Following a set of renders that showed off the iPhone 15 Pro’s new design, we now have confirmation that the iPhone 15 is switching from Lightning to USB-C.
The pic shared by Unknownz21 on Twitter doesn’t show much, but it’s definitely an iPhone—or a very good imitation of one. Along with the USB-C port, you can see Apple’s pentalobe security screws as well as the symmetrical speaker holes on either side. The phone also appears to have more of a curved chamfer and possibly a new titanium body, though it could also be a metal prototype mold.
The iPhone has been rumored to switch to USB-C for years and a new European Union ruling requiring all smartphones to have USB-C by 2024 likely hastened Apple’s development of the new port. Apple has used Lightning as a charging port for the iPhone since its introduction in 2012 to replace the clunky 30-pin connector. At the time of its introduction, Apple hailed the cable as adaptive, reversible, and durable, all characteristics of today’s USB-C cables.
Three years after the introduction of Lightning Apple shipped its first Mac with a USB-C port, the 12-inch MacBook, and has since expanded it to all Macs, iPads, and chargers. After the iPhone 15 switches, it’s likely that the AirPods cases and AirPods Max will be next. Then, it will just be a matter of time until Lightning is gone for good, as just a handful of accessories and older iPhones will remain.
Author: Michael Simon, Executive Editor
Michael Simon has been covering Apple since the iPod was the iWalk. His obsession with technology goes back to his first PC—the IBM Thinkpad with the lift-up keyboard for swapping out the drive. He's still waiting for that to come back in style tbh.