Kuo: Apple will switch to USB-C for the iPhone 15 in the second half of 2023, improving transfer and charging speeds
Apple will ditch its proprietary Lightning port and switch to USB-C on all or possibly some models of the iPhone 15 lineup destined to launch in the second half of 2023, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said today. Source: @mingchikuo .
Context & Ripple Effects
Kuo had previously forecast a fully portless high-end iPhone, but Apple’s hardware direction was already tilting toward USB-C: related reporting said an entry-level iPad refresh would replace Lightning with the connector. The iPhone forecast therefore marks a move from a wireless-only end state toward a shared wired standard.
Subsequent reporting added that Apple was testing USB-C iPhones and Lightning-accessory adapters in connection with looming EU requirements, making compatibility with the existing accessory base central to the transition rather than a simple port swap.
First-order effects
- If adopted across all or part of the iPhone 15 range, USB-C would replace Lightning on those models and deliver the reported transfer- and charging-speed improvements.
- Apple and Lightning-accessory owners would need an adapter path; the later report on adapter testing for existing Lightning accessories points to that immediate compatibility requirement.
Second-order effects
- Accessory makers would need to support USB-C iPhones while maintaining Lightning compatibility during the transition, rather than relying on a single Apple-specific connector.
- Apple’s reported plan for an entry-level iPad with USB-C would give peripheral vendors a larger set of Apple devices sharing the same physical interface.
Third-order effects
- If Apple extends USB-C across its mobile hardware, Lightning’s role as a proprietary accessory boundary weakens and device makers compete more directly around performance and compatibility on a common connector.
- The pattern points to regulation and cross-device interoperability exerting more influence over Apple’s hardware interfaces than the earlier portless-iPhone forecast implied.
The trend: Apple’s connector strategy is moving from proprietary Lightning toward USB-C standardization across its mobile-device lineup, with accessory compatibility shaping the pace of change.