Apple’s Lightning Port Kingdom Is Crumbling

For year , Apple ’s mobile gadget have been off in their wonderland of proprietary porthole while the rest of the tech world did its undecomposed to converge on a few mere measure .

I ’m talk about the 30 - pin connection used on the original iPod and iPhone , which later gave path to the Lightning connecter in 2012 . And while I do have to give Apple credit rating for going full USB - C on its laptops a while back , permit ’s not forget about the old MagSafe connectors Apple was using prior to that .

But today , when Apple announce that itsnew iPad Prowas ditching its traditional Lightning connection in favor of USB - C , the troupe set in movement a subtle shift that could see the oddment of proprietary interface across Apple ’s entire range of product .

Photo: Alex Cranz (Gizmodo)

From a technological standpoint , the benefits are obvious . USB - C declare oneself faster charging and data speeds thanLightning plus USB - Acurrently offers , and it let the young iPad Pros do thing like send 5 K video to an external monitor lizard and even reverse accuse other devices .

USB - C also helps simplify the tangle of cable television service and dongles you presently need to colligate all of Apple ’s various intersection together . But with the new iPad Pro , the same transmission line you use to charge a MacBook can also be used to charge Apple ’s fancy tablet . Neat .

More significantly , now that Apple has finally made the first iPad with USB - C , it would n’t make sense not to continue this movement . ( Though that has n’t needs hold on Apple from relieve oneself odd choices before . ) We ’ve already picture small upshot of this on the new Apple Pencil , which recharges magnetically instead of using Lightning or even USB - C. But the existent coup d’etat would be what happens when this strategy cascades to the iPhone .

Argentina’s President Javier Milei (left) and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., holding a chainsaw in a photo posted to Kennedy’s X account on May 27. 2025.

presently , even a newiPhone XScomes with a saddle brick that have USB - A on one death and a Lightning connective on the other , which is far from ideal , peculiarly when itcomes to reload the phone . But if the iPhone and hereafter iPads make the transposition to USB - C , suddenly , the only cable’s length Apple folk may ever need to connect all their gadgets is a double - sided USB - century cord .

That ’s been the dream of the Universal Serial Bus all along . No more confusion when cogitate about which cable you involve , they ’re all the same . And when you look outside of Apple ’s walled garden , this modification could make it potential for iPhone and Android people to subsist together ( somewhat ) more harmoniously . The days of “ Does anyone have an iPhone courser ? ” just wo n’t subsist anymore . There wo n’t be a need to specify .

That said , away from Apple position USB - C on thenew iPad Pro , none of this has happened yet . And with Apple ’s patents allow the company to take a baseball swing on every single mathematical product made with a Lightning porthole , fully committing to USB - C could have an crucial impact on its bottom telephone line . But at least this one minuscule change makes it seem like a entire switch to USB - C is a possibility . Maybe .

William Duplessie