AirPods among other Apple products that will switch to USB Type-C ports: Ming-Chi Kuo

According to Ming-Chi Kuo, AirPods, Magic Keyboard, trackpad, mouse and MagSafe battery along with iPhone handsets will move to USB Type-C for the foreseeable future. An Apple analyst said it could be because the Cupertino-based company isn’t yet ready to meet its goal of phasing out ports entirely. Development began a few days after a report said Apple was preparing to add a USB Type-C port to its upcoming iPhone models. However, these port changes may not occur until 2023 at the earliest.

Kuo He speaks that an iPhone without a port could cause more problems due to current wireless technology limitations and an immature MagSafe ecosystem forcing Apple to wait a bit to achieve its goal of ditching the port entirely. His latest comments build on his previous claims that Apple will replace the Lightning port with USB Type-C in the second half of 2023. This means that the alleged iPhone 15 models may be equipped with a USB Type-C port. Apple introduced the Lightning port to the iPhone 5 in 2012.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said Apple is testing new iPhones and adapters with USB Type-C connectivity. In a way, he echoed Kuo’s statement, saying that Apple will likely keep the Lightning connector for new models this year, and the transition “will not happen until 2023” at the very least. It should be noted that Apple’s iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPad Mini already use USB Type-C ports.

In addition, Kuo says that other products such as AirPods, Magic Keyboard/Trackpad/Mouse, MagSafe battery that use the Lightning port will also switch to using USB Type-C in the foreseeable future. The European Union’s push to introduce a universal smartphone charger could be another reason Apple is being forced to consider this change. According to the European Commission, a standard cable for all devices will also reduce e-waste.