It Feels Like we’ve been saying goodbye to Apple’s Lightning cable for a while, and that farewell seems to be all of the nearer following the corporate’s September Glowtime occasion. With the slew of devices announced, Apple has now transitioned most of its flagship merchandise to USB-C. Nonetheless, the proprietary connector we all know so properly remains to be hiding in some corners of its product line up for those who look onerous sufficient. However for a way for much longer?
It is no secret that Apple’s transition to USB-C has felt messy and disorganized—WIRED author Andrew Williams even wrote a heartfelt eulogy for Lightning again in 2020. And but, right here we’re in 2024, with a lonely few Lightning merchandise nonetheless clinging on.
So how did we get right here? The Lightning connector was first introduced in 2012 alongside the iPhone 5, as a alternative for one more proprietary charger—the cumbersome and prone-to-failure 30-pin connector. Not solely was Lightning a lot smaller, creating extra space inside gadgets for other components (like larger batteries), it additionally raised the usual for sturdiness. Plus it was reversible, so whichever means you plugged it in, it might match.
Nonetheless, proprietary chargers additionally gave Apple management. Each Lightning connector has a small Apple chip in it to assist regulate voltage, and whereas that may be stated to enhance security, it has additionally allowed the corporate to gather licensing charges from third-party accent makers, leveraging the Lightning port by way of the corporate’s Made for iPhone (MFi) program. It is easy to see why it might need to maintain on to the usual for so long as attainable.
With that stated, the regular transfer to USB-C truly began on Apple’s personal say so, in 2018 with the iPad Professional. In 2020, the iPad Air adopted swimsuit, then the iPad Mini in 2021. Whether or not Apple would’ve ultimately moved the iPhones over, too, we’ll by no means know, as a result of in 2022 the European Union stepped in, and passed a law that meant telephones, cameras, and tablets bought within the area had to pack a USB-C port by the top of this 12 months. Apple stated it might comply, however it wasn’t pleased about it, stating that such strict regulation “stifles innovation.”
Whether or not or not the corporate ever really believed that, the swap to USB-C doesn’t appear to have held Apple again. At its Glowtime {hardware} occasion, it took the chance to maneuver the the remainder of the AirPods household to USB-C—lastly updating the AirPods Max to the format and bringing it to the brand new AirPods 4, too. So which Lightning merchandise are left?
Other than older, legacy iPhones and the first-gen Apple Pencil that stay on sale, the one present technology merchandise nonetheless being bought that boast a Lightning connection are the Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, and Magic Trackpad. Nonetheless, it is extremely attainable that these Mac accessories may be refreshed with USB-C by the top of the 12 months.
Based on the Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman expects Apple to carry one other occasion in October to announce the M4-powered iMac, Mac Mini, MacBook Professional, and new iPad fashions. It could make sense for the corporate to tie in up to date variations of its keyboard, mouse and trackpad then.
As for that legacy first-gen Apple Pencil, it might lastly be discontinued, too. At this level, having four different styli to select from is overkill—particularly when one among them requires eradicating the cap and awkwardly plugging it into an (outdated) iPad’s Lightning port to cost it.
However it could take a bit longer for Apple to ditch these remaining iPhones from its retailer. Because the iPhone {hardware} occasion for this 12 months has already handed, it is doubtless we cannot see these fashions pulled from the catalog till subsequent September—with the chance the corporate may additionally announce the long-overdue, next-generation iPhone SE with USB-C, too.
Regardless, it means the Lightning cable stays inside the Apple universe, for now no less than. However the finish is close to, and 2025 might lastly be the 12 months that Lightning heads to the nice proprietary recycling bin within the sky.
