Apple could soon amend one of the critical challenges faced by iPhone users since their inception, which made them a nuisance at every party.
Long-time iPhone users could most likely relate to their question after running out of battery life away from home - "Do you have an iPhone charger?"
If you haven't asked the question, you've possibly been asked this question - which is always met with an eventual yes or no, in some form.
Either way, not having an iPhone charger to lend either made one feel inadequate or irritated by the ostentatiousness fostered by iPhone users.
Despite this, Apple may follow suit within the next two years by allowing its devices to charge with the same technology used by others.
According to numerous reports by Apple fiends globally, the company is purportedly working on charging the next iPhones using Type-C cables.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who accurately predicted numerous Apple product features before their launch, stated that 2023's iPhone could feature Type-C as the standard charging mechanism.
"It's expected to see existing USB-C-related suppliers of Apple's ecosystem (e.g., IC controller, connector) become the market's focus in the next 1-2 years, thanks to vast orders from iPhones and accessories' adoption of USB-C ports," Kuo said.
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— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) May 11, 2022
My latest survey indicates that 2H23 new iPhone will abandon Lightning port and switch to USB-C port. USB-C could improve iPhone's transfer and charging speed in hardware designs, but the final spec details still depend on iOS support.
Meanwhile, technology writer and analyst Mark Gurman echoed the rumours in a blog post for Bloomberg, stating that the change wouldn't occur until 2023 at the earliest if the company proceeded.
This will allow Apple to retain the Lightning connector for this year's new models.
Type-C's Relationship with Apple
While the next iPhone could come with Type-C charging, Apple married Type-C connectivity to products recently.
Today, most new Macbooks available from Apple ditched all their ports in favour of a Type-C input, further universalising the USB input.
To this end, most iPhones sold today come with just a cable, with no wall plug - on the one end, Apple's Lightning input for the smartphone's charging port and on the other end - a Type-C male connection. Apple's new Magic Mouse for Mac products also comes with the same cable as new iPhones.
A brief history of Type-C (just enough information to help you understand)
Many years ago, Type-C cables were the first among premium smartphones from manufacturers like LG and Samsung.
First and most noticeable experienced a significant design change from other variants of Type-B, which was more rounded and symmetrical, making it easier to plugin. This came after scores of internet memes for years bashed the inconvenience when trying to plug.
While its design provided the most efficiency in implementing the ports across devices to input the charging cable, Type-C also provides the ability for faster charging and higher data transfers across electronics.
Eventually, the cable format made its way into all Android and other smartphones today. If you don't own an iPhone and look underneath your device, you'll likely find a Type-C charging port.
Across most manufacturers today, Type-C is the primary charging method, alongside the still-growing use of wireless charging. So common has the port become that it is used even in vehicles with connectivity, via Type-C to Type-C cables, found commonly today.
Today, the Apple iPhone still stands as one of the few smartphone manufacturers to not use Type-C to charge. Implementing it as the primary charging mechanism could make the connection type the new standard across all electronic devices.