After a flurry of leaks yesterday, reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo now claims that Apple won’t switch to USB Type C on iPhone for a “foreseeable future.”
It looks like Apple is going to stick with the lightning port on iPhones for some time, according to popular industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo says that Apple doesn’t intend to move to the USB Type-C on the upcoming iPhone 13, or any iPhone model for the time being.
“We believe that USB-C is detrimental to the MFi business’s profitability, and its waterproof specification is lower than Lightning and MagSafe.”
In a report by MacRumors, Kuo says that Apple is reluctant to move to USB Type-C because the standard is free, open-source, and has better waterproof reliability than Apple’s lightning port. Moreover, the shift to USB Type-C would see Apple losing its MFi license fee.
MFi certification generates a significant amount of revenue for Apple. Currently, every third-party accessory manufacturer has to comply with the standard for their accessory to work on iPhones and iPads. Since Apple is reluctant to move to USB Type-C, Kuo notes that Apple is more likely to switch to a portless design instead of turning to USB Type-C.
“If the iPhone abandons Lightning in the future, it may directly adopt the portless design with MagSafe support instead of using a USB-C port.”
There are a few caveats with MagSafe though. MagSafe is only able to charge the iPhone 12 series, and isn’t capable of data transfers, and diagnose problems with iPhone, unlike the lightning port. In addition to this report, Kuo, yesterday, claimed that the iPhone 13 will feature a smaller notch. Kuo also said that Apple could announce an iPhone with a punch-hole display in 2022.
Our Take
As much as we want Apple to switch to USB Type-C, the company won’t be able to make the switch because it will leave a plethora of devices unserved. Apple currently sells multiple devices, like iPods, AirPods, iPad mini, and even the entry-level iPad with the lightning port. And in order to cater to this segment, Apple might have to continue using the lightning port on iPhones
What are your thoughts on Apple not switching to USB Type-C? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
