the so-called iPhone 8, 12-inch MacBook, or the latest MacBook Pro models.
People familiar with Apple’s plans said its release this year would include two models with the traditional LCDs and a third one with the OLED screen.
They said Apple would introduce other updates including a USB-C port for the power cord and other peripheral devices instead of the company’s original Lightning connector.
The Wall Street Journal has historically been a reliable source for iPhone rumors, so there is a good chance the report is true.
Nevertheless, the move towards USB-C has yet to be substantiated by other credible sources, and Apple changing the charging port on iPhones for the second time in five years, after switching from the 30-pin Dock Connector to Lightning connector in 2012, would certainly be a controversial decision.
At least one analyst is not convinced that Apple will ditch Lightning on its next iPhones, but he does believe USB-C will be in the mix.
Barclays managing director Blayne Curtis told MacRumors that he expects the iPhone 8 to keep its Lightning connector, while he believes that Apple will sell a Lightning to USB-C adapter in European countries to adhere to the European Commission’s “one mobile phone charger for all” campaign.
This adapter would likely be similar to Apple’s female-to-male Lightning to Micro-USB adapter, which allows an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with a Lightning connector to charge and sync with a micro USB cable. Apple sold a similar 30-pin Dock Connector to Micro-USB adapter in Europe to adhere to EU policy.
Many consumers have advocated for Apple to ditch its proprietary Lightning connector in favor of USB-C, which has become a standard feature on several Android smartphones, notebooks, and other devices. Whether it is an all-out USB-C port or yet another adapter remains to be seen, but it seems that Apple might be listening.
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Source: MAC ROUMORS