iPhone with USB-C?

[schoibi]

While Apple was one of the first producers to ship a laptop with an USB-C port (the others are slowly catching up now) the company seems to miss the trend with its mobile devices where USB-C seems to become also the new standard. In order to not loose credibility Apple should therefore also move to USB-C for the next iPhone and abandon the Lightning connector. However, since the Lightning connector was only introduced four years ago this would also have negative implications...
What do you think about this?

 

[canesalato]

I wish, but... no. Maybe in the far future if the market forces them to do so

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

Given the number of truckloads of money they get for Lightning peripherals, no.

 

[Hellhammer]

The only reason Lightning exists is because the USB spec was inferior back then. USB-C provides everything that Lightning does and given that Apple has already adopted USB-C, it's just a matter of time before it's in all Apple devices.

 

[OllyW]

The only reason Lightning exists is because the USB spec was inferior back then. USB-C provides everything that Lightning does and given that Apple has already adopted USB-C, it's just a matter of time before it's in all Apple devices.

I'm not so sure as USB-C is an industry standard and would mean Apple would have to abandon their lucrative MFi Program.

 

[M. Gustave]

No. It's obvious that they want the iPhone to ultimately be port-less, including for charging. It's only a matter of time.

They put a single USB-c port on the new 12" MacBook just to appease people with legacy peripherals.

USB-c is like Kodak Ektar film, the culmination and the end.

 

[canesalato]

The only reason Lightning exists is because the USB spec was inferior back then. USB-C provides everything that Lightning does and given that Apple has already adopted USB-C, it's just a matter of time before it's in all Apple devices.

If Apple wanted to abandon lightning on iOS, I think the iPad pro, especially the 12.9, would have been the perfect iOS device to do so. Actually, in the last year, they increased lightning presence, bringing it to the apple tv and to the mac (remote, keyboard, mouse, trackpad). I might be mistaken but I think all of these devices were launched after the first usb-c macbook.

 

[C DM]

While Apple was one of the first producers to ship a laptop with an USB-C port (the others are slowly catching up now) the company seems to miss the trend with its mobile devices where USB-C seems to become also the new standard. In order to not loose credibility Apple should therefore also move to USB-C for the next iPhone and abandon the Lightning connector. However, since the Lightning connector was only introduced four years ago this would also have negative implications...
What do you think about this?

Here's what people have thought about this:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/any-chance-iphone-7-has-usb-c-vs-lightning.1976442/

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/will-the-iphone-7-use-usb-c.1969051/

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/usb-c-vs-lightning.1968820/

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/would-you-rather-lightning-or-usb-c.1943836/

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/next-iphone-to-have-usb-c-merged.1853546/

 

[mattopotamus]

lightning is smaller, so no.

 

[cynics]

I doubt it because of their MFi licensing fees.

If we do see it happen you'll see it on an iPad first to test the waters and depending on the results it will trickle down to the iPhone.

I feel we will see completely wireless before that day comes.

 

[jpn]

the clue will be iPhone 7 to be released in September 2016.
if the rumored audio jack does have a way to listen to audio through lightning, then lightning is going to be around for at least 5 or so more years.
for macs, the next completely new model will let us know whats happening with laptops.

usb-c: apple contributed scores of engineers to help develop the standard. usb-c is as much apple's creation as anybody's.