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The Lightning port will soon be 10 years old, what will it be replaced by?

When the Cupertino company unveiled the Lightning, it mentioned a “modern connector for the next decade”. And besides, today, we are beginning to wonder what Apple could replace this port with.

USB-C, if Apple is forced to

But why would Apple want to change this connector which, despite the fact that it will soon be 10 years old, works very well? Quite simply because currently, the firm is under pressure to do so.

Indeed, USB-C has the same advantages, in terms of practicality (the reversibility of the connector) as Lightning. And by the way, this is the connector that is used by all other manufacturers, except Apple.

Also, currently, the European Union wants to impose USB-C as a single port to charge all smartphones, but also other categories of devices such as tablets, cameras, etc. The objective of this measure is to limit the amount of electronic waste, while offering a more practical solution for consumers.

“If I buy a new phone, I often automatically get a new cable”explained Anna Cavazzini, President of the European Parliament’s Consumer Protection Committee, in October. “In the future, phones and devices will no longer automatically be sold with cables, which will reduce e-waste.”

Of course, Apple would prefer to continue using the Lightning connector until it finds a new charging solution. But if this European project comes into force (the goal is 2024), Apple will have no choice but to comply.

In the meantime, a student has already given us a taste by modifying an iPhone to replace the proprietary port of the Cupertino company with a USB-C. And currently, rumors suggest that the transition from Lightning to USB-C could begin as early as this year, with the iPhone 14 Pro. Rumors which, of course, are to be considered with extreme caution.

What if Apple offered iPhones without ports?

The EU could force Apple to offer iPhones with USB-C ports instead of Lightning. But the firm could also, in the future, sell smartphones on which there would be no port. And instead of charging these devices with a connector, the user would then use exclusively wireless charging.

Rumors about the portless iPhone have been circulating the web for quite some time. In essence, Apple would rather not put ports on its iPhones, rather than adopt USB-C. But of course, the firm will certainly first have to improve the performance of the MagSafe wireless and magnetic charging before taking this step.

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