Apple is testing iPhone with USB

Apple introduced the Lightning port with the iPhone 5 in 2012 to replace the bulkier 30-pin port with a smaller, reversible plug. A decade later, Apple is still using the Lightning port for the iPhone 14 series when it launches later this fall.

However, Apple has switched most of the iPad lineup from Lightning to USB-C, and MacBook computers have also used USB-C charging for more than 5 years. Apple even uses USB-C on all its device chargers, including the new iPhones.

Now, Bloomberg reports that while Apple is internally testing an iPhone with a USB-C replacement for Lightning, the change won’t come until next year. That means next year’s iPhone 15 series will come with a USB-C port and become the first iPhone with this feature.

The report cites pressure from regulators in Europe as the cause for Apple to test a standard used by other smartphone manufacturers. Besides, data transfer speed can also be a factor in this. Improvements to USB-C transfer speeds mean that Apple will reduce the engineering work that has been slow in keeping Lightning competitive from a performance perspective. Apple is rumored to increase data transfer speeds from Lightning to USB 3.0 starting with the iPhone 14 Pro this fall, but iPads using USB-C are said to have faster transfer speeds.

Bloomberg also mentions that Apple is developing a Lightning to USB-C adapter to ensure compatibility between connection types.