Report: Apple Could Ship First iPhone With USB-C Port in 2023

Apple could be getting ready to replace the Lightning ports on its iPhones with standard USB-C ports starting next year. The information comes from the usually well-informed analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who based his claims on a recent “survey” that could possibly involve Apple’s USB-C suppliers.

“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. It’s expected to see existing USB-C-related suppliers of Apple’s ecosystem (e.g., IC controller, connector) become the market’s focus in the next 1-2 years, thanks to vast orders from iPhones and accessories’ adoption of USB-C ports,” the analyst tweeted earlier today.

Apple introduced its proprietary Lighting connector ten years ago with the iPhone 5 and the 4th gen iPad, but the latest iPad Air and iPad Pro models finally made the switch to USB-C. It would make sense for Apple to also adopt USB-C on future iPhones, especially if this could lead to better transfer and charging speeds, as Ming-Chi Kuo claimed.

The increasing pressure from regulators may also be another factor pushing Apple to fully embrace USB-C. The European Union is determined to set USB-C-C as the new charging standard on portable devices, though Apple could still find an alternative solution by ditching its Lightning port for good and making all future iPhones charge wirelessly.