A USB-C cable.
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The gradual shift of Apple’s merchandise to USB-C as an alternative of Lightning could see a swap of connector on Mac accessories and all AirPods fashions by 2024, a report claims.
As a connector, USB-C is rising in ubiquity, with it turning into extra generally used on units as an alternative of microUSB. Whereas there’s discuss of Apple making the shift for its iPhones down the highway, its attainable that different {hardware} in Apple’s product catalog could make the leap at across the identical time.
In Sunday’s “Energy On” publication for Bloomberg, Mark Gurman predicts that Apple could beat laws launched by the European Parliament to make use of USB-C by 2024. Together with flagship merchandise just like the iPhone 15 doing so early in 2023, Gurman believes that a lot of the remainder of the catalog could shift over in time.
AirPods charging instances and different accessories designed for Macs could undertake USB-C by 2024, overlaying accessories just like the Magic Mouse, Magic Keyboard, and Magic Trackpad. For the latter, Gurman anticipates new variations might be launched that may incorporate the modifications.
For the remaining merchandise, the entry-level iPad that also makes use of Lightning is regarded as up to date quickly, with a attainable swap over by the top of 2022.
Gurman additionally causes that Lightning could stick round for fairly some time after the legislative deadline, because it applies to new releases. For instance, an iPhone SE refresh in March 2024 could use Lightning, however a later 2025 or 2026 replace must use USB-C.
The report additionally proposes that USB-C could not essentially be round for so long as Apple’s different connectors. Gurman reckons USB-C’s existence within the Apple product catalog will not be so long as the 30-pin iPod connector or Lightning.
“Apple’s future is wi-fi,” Gurman states, earlier than insisting a type of AirPower will return “properly earlier than a decade from now.”
