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This year’s iPhone 15 unveiling event will mark the beginning of the end for the Lightning connector, as Apple has been forced by EU lawmakers to move to the USB-C standard.
The Lightning connector has performed well, first introduced in September 2012 with the iPhone 5, itself a follow-on from the 30-pin connector that Apple devices have featured since the release of the 3rd-gen. had gone. The iPod Classic in 2003.
But the switch to USB-C is a big change. A huge change. There are about 1.5 billion iPhones in use right now, all of which have Lightning ports. And every owner has at least one charging cable and charger — usually many more — and countless gadgets that plug into or otherwise interface with the iPhone.
It’s a lot of things.
Is USB-C on the iPhone here to stay?
Before I get into the practical aspects of what this change means for iPhone users, let me answer a question I’ve been getting a lot lately — before Apple changes it again. How long will iPhones have USB-C?
Well, the point has been that Apple wanted to stick with the Lightning port until it was ready to transition the iPhone to completely wireless. It’s unclear what that roadmap is, but if Apple is going to adopt USB-C, it’s clear the plan isn’t ready to roll yet.
Will there be a decade of USB-C on the iPhone? Who knows (outside of high-level Apple executives), but I wouldn’t be surprised if we don’t start telling Apple that wireless is the future. But if Apple starts selling cables and gadgets to take advantage of that USB-C port, I’d expect USB-C to hang around for a few years.
After all, every port switch Apple has made has faced some form of pushback from consumers and bad press. This is change, and some people don’t like change.
What accessories you should buy for the iPhone 15
Okay, enough about the future. You have an iPhone, and you’re planning to upgrade to the iPhone 15. What does this mean for you?
First, your electrical cords are now history. There might be a Lightning to USB-C dongle that Apple will sell — more on that in a minute — but I don’t think it would make much sense to replace the old cables.
Just buy something. USB-C cables. After all, you now have a cable that will work for your iPhone, iPad, Mac and the billions of other devices out there.
As for chargers, if you have a USB-C charger, you’re good to go. It doesn’t matter what it is, it will work. It might not be the fastest to charge, but it will be compatible.
We don’t know what the charging speed of the new iPhone 15 will be, but if you have something like that 30W USB-C chargerthen this is likely to be as powerful a charger as you need.
If you are using Mag Safe Wireless ChargingThen you’re already living in the future, and you’re good to go.
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How about wired carplay? Cars are equipped with a USB-A port. That’s why many people still have USB-A-to-Lightning cables even if they’ve made the shift to USB-C somewhere. We don’t have any specifics yet, but I’d bet that a USB-A to USB-C cable will work, or that Apple will definitely have a dongle that it will sell to consumers.
See, while Apple made the switch to USB-C, not only would the company make it look like a great idea, but it would also leverage it to sell more stuff.
What about the myriad of things out there that are already connected to iPhones? Everything from postage to thermal cameras. Anything and everything that has an electrical connector.
Well, you’ll need that dongle again. Maybe get a few of these so you always have a job. Or, if dongle life feels like too much trouble for you, you’ll need to buy new ones.
It’s certainly a change, but with close to a billion and a half devices with lightning ports, it’s going to be a while before they’re completely gone. In fact, I still see the odd iPod with the 30-pin connector still in use. And nowadays, there are far more devices with Lightning ports than iPhones and iPods with 30-pin connectors.
So, yes, it’s a change, but don’t panic, because paying Apple some more money can solve all your problems.
You might need to replace a cable or two, and maybe buy a few dongles, but other than that, it won’t be a big deal. And remember, instead of throwing those old cables in the trash, be a hero, save the planet, and give them to someone with an old iPhone.
Credit : www.zdnet.com
