AirPods Among Other Apple Products That Will Switch to USB Type-C Ports: Ming-Chi Kuo

AirPods, Magic Keyboard, Trackpad, Mouse, and MagSafe battery along with iPhone handsets would switch to USB Type-C in the foreseeable future, as per Ming-Chi Kuo. The Apple analyst said that this is possible because the Cupertino-based company is not yet primed to reach its goal of going completely portless. The development comes a few days after a report said Apple is gearing up to pack the USB Type-C port on its future iPhone models. However, these port changes may not take place until 2023.

Kuo says that the portless iPhone may cause more problems due to current limitations of wireless technologies and the immature MagSafe ecosystem forcing Apple to wait a little more in order to achieve its goal of going completely portless. His latest comments build on his previous claims according to which Apple would be swapping out the Lightning port for USB Type-C in the second half of 2023. This means that the purported iPhone 15 models could come equipped with a USB Type-C port. Apple introduced the Lightning port with the iPhone 5 in 2012.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has claimed that Apple is testing new iPhones and adapters with USB Type-C connectivity. He, in a way, echoed Kuo's statement by saying that Apple is likely to retain the Lightning connector for this year's new models and the changeover ‘wouldn't occur until 2023' at the earliest. It is to be noted that Apple's iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPad Mini are already using the USB Type-C ports.

Additionally, Kuo says other products such as AirPods, Magic Keyboard/Trackpad/Mouse, MagSafe battery that use Lightning port, would also switch to using USB Type-C in the foreseeable future. The European Union's push toward imposing a universal charger for smartphones could be another reason why Apple is forced to consider the change. As per the European Commission, a standard cable for all devices will cut back on electronic waste as well.