Apple Inc.'s AAPL embrace of the USB-C cable with the iPhone 15 might have been a forced decision, but users with Lightning cables might have to look for a dongle yet again.
What Happened: Apple is ditching the Lightning cable with the iPhone 15 series and switching to the universal USB-C port, leaving very few products in its portfolio with its proprietary connector.
Apple's switching to the USB-C port has muddied waters once again for its users – the company has long been criticized for forcing users to buy dongles either due to a lack of ports on its devices or the different types of ports across its product portfolio.
The iPhone is Apple's crown jewel, and with the company switching to USB-C, very few products still use proprietary connectors. This could reduce Apple users' dependence on dongles going forward.
Apple could also launch the AirPods with a USB-C port – this will make life easier for users since AirPods are likely to be the most used with iPhones as well as other smartphones.
Surprisingly, iPads and Macs were amongst the first Apple products to switch to the USB-C port.
What About Older Devices: Beyond the iPhone 15 and USB-C AirPods, there are still millions of iPhones, AirPods, and other Apple device users who will have to either use a separate Lightning cable or buy another dongle from Apple.
Here's how Apple's switch to the USB-C port on iPhone 15 will impact users:
iPhone: The iPhone 15 series will be the first to feature the ubiquitous USB-C port. All iPhones, beginning with the iPhone 5 launched in 2012, have the Lightning port, so most iPhone users in the world have a Lightning cable.
However, Apple continues to sell older iPhones, so we will likely continue to see support for the Lightning port – both cables as well as dongles – for the foreseeable future.
AirPods: Apple is expected to launch the first pair of AirPods with the USB-C port alongside the iPhone 15 series. All previous AirPods and AirPods Pro models have the Lightning port.
iPad: Apple has ditched the Lightning port for good on iPads with the launch of the iPad 10th generation launched in 2022. However, the 9th generation iPad uses the Lightning port for now, and Apple is still selling it.
Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad: Apple could switch to the USB-C port on its suite of accessories when it refreshes them next. For now, though, the Magic Keyboard, Mouse, and Track all use the Lightning port.
EarPods: Apple switched to the Lighting connector on the EarPods with the iPhone 7 in 2016, four years after it launched the first iPhone with the Lightning port. However, with the AirPods being quite popular this time, it's unclear how long Apple will take to switch the USB-C connector on the AirPods.
Image Credits – Shutterstock
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