Why did the iMac keep Lightning accessories? (Speculation thread)

[mectojic]

Here's my thoughts:
1) Manufacturing: it's hard enough producing accessories in 7 colors. By retaining the exact same coloured chassis, power brick and accessories, only swapping out the M1 board for the M3, Apple was able to keep their iMac production lines virtually untouched.
2) "It just works". Every Magic Mouse 2 and Magic Keyboard uses lightning; since the design is identical, Apple wouldn't want to release a new identical device and only change the port. Which leads me to:
3) They want an entirely new mouse/keyboard: they're designing something new, and want to show it off, just like they did with the Pro Mouse and Keyboard in 2000. The mouse charging port will be relocated to a place that pro users will appreciate.
•3a) The new USB-C mouse/keyboard would be announced and shipped with the M3 Mac Studio, Mac Pro and Mac Mini, in a 2024 event.
•3b) The new USB-C mouse will somehow be compatible with the Vision Pro, and add more functionality in iPadOS too.
•3c) I wouldn't be surprised if, building on their support for gaming, they also release an "Arcade Mouse and Keyboard" (but perhaps not).
4) EU: The EU law takes effect on December 28th, 2024. That's the hard deadline.

 

[Chuckeee]

5) The lightening connector format is Apple proprietary. Apple [is supposed to] receive a royalty commission on each lightening port sold. [I am not sure if they collect one for the connectors too]. Although there is rampant component part piracy. USB is a royalty free format. Small commission from millions of lightening units is still a meaning number. I think, That is more likely the reason than inventory surpluses or laziness

Current “just in time” manufacturing practices makes it seem unlikely that there would be many months of surplus components just sitting around. And Apple and Foxconn are the poster child for “just in time” manufacturing

 

[Steve121178]

They probably had loads sitting around the warehouses and it wasn't worth spinning up a new manufacturing process for something that quite frankly isn't that important. They include a USB-C to Lightning cable in the box & everyone's got Lightning cables at home anyway so it's not an issue.

I'd imagine in the future with M4/M5 iMacs they will switch to USB-C peripherals, perhaps even during the M3 lifecycle if it sticks around for a few years & they manage to clear the inventory of Lightning stock.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Inventory in warehouses. When that thins out, USB-C versions will quietly replace them, possibly without even a press release. This will allow Apple to maximize every nickel in selling down the "old" inventory without missing any new sales.

Had they rolled out USB-C versions now, whatever Lightning inventory they hold would be viewed as "OLD" and "USELESS", etc with people clamoring to only buy the "latest" USB-C versions. That could result in having to dump that Lightning inventory and take a loss or minimize profit in blowout deals offered on other sites.

The EU deadline only applies to the EU. Just as Apple still makes iPhones with SIM card slots for other markets, they could roll out USB-C accessories exclusively for the EU until Lightning stock is pruned. My guess is that they will naturally run out of Lightning accessories before the EU deadline and somebody will simply announce they got a "new" USB-C mouse or keyboard with their iMac and then someone else will announce they got the other with their iMac and/or either or both will just suddenly be available in Apple stores.

In short, Apple being APPL: maximize those profits.

 

[Steve121178]

Inventory in warehouses. When that thins out, USB-C versions will quietly replace them, possibly without even a press release. This will allow Apple to maximize every nickel in selling down the "old" inventory without missing any new sales.

Had they rolled out USB-C versions now, whatever Lightning inventory they hold would be viewed as "OLD" and "USELESS", etc with people clamoring to only buy the "latest" USB-C versions. That could result in having to dump that Lightning inventory and take a loss or minimize profit in blowout deals offered on other sites.

The EU deadline only applies to the EU. Just as Apple still makes iPhones with SIM card slots for other markets, they could roll out USB-C accessories exclusively for the EU until Lightning stock is pruned. My guess is that they will naturally run out of Lightning accessories before the EU deadline and somebody will simply announce they got a "new" USB-C mouse or keyboard with their iMac and then someone else will announce they got the other with their iMac and/or either or both will just suddenly be available in Apple stores.

In short, Apple being APPL: maximize those profits.

I'm not bothered. It's just a charging port. In fact its even more convenient that it is Lightning for me as I can just top up the trackpad and keyboard with my existing iPhone cables that are on the same desk as my soon to be delivered M3 iMac.

 

[ucfgrad93]

They probably had loads sitting around the warehouses and it wasn't worth spinning up a new manufacturing process for something that quite frankly isn't that important. They include a USB-C to Lightning cable in the box & everyone's got Lightning cables at home anyway so it's not an issue.

I'd imagine in the future with M4/M5 iMacs they will switch to USB-C peripherals, perhaps even during the M3 lifecycle if it sticks around for a few years & they manage to clear the inventory of Lightning stock.

My thoughts exactly.

 

[Brookzy]

This is particularly perplexing because Mark German predicted they would move to USB-C and he was 1) right about everything else, and 2) the only one to be right about the whole Mac thing for late October.

Also, new battery regulatory filings for the accessories were spotted in recent weeks.

Interestingly though the Power On newsletter that made this prediction seems to have been retrospectively edited to remove it.

I can't imagine spare inventory being the reason: altering keyboard/mouse/trackpad options online is pushing delivery dates further out than other spec changes, indicating supply constraint.

 

[Chris80]

I can't imagine spare inventory being the reason: altering keyboard/mouse/trackpad options online is pushing delivery dates further out than other spec changes, indicating supply constraint.

yes, as soon as you choose a trackpad, the delivery time increases to three weeks