(Pocket-lint) - After a decade of including a Lightning port on all iPhone devices, Apple is reportedly considering dropping it for a USB-C port.
Bloomberg has claimed the Cupertino-based company is now testing iPhone units that swap the Lightning port for USB-C. But don't expect to see the switch in this year’s iPhone lineup. The move to USB-C likely won't happen until 2023 "at the earliest", Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said.
Keep in mind Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo - who is well-known for accurately predicting Apple's product roadmap - also recently suggested Apple would ditch the Lightning port in favour of USB-C in the second half of 2023.
(1/2)
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) May 11, 2022
My latest survey indicates that 2H23 new iPhone will abandon Lightning port and switch to USB-C port. USB-C could improve iPhone's transfer and charging speed in hardware designs, but the final spec details still depend on iOS support.
The 2023 iPhone won't be the first Apple device to come with USB-C. Apple already offers it on the iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPad Mini because USB-C is capable of faster transfer speeds.
So, why did Apple wait so long to consider bringing USB-C to the iPhone, especially because it's been years since the technology became popular? Well, Gurman pointed to a European Union proposal that would require many devices, including phones, to have USB-C. Gurman specifically said this legislation was "a key reason" for Apple's switch to USB-C.
Oh, and remember that portless iPhone Apple supposedly began developing? Bloomberg's report made it seem like that's not going to be a thing anytime soon.