If there’s one rumor about Apple’s upcoming iPhone 15 lineup you’ll be able to financial institution on, it’s that we’ll lastly see the dying of the proprietary Lightning port in favor of the extra common and open USB-C normal.
It’s been a very long time coming, however the writing has additionally been on the wall for years. Apple has slowly been ceding floor to USB-C in its cell gadgets, beginning with the 2018 iPad Professional. At that time, transferring to a USB-C port was thought of a essential concession to the kind of skilled customers Apple wished to draw to its premium tablets.
Nevertheless, the identical can’t be mentioned about its enlargement of USB-C to the iPad Air, iPad mini, and even the most recent tenth-generation iPad launched final fall. Right now, each present iPad mannequin now makes use of USB-C, and naturally, Apple’s Macs have used USB-C ports since 2015.
This makes the iPhone the outlier, and it’s most likely inevitable that Apple would have ultimately bowed to market forces and embraced USB-C by itself. We’ll by no means know for positive, although, because the European Union pressured its hand. Apple might have tried to battle that — in any case, it’s performed these video games earlier than — however it clearly is aware of which means the winds are blowing. Additional, regardless of rumors that it might ditch all ports and go totally wi-fi, the world simply isn’t prepared for a portless iPhone.
So, right here we’re, approaching the launch of 4 new iPhone 15 fashions, all of that are nearly sure to characteristic USB-C ports. Whereas that received’t eradicate the necessity for Lightning cables straight away — equipment like AirPods, the MagSafe Duo, and, paradoxically, Mac keyboards and trackpads nonetheless use Lightning ports for energy charging — it’s honest to say it is going to be the ultimate nail in Lightning’s coffin.
Studies have prompt that Apple will transition most equipment to USB-C by 2024, and it appears to be like prefer it’s beginning with the obvious one: its wired EarPods.
New data from leaker ShrimpApplePro notes that Apple is already engaged on EarPods with a USB-C connector to pair up with this yr’s iPhone 15 fashions.
Whereas we’re positive Apple would favor everybody purchase AirPods to go together with their shiny new iPhones, it’s pragmatic sufficient to comprehend that’s not going to occur; and a few people simply want a primary set of wired headphones. Apple did the identical factor when it eliminated the headphone jack from the iPhone 7 lineup in 2016, with a Lightning set of EarPods that helped quell conspiracy theories that it had eradicated the three.5mm jack to pressure individuals to purchase AirPods.
In fact, at that time, Apple’s Lightning EarPods have been the one direct-wired possibility out there for iPhone 7 customers. Apple additionally created a 3.5mm to Lightning headphone adapter — and even included it within the field that first yr to ease the transition. Nevertheless, not too many different headphone makers jumped on the bandwagon to create Lightning-equipped headphones, and it’s ironic that even Apple’s premium AirPods Max solely supply a 3.5mm-to-Lightning cable that works in the wrong way — taking analog audio and feeding it into the AirPods’ Lightning port.
Quick ahead to right this moment, and there are dozens of USB-C headphones and headsets available on the market. In any case, not solely is USB-C an ordinary port, however flagship Android handset makers have been steadily transferring away from 3.5mm jacks for a number of years now. In order for you a wired headphone connection to a Google Pixel or Samsung Galaxy, USB-C is the best way to go.
The iPhone 15 and USB-C Audio
The larger query is whether or not Apple will enable for such issues. The European Union solely mandates that USB-C have to be used for charging; it doesn’t say something about knowledge connections.
The truth is, by the strictest interpretation of the EU’s guidelines, Apple might depart the Lightning port in place for knowledge switch and add a USB-C port solely for powering the iPhone. Fortunately, Apple is simply too involved with the magnificence of its iPhone designs to ever launch such an abomination.
However, Apple might proceed exerting management over what will be plugged into an iPhone’s USB-C port in the identical means it has with Lightning — and a few rumors have prompt it plans to do exactly that.
Taken at an excessive interpretation, these stories might imply Apple’s USB-C EarPods stands out as the solely wired headphones you’ll be able to plug into an iPhone 15. Apple might put an authentication chip into its personal EarPods after which design the iPhone and iOS to solely talk with gadgets which have the mandatory chips — these created by Apple and its licensed Made-for-iPhone (MFi) program companions.
Whereas that will sound far-fetched, it’s nicely inside Apple’s playbook, and it’s precisely how the Lightning port works now. It’s additionally why it doesn’t present any practical digital output capabilities for wired headphones; it’s nearly laughable that one of the simplest ways to take heed to lossless audio from Apple Music with out fussing with costly DACs is to make use of an Android telephone since you’ll be able to join wired USB-C headphones to these.
Nonetheless, whereas there’s doubtless some fact to the stories that Apple will probably be using authentication chips within the USB-C port, we shouldn’t soar to the conclusion that Apple will probably be making use of this broadly to all classes of USB-C equipment. For one factor, iPads have been utilizing USB-C ports for almost 5 years now, and there’s been no proof of authentication necessities on that facet.
Plus, Apple remains to be an organization that’s fairly involved about offering an excellent person expertise. Whereas that arguably wasn’t the case with its Lightning port authentication necessities, the necessities for Lightning equipment to make use of Apple chips primarily affected accent makers. That drove up costs for shoppers, however it’s fairly unusual to come across a Lightning accent that your iPhone balks at until you’re shopping for low cost knock-off or counterfeit merchandise — which is form of the purpose of locking down the Lightning port.
Doing the identical with a USB-C port for on a regular basis equipment like headphones would create useless confusion amongst clients, leading to an abysmal person expertise. In contrast to Lightning, Apple has no management over USB-C accent makers, and there’s already an enormous market of USB-C gadgets that Apple clients will count on to make use of with their new iPhone 15.
That doesn’t imply Apple received’t draw the road at issues like Hello-Res Lossless audio output, or quicker charging — one thing we’ve already seen with MagSafe. Nevertheless, even at its most controlling, it’s arduous to imagine Apple has the form of hubris to assume it will possibly lock down the USB-C port totally.
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]