In a recent report, Apple is set to kill off its proprietary lightning port across all of its devices. This update is a response to the European Union mandating USB-C as a universal port in all smaller electronics to reduce electronic waste.
The announcement came in a tweet by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, where he also explained that a move to wireless technology, albeit expected, may cause more problems to due current limitations and the immature MagSafe ecosystem.
Apple has been using the Lightning port for around 10 years, since it was first introduced in the iPhone 5, and has since been used on other devices including the iPad, Apple’s keyboard and mouse and the AirPods. The move to USB-C, however, could span all devices, which would benefit from faster data transfer and charging, and reap the advantages of sharing a standardized charging mode.
It’s unclear why Apple has stayed away from USB-C for so long, despite adapting it for the Macbook series. It is expected that the move to USB-C would not happen until 2023 at the earliest.
If you see something out of place or would like to contribute to this story, check out our Ethics and Policy section.
