The last time iPhone owners had to repurchase all their cables was in 2012, when Apple i ntroduced the Lightning connector.
From floppy disks to optical drives, Apple has a history of ruthlessly eliminating unwanted baggage, whether users like it or not. And as any longtime Apple customer can attest, the company is famously unsentimental about abandoning old technology when its product design plans call for something new. The change marks the second time Apple has changed the iPhone’s charging technology since it launched the original iPhone in 2007. Given that Apple sells Lightning cables for between $19 and $29, depending on length, that’s a not inconsiderable investment that will suddenly become worthless.
Starting with the iPhone 15, which will be available Sept 22, everyone will have the same connectors.īut it also means that iPhone owners will need to replace all those Lightning connector cables in their homes, offices, and cars.
That’s welcome news for everyone who’s ever needed to recharge their iPhone but couldn’t find anyone nearby with one of Apple’s proprietary Lightning connector cables. Apple and Android users finally have some common ground.Īfter much speculation, Apple confirmed Tuesday that its next iPhone will charge using a USB-C port and cable-the same type of connector used by Android phones and MacBook Pros.
