The Lightning connector, which was used to charge some Apple products and transfer data to devices such as the iPhone and iPad, would soon be entering its final days. The connector replaced the bulky 30-pin dock connector with its 8-pin in September 2012, providing a tidier experience than its predecessor. The first devices to use the Lightning port were the iPhone 5, the fifth-generation iPod touch, and the seventh-generation iPod nano.
Over the years, Apple stuck with the Lightning port even when users wanted the iPhone to switch to the USB-C port used for charging and data transfer on most of the world’s devices, including Android phones. Apple has so far refrained from this move, mainly because, as its own Apple accessory, the company makes money selling such cables.
Apple isn’t completely blind to this. Last month we told you that two Apple “insiders,” TF International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and Bloomberg writer Mark Gurman, said we could see the USB-C port making its iOS debut on the 2023 iPhone 15. Gurman also states that Apple is working on an adapter that will allow iPhone units to work with accessories designed to work with the current Lightning connector.
Next week we could find out if Apple should replace the Lightning port with a USB-C port on European iPhone and iPad models
Next week, Apple could be put in a position forcing it to ditch the Lightning port. On June 7, the day after Apple’s WWDC developer conference kicks off, the European Union (EU) could announce the result of a vote that would force all smartphones and tablets sold in Europe to have a USB port. C port. Since this would be the law in the EU, the question is whether Apple would want to use different ports in the US and Europe.
The answer to the above question is “probably not” and so if the legislation is passed in the EU, it could very well be the end of the Lightning port on iPhones around the world. Regardless of whether the EU votes to make USB-C the standard in Europe or whether Apple decides to do so, any change will likely not happen until 2023 at the earliest.