April 29, 2024

Apple Accessories to Switch to USB-C By 2024 [Gurman]

Posted October 9, 2022 at 3:51pm by iClarified · 4450 views
Apple has been preparing for a switch to USB-C and could beat the EU's deadline with its most visible products, according to a new report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

The EU recently voted to pass a law which mandates USB-C by the end of 2024. Gurman believes Apple could switch earlier than that.

The iPhone 15 is essentially a lock to get USB-C in the fall of 2023, beating the mandate by a year. The one remaining iPad without USB-C (the entry-level model), should be getting the port by the end of this year.

Although Apple could stick with Lightning for the next generation iPhone SE, it's likely to switch its accessories like AirPods, Magic Mouse, Magic Keyboard, and Magic Trackpad earlier than that.

I’d bet the next versions of the regular AirPods, AirPods Pro and AirPods Max all move to USB-C, and that transition should be done by 2024.

These updates could coincide with major Mac releases next year, like the rumored new iMac and Mac Pro.

Finally, Gurman says Apple is likely pushing back on the forced switch to USB-C to prevent setting a precedent that governments can just pass a law to change how an Apple product works. Internally, the switch to USB-C has probably been planned for quite some time.

Despite the new connector, Apple is widely rumored to be working on a completely wireless iPhone that would use inductive charging and drop the port altogether.

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