Apple testing USB-C iPhones & new dongles ahead of EU mandate

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
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in iPhone
A new report claims that Apple is currently testing both USB-C adapters, and a USB-C iPhone, though neither is expected before 2023.




The anticipated 2023 date backs up recent claims from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo that it will be that year's "iPhone 15" that will switch from Lightning to USB-C.

Kuo claimed to have information from the supply chain. Bloomberg now cites only unspecified people with knowledge of the situation. It's possible, then, that these are the same sources, but Bloomberg's have added the possibility of adapters.

Such USB-C adapters would presumably work with existing Lightning-based iPhones, which could mean that Apple is aiming to get ahead of expected European Union requirements. The EU is currently planning legislation that would mean all smartphones sold in Europe would have to use USB-C chargers.

With new iPhones using the standard, and older ones able to get an adapter, all of Apple's portable devices would be able to use USB-C.

Adapters are how Apple worked around the micro-USB mandate. That micro-USB charger mandate will be replaced by the USB-C one, after only eight years.

The convenience of having fewer cables to carry is one benefit of USB-C, and an engineer has previously adapted both his iPhone and AirPods charging case to the standard for exactly that reason. He then subsequently sold his USB-C iPhone for $86,000.

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 33
    wood1208wood1208 Posts: 2,913member
    Anyone can start such Rumor. Heard it before, many times.
    libertyandfree
  • Reply 2 of 33
    mazda 3smazda 3s Posts: 1,613member
    My MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and even my Apple Watch Series 7 power cord use USB-C. It's about damn time that the iPhone got onboard.
    darkvaderelijahgflyingdpchelinHedwaregrandact73
  • Reply 3 of 33
    KuyangkohKuyangkoh Posts: 838member
    Yeah really what’s the hold up Timmy Christmas ?? Some
    of your devices have usb-c already 
    darkvader
  • Reply 4 of 33
    macminionmacminion Posts: 24member
    Why? Why? Eliminate the hole. Magsafe it all the way! Forget what the EU governments want.
  • Reply 5 of 33
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    JP234 said:
    macminion said:
    Why? Why? Eliminate the hole. Magsafe it all the way! Forget what the EU governments want.
    Uh, because Apple wants to sell iPhones to Europeans, maybe??? Ah, who needs a few hundred billion Euros in sales, anyway, right?
    And when the EU mandates Android as the official mobile os for Europe I guess you’ll be okay with that too. Thank that can’t happen?
    12Strangersflyingdpwatto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 33
    tokyojimutokyojimu Posts: 529member
    I like the way Lightning cables snap into place. USB-C is inferior. 
    neo-techSpitbath12Strangersuraharawelshdogteejay2012chiaflyingdperiamjhwatto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 33
    neo-techneo-tech Posts: 38member
    tokyojimu said:
    I like the way Lightning cables snap into place. USB-C is inferior. 
    Agreed. I like the simplicity of one connector for all, but I have a few devices with rather loose USB C sockets, and I've not owned a single lightning port device with a loose connection.
    MplsPSpitbathflyingdpwatto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 33
    MplsPMplsP Posts: 3,924member
    neo-tech said:
    tokyojimu said:
    I like the way Lightning cables snap into place. USB-C is inferior. 
    Agreed. I like the simplicity of one connector for all, but I have a few devices with rather loose USB C sockets, and I've not owned a single lightning port device with a loose connection.
    My sentiments exactly.

    ...and USB C-lightning adapters already exist so I'm not sure what the point of this 'rumor' is.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 33
    JapheyJaphey Posts: 1,767member
    neo-tech said:
    tokyojimu said:
    I like the way Lightning cables snap into place. USB-C is inferior. 
    Agreed. I like the simplicity of one connector for all, but I have a few devices with rather loose USB C sockets, and I've not owned a single lightning port device with a loose connection.
    I’ve had a few. One was a pre-qi iPhone 6s that would only charge if I held the cord in exactly the perfect spot. All ports are inherent weak spots in the design, whether 30 pin, Lightning, or USC whatever. 
    darkvaderbeowulfschmidt
  • Reply 10 of 33
    entropysentropys Posts: 4,166member
    Lightning is becoming a performance limitation. A switch to USBc would help in that respect. And there is something to be said for one type of connector to rule them all. That said, for iPhone I would not be surprised they skip it altogether and not have a port at all.

    Regardless, whatever those central planners in Brussels think don’t matter. They are becoming less relevant to the world as the years role by. Europe is the past.
  • Reply 11 of 33
    MplsPMplsP Posts: 3,924member
    entropys said:
    Lightning is becoming a performance limitation. A switch to USBc would help in that respect. And there is something to be said for one type of connector to rule them all. That said, for iPhone I would not be surprised they skip it altogether and not have a port at all.

    Regardless, whatever those central planners in Brussels think don’t matter. They are becoming less relevant to the world as the years role by. Europe is the past.
    Except the only thing most people use it for is charging and it isn't really a limiting factor for that.

    There are several reasons not to get rid of the port completely, even if it's only used for charging. First and foremost, wireless charging is not nearly as available nor as flexible. Second, Wireless charging is inefficient and wasteful. Even a good connection is only 70% efficient. For a company that claims to be concerned about the environment, forcing a 30% waste of energy with every charge on every device is pretty irresponsible. Wired charging is also quicker. Finally, wireless CarPlay is becoming more common, but there's a large number of cars that still need the wired connection. 
    mobirdbaconstangflyingdpwatto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 33
    hexclockhexclock Posts: 1,250member
    JP234 said:
    macminion said:
    Why? Why? Eliminate the hole. Magsafe it all the way! Forget what the EU governments want.
    Uh, because Apple wants to sell iPhones to Europeans, maybe??? Ah, who needs a few hundred billion Euros in sales, anyway, right?
    Can’t they just make a MagSafe cable with a usb-c connector on the other end, so it fits a USB-C power block? What is so hard about that? If the new law prevents that, then it is pretty short sighted. 
    edited May 2022 watto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 33
    darkvaderdarkvader Posts: 1,146member
    macminion said:
    Why? Why? Eliminate the hole. Magsafe it all the way! Forget what the EU governments want.

    Because wireless charging is inefficient and slow.  USB-C it all the way!  It's great to see the EU doing this.
    baconstangsphericgrandact73watto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 33
    kiehtankiehtan Posts: 38member
    Some of us need the charge port for
    our wired CarPlay devices

     macminion said:
    Why? Why? Eliminate the hole. Magsafe it all the way! Forget what the EU governments want.

    baconstangwatto_cobra
  • Reply 15 of 33
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    kiehtan said:
    Some of us need the charge port for
    our wired CarPlay devices

     macminion said:
    Why? Why? Eliminate the hole. Magsafe it all the way! Forget what the EU governments want.
    Buy a new car you cheapskate, that's the Apple way.
    baconstangJapheyAniMillmuthuk_vanalingam
  • Reply 16 of 33
    uraharaurahara Posts: 733member
    I have been changing my iPhone with USB-C to Lighning cable for several years. 
    Am I missing something?
    flyingdpJaiOh81watto_cobra
  • Reply 17 of 33
    JapheyJaphey Posts: 1,767member
    hexclock said:
    JP234 said:
    macminion said:
    Why? Why? Eliminate the hole. Magsafe it all the way! Forget what the EU governments want.
    Uh, because Apple wants to sell iPhones to Europeans, maybe??? Ah, who needs a few hundred billion Euros in sales, anyway, right?
    Can’t they just make a MagSafe cable with a usb-c connector on the other end, so it fits a USB-C power block? What is so hard about that? If the new law prevents that, then it is pretty short sighted. 
    They already make that cable. 
    Skepticalsphericwatto_cobra
  • Reply 18 of 33
    CheeseFreezeCheeseFreeze Posts: 1,249member
    lkrupp said:
    JP234 said:
    macminion said:
    Why? Why? Eliminate the hole. Magsafe it all the way! Forget what the EU governments want.
    Uh, because Apple wants to sell iPhones to Europeans, maybe??? Ah, who needs a few hundred billion Euros in sales, anyway, right?
    And when the EU mandates Android as the official mobile os for Europe I guess you’ll be okay with that too. Thank that can’t happen?
    No, that can’t and will not happen because that is 100% not what the EU is aiming for. I’m not sure why you are insinuating this scenario.
    avon b7spheric
  • Reply 19 of 33
    SkepticalSkeptical Posts: 183member
    macminion said:
    Why? Why? Eliminate the hole. Magsafe it all the way! Forget what the EU governments want.
    Dumbest post ever…
  • Reply 20 of 33
    sdw2001sdw2001 Posts: 18,016member
    darkvader said:
    macminion said:
    Why? Why? Eliminate the hole. Magsafe it all the way! Forget what the EU governments want.

    Because wireless charging is inefficient and slow.  USB-C it all the way!  It's great to see the EU doing this.
    Right, because government has any place doing stuff like this.  Maybe they should mandate all travel mugs are the same size…I hate when they don’t fit in my car’s cup holder.  Also, RGB should be illegal.  So should anything under HDMI 2.2.  RCA outputs? Antiquated! Illegal! 

    Want to know why the iPhone even exists? Because Apple isn’t located in Europe.  
    XedJaiOh81watto_cobra
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