iPhone glued with lightning port over USB-C for “predictable future”

Apple will keep the Lightning connector on the iPhone for the “foreseeable future”, with no intention of switching to USB-C, according to trusted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Despite the fact that much of the industry is moving to USB-C, Apple will not use it to replace the Lightning connector on the iPhone 13 or, indeed, on any “iPhone” model at the moment. In a note seen by MacRumors Yesterday, Kuo explained that Apple is reluctant to switch to USB-C because it is a free, open, and less water-resistant standard than Lightning.

We believe that USB-C is to the detriment of the profitability of the MFi business, and its waterproof specifications are lower than Lightning and MagSafe.

Currently, Apple is able to strictly adjust the quality of Lightning cables and accessories through its Made for ‌iPhone‌ (MFi) program. MFi also generates a significant amount of revenue for the company, as third-party manufacturers have to pay Apple a considerable commission to make Lightning cables or accessories.

Apple used the Lightning connector on every PiPhone‌ from ‌iPhone‌ 5 in 2012, but switched some of its devices to USB-C, including iPad Pro, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and, more recently, iPad Air. Given the need to connect to external drives, less stressful and some USB-C features, such as external display connectivity, impossible on an “iPhone”, Apple is obviously less motivated to switch to USB-C on the more profitable product for MFi.

The transition of the iPhone to USB-C this year would also leave a significant number of devices, such as the entry-level iPad, iPad mini, AirPods and a lot of accessories, such as the Magic Trackpad and the SMagSafe‌ Duo charger. , locked with a connector that would no longer be widely used on any flagship product. Therefore, the move of the iPhone to USB-C can therefore tip the scales against Lightning in Apple’s product line, forcing the company to gradually unplug a large number of products sooner than it wants.

Amid rumors of a portless iPhone, Kuo clarified that Apple is more likely to switch directly to a portless model than to switch to USB-C first:

If ‌iPhone‌ abandons Lightning in the future, it can directly adopt the portless design with agMagSafe‌ support instead of using a USB-C port.

Despite this, Kuo said that ‌MagSafe‌ wireless charging technology is not yet ready to move a wired port, as it only debuted in October 2020 on the iPhone 12. agMagSafe‌ is not currently able to transfer data, to complete a device recovery or perform diagnostics, which apparently would be essential features for a future ‌iPhone‌ without ports.

Currently, the “MagSafe” ecosystem is not mature enough, so the “iPhone” will continue to use the Lightning port in the foreseeable future.

In general, this means that Apple intends to stay at least with the Lightning connector for the future iPhone 13, but it could be extended to the models beyond.

Kuo’s recent series of reports on the future of the “iPhone” has included speculation that in 2022, at least some “iPhone” models will give up the notch and move to a “hole display design,” and in 2023, Apple could unveil a 7.5 – 8-inch foldable iPhone.