A look at the iPhone's upcoming Lightning to USB-C transition; sources say the revamped iPad Pro's Magic Keyboard coming in 2024 will have an aluminum top case
Also: The company confirms the date of its Sept. 12 iPhone 15 event and aims to overhaul device production with 3D printers.
BloombergMark Gurman
Context & Ripple Effects
Apple had already moved parts of the iPad line toward USB-C, including a reported entry-level iPad refresh with USB-C, while the iPad Pro adopted the connector earlier. The iPhone transition would extend that connector strategy to Apple’s largest device family.
The keyboard detail sits within a broader reported 2024 iPad Pro overhaul, tying a more laptop-like accessory design to a larger premium-tablet refresh rather than treating it as a standalone change.
First-order effects
An iPhone move from Lightning to USB-C would immediately require Apple’s accessory ecosystem and iPhone buyers to accommodate a different physical connector, while aligning the phone more closely with USB-C iPads.
A redesigned Magic Keyboard with an aluminum top case would change the iPad Pro accessory proposition; Apple’s reported use of 3D printers also signals a manufacturing-process change under evaluation.
Second-order effects
Accessory makers would have an incentive to prioritize USB-C-compatible cables, docks and peripherals across Apple devices, reducing the need to maintain Lightning-specific variants over time.
A more substantial Magic Keyboard could make the refreshed iPad Pro more directly comparable with laptop-style setups, raising the importance of accessory design in the tablet’s upgrade case.
Third-order effects
If the connector shift is carried through broadly, Apple’s hardware ecosystem could consolidate around USB-C as a common peripheral interface, shifting differentiation from proprietary connectors toward device and accessory integration.
If 3D-printing plans scale beyond experimentation, manufacturing know-how and production flexibility could become a more visible part of Apple’s next iPad Pro product cycle and wider hardware-development advantage.
The trend: Apple is converging device interfaces and premium accessories while seeking manufacturing methods that can support faster hardware iteration.
I think Gurman's right that #Apple won't stick with #USB-C for long; they obviously don't like it in small devices in particular, can't milk it for MFi license money as much as #Lightning, and #MagSafe is just so much nicer. …
It would truly not be difficult to make an iPad that runs both OSes - they can make it exclusive to the new M2/M3 or whatever iPad Pro and ensure that between that and the keyboard case they're getting at least as much money out of you as they would with an MBA. …
This won't matter unless they make iPad support desktop apps, and realistically the only way they're going to get a satisfactory collection of those is by making it run macOS, and they won't do that because it'll kill Mac sales, so as with every iPad Pro enhancement in the last 5…
Apple is reportedly working on a redesigned Magic Keyboard for iPad made out of aluminum, making it more premium and laptop-like Last week, it was reported that the new keyboard would feature a larger trackpad Source: @markgurman [image]
Apple's revamped Magic Keyboard will be made from aluminum for next year's iPad Pro, making the device look more like a MacBook. https://www.bloomberg.com/...
Power On: If Apple had its way, it would never switch the iPhone to USB-C. But it will tout it next week as a major win anyways. Here's why it'll publicly embrace it and why it privately resisted https://www.bloomberg.com/...
Gurman: New Magic Keyboard for iPad to Feature Aluminum Top Case // exactly the opposite of what is needed. now it will be heavier with no benefit. ugh. https://www.macrumors.com/...
“There have been indications that Apple plans to limit charging speeds and features on unapproved USB-C accessories — a move that would steer consumers toward MFI versions.” Dear @apple: This would be, obv., terrible for consumers.