Apple's Lightning Port is Nearing Its Expiration Date, So What's Next for the iPhone?

The future of the ‌ is in question, as Phil Schiller called the Lightning Connector a modern one for the next decade, when he introduced it to the iPhone 5 in September of last year.

Since the 5th iteration of the device, Apple has included a Lightning port, which the company claimed was smaller, smarter and more durable than the previous 30-pin port. Even as the majority of the company's iPad line and the entire Mac line now feature the Lightning port, the iPhone has become the odd one out.

The majority of phones on the market feature the more versatile port, which is why the industry has transitioned to the more versatile port. Apple has annoyed many customers by not following the industry in adopting the new standard, but it appears the company is sticking with Lightning for a long time.

The analyst who frequently shares accurate insights into Apple's product plans said that the company believes the adoption of the USB-C would negatively impact its Made for. There are two points that Kuo says will continue to feature in the future.

The ultimate goal for Apple is to go completely portless, relying on MagSafe and wireless connections for charging and data transfer needs. It is highly unlikely that Apple will abandon Lightning and go portless before the end of the decade. Instead, it is more likely to use Lightning, as it matures for a future portless device.

The European Commission could have an impact on how soon we get a portless iPhone. All consumer electronic devices, including phones, tablets, cameras, headphones, portable speakers, and handheld videogame consoles, would have to have a common port under a proposed directive by the EC. Apple will have two years to transition their devices to the new standard if the directive passes.

There are some things that can happen. On paper, the directive would make a significant change for the iPhone, but it only applies to devices that charge via cable.

If a device only charges via wireless charging, it isn't required to include ausb-c port. The two-year transition period that the directive would allocate to companies to transition to is enough time for Apple to mature and abandon Lightning in favor of an all-wireless future.

Apple has a confusing port lineup. There are four different types of chargers for the latest Apple devices. Mark Gurman highlighted the inconsistencies in the Power On newsletter. As Gurman noted at the time, lightning served Apple well since 2012 but has become the default port for new devices.