I want an iPhone with USB-C. Now there are also clues that Apple does

This story is part of it Apple Event, our full coverage of the latest Apple news.

I like my iPhone, but I would love to have USB-C. So I cheered this week to see an indication that it might one day be.

I was not surprised when Apple introduced the iPhone 13 Tuesday with the same old Lightning port the company has been using since 2012. Lightning is fine. But it’s not USB-C.

This is what I like about USB-C. It is versatile, an industry standard that increasingly encompasses the world of electronics. It transfers data up to 20 gigabits per second and is jumping to 40 Gbps with the new one USB data transfer protocol 4 just now coming. Charge phones, tablets, computers and anything else you need up to 100 watts of power, with a 240 W upgrade that will be great for gaming laptops. And there’s a growing ecosystem of USB-C accessories, including hubs, docking stations, keyboards, flash drives, and memory card readers.

Apple has been more or less stuck with Lightning, a proprietary product, for its mobile devices, although it is high-end The iPad Pro received USB-C in 2018 and the Mid-range iPad Air hit the technology in 2020. (MacBooks debuted with USB-C in 2015, a move that caused some rumors because it ended the beloved MagSafe connector.)

Apple now provides tips that allow you to extend USB-C. At his event this week, the The iPad Mini has a USB-C port, making the device more powerful and flexible. It will be harder to switch iPhones to USB-C because so many Lightning phones and chargers are already in use, but it increasingly seems that Apple is preparing its formidable customer base and product ecosystem to make the leap.

Removing ads from Apple products is a bit like Cold War Kremlinology – a spy device trying to figure out what the Soviet Union was doing by assessing which Russian officials were for or against it. The introduction of USB-C in some new devices does not necessarily mean that Apple is smoothing the ground to make a major change to its more important product line.

Still, I think USB-C is the future of the iPhone. A wholesale transition, while certainly a big pain, will ultimately be good for you, for the iPhone, and for the planet. You’ll get less e-waste, the iPhone will get more useful, and landfills won’t be filled with so many cables that only work with a fraction of devices.

Apple did not comment on this story.

Apple, do it with the program

Almost every other corner of the tech world has switched to USB-C for data and charging. Android phones were installed a few years ago on USB-C ports and is a fixed device for Windows computers. The price premium for USB-C accessories also decreases.

I use USB-C for external drives, headphones, earphones, flash card readers, two docking stations for laptops, a Nintendo Switch and its Joy-Cons, iPads, Android Phones, Hardware Security Keys, Family Macs, a Microsoft Surface Laptop and a Google Pixel Slate. I have USB-C chargers in two cars and four rooms in my house. On the road, I use laptop batteries with USB-C ports.

The annoying Lightning cable I need for my iPhone is getting out of place. Lightning was a good replacement for the iPhone’s older, bulky 30-pin connector, but now USB-C is a much better alternative.

Apple also sees the benefits. Katie MacDonald, iPad’s chief product officer, said Tuesday that the iPad Mini’s USB-C connector is 10 times faster than Lightning and can be “connected to a vast ecosystem of USB-C accessories.” This is great for everyone, from amateur photographers to medical staff who scan Butterfly portable ultrasound patients.

Why Apple is not running to sell USB-C iPhones

With millions of iPhones in use, launching Lightning plugins will not be easy. Customers have invested in chargers and cables in homes, offices and cars. Lightning is also used in AirPods charging boxes and wired Apple headphones.

If you switch to USB-C, you need to change the Lightning material. I’m old enough to remember the howls of disgust when Apple released its 30-pin connector and Lightning is much better established today than the old 2012 connector.

Lightning has also kept iPhones above the fight against some of USB-C’s growing pains. It can be difficult to know if a particular cable can handle the maximum power of the USB and the maximum data transfer speeds. Some of these problems still persist, but the advantages of USB outweigh them.

A transition, should it come, would force iPhone loyalists to buy many new cables, a prospect no one will likely enjoy. In the long run, though, it will be worth it. Sooner or later, you’re likely to use USB-C to charge other devices, so the change will ultimately reduce the electronic clutter in your life. It will also reduce electronic waste because you will need fewer cables to cover most of your devices. You can always donate your old cables to those who still need them.

How about a portless iPhone?

IPhones could switch directly from Lightning plugins to any plugins. Connectors drill holes in a phone’s chassis that weaken it, expose it to elements, and increase manufacturing costs.

Wireless data upload and transfer techniques are improving. With Apple’s iCloud, you no longer need to back up and sync your iPhone with a cable connected to your laptop. The best way to get music from your phone to better speakers is via Bluetooth, not with a phone docking station.

The load and data ports, however, will remain useful. Nothing better than an economical copper cable when it comes to fast, private and reliable data transfer. If you only have a few minutes left at the airport or in the car, fast charging will increase the battery better than any other charging platform.

When it comes to connecting this cable to my phone, I vote for USB-C.