Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Kuo: iPhone 15 to Switch From Lightning to USB-C in 2023
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
FINALLY!!!! Another reason to not upgrade to the 14 Pro Max from my 13 Pro Max. If true, then I’m definitely gonna get the 15 Pro Max
True to an extent, Until something happens that require DFU mode.
This is iPhone's biggest problem imo, it still needs a PC/Mac to recover. It doesn't have its own recovery mode like Android phones. Until Apple figures that out (or somehow developed wireless DFU mode), a cable will still be needed.
So a company which makes $350 billions + a year of revenue is going to worry about losing $350 millions? I don't think so. The savings by just no longer having to administer the program alone will be worth it.I've mentioned this on literally every thread relating to this topic and I'm shocked how few people realise why Apple dragged their feet on this.
Each and every properly licensed MFi accessory (including lightning cables), netted Apple about $4. Admittedly this figure was from 2014, but even if they net half that per piece of hardware sold, you are looking at 10's of millions in lost revenue to Apple with the removal of the cable. Back in 2005, it was $10 per MFi device sold or 10% of the total retail cost (whichever was greater)!!!!
What is MFi-certified accessories and how to find them
Things you need to know about Apple MFi certified accessories, Why it matters: 1. 1. Quality of products, 2. Safety and risks involved...www.igeeksblog.com
For those who still don't get this, let's add some perspective. Apple sold 239 million iPhones in 2021.
I, like many other iPhone users, have several lightning cables. One in the car, one in the lounge, another spare in my work bag; But let's say each and every iPhone user bought one extra lightning cable.
You are now talking about 239 million lightning cables sold in 2021 alone. Now, for the purpose of fairness, I'm going to say that only 75% of them are genuine, or are MFi licensed.
We now have 179.3 million MFi cables sold.
Again for fairness, let's say only half of them were non-Apple, so 89.7 million non-Apple MFi cables sold.
Now apply royalties. $4 per device sold.
You are talking about $359 million in lost revenue to Apple if the same iPhone sales would apply in 2023 as they did in 2021. I expect them, however, to be a lot more.
And that's on new devices only! Now apply that to the previous 5 generations of iPhones out there. 100's of millions, heck billions of revenue that will now slowly dry up.
By eliminating lightning from their phones and switching to USB-C, MFi no longer applies to cables since USB-C is an open standard from Intel. No royalties to Apple anymore on new devices.
Now, hopefully, the savings made by the hardware manufacturer will be passed on to the consumer, but we'll just have to see about that. It's unlikely.
So to all those saying Apple doesn't want to switch as it'll be a step back; You're all wrong. Apple has been deliberately stifling innovation to drive profits.
Mfi definitely is a factor in holding the iPhone on lightning as long as possible. However, imo Apple might see that revenues generated from Airpods and Magsafe accessories can replace their lightning Mfi revenue. Also, I can smell more focus on Magsafe to sell more accessories, probably Magsafe 2.0 with a sort of data connectivity.I've mentioned this on literally every thread relating to this topic and I'm shocked how few people realise why Apple dragged their feet on this.
Each and every properly licensed MFi accessory (including lightning cables), netted Apple about $4. Admittedly this figure was from 2014, but even if they net half that per piece of hardware sold, you are looking at 10's of millions in lost revenue to Apple with the removal of the cable. Back in 2005, it was $10 per MFi device sold or 10% of the total retail cost (whichever was greater)!!!!
What is MFi-certified accessories and how to find them
Things you need to know about Apple MFi certified accessories, Why it matters: 1. 1. Quality of products, 2. Safety and risks involved...
For those who still don't get this, let's add some perspective. Apple sold 239 million iPhones in 2021.
I, like many other iPhone users, have several lightning cables. One in the car, one in the lounge, another spare in my work bag; But let's say each and every iPhone user bought one extra lightning cable.
You are now talking about 239 million lightning cables sold in 2021 alone. Now, for the purpose of fairness, I'm going to say that only 75% of them are genuine, or are MFi licensed.
We now have 179.3 million MFi cables sold.
Again for fairness, let's say only half of them were non-Apple, so 89.7 million non-Apple MFi cables sold.
Now apply royalties. $4 per device sold.
You are talking about $359 million in lost revenue to Apple if the same iPhone sales would apply in 2023 as they did in 2021. I expect them, however, to be a lot more.
And that's on new devices only! Now apply that to the previous 5 generations of iPhones out there. 100's of millions, heck billions of revenue that will now slowly dry up.
By eliminating lightning from their phones and switching to USB-C, MFi no longer applies to cables since USB-C is an open standard from Intel. No royalties to Apple anymore on new devices.
Now, hopefully, the savings made by the hardware manufacturer will be passed on to the consumer, but we'll just have to see about that. It's unlikely.
So to all those saying Apple doesn't want to switch as it'll be a step back; You're all wrong. Apple has been deliberately stifling innovation to drive profits.
In some situations, but there are many situations in which it is significantly less convenient. And there’s always an environmental cost to wireless charging. Best solution is to keep offering both options on every iPhone.
I don't know what it's called but it has been around since at least the early 1960's. I have a relatively modern Asus laptop that uses it.
It is best because I can plug it in, in less than a second, without looking.
Lightning is second best because I can still plug it in without looking, but it takes a few seconds, sometimes up to ten seconds.
USB, in all it's forms, is crap to plug in. microUSB, as we all know, is the worst ever in all history. USB C isn't much better.
You do realize USB-C can be plugged in any direction and if it’s fully USB-C, both sides of the cable are identical? With USB-C, one cable and one charger can be used for your MacBook, iPad, iPhone, and millions of other accessories (Apple or otherwise). Fanboy it up but lightning is no less an environmental disaster than old USB cables.The best power adapter ever invented is this thing.
I don't know what it's called but it has been around since at least the early 1960's. I have a relatively modern Asus laptop that uses it.
It is best because I can plug it in, in less than a second, without looking.
Lightning is second best because I can still plug it in without looking, but it takes a few seconds, sometimes up to ten seconds.
USB, in all it's forms, is crap to plug in. microUSB, as we all know, is the worst ever in all history. USB C isn't much better.
My calculation was $350m for 2021 alone. Multiply that approximately five times and you then get a more accurate number, (about $1.7bn).
Either way, even for a company that earns that much, a loss of half a billion makes an impact.
Lightning is tapered, and smoothed. USB-C is neither. It is significantly more difficult to align. I am not a fanboy, I despise Apple and use their garbage junk because their oligopolistic practices have destroyed meaningful market competition. If the physical lightning specifications were not artificially encumbered with IP bullcrap it would win in he marketplace over the non-tapered more difficult to plug in USB crap.
The best wired plug in interface would be round, tapered, magnetic, and just pop in automatically if it's in the vicinity, similar the mag connectors on old and more recent macbooks, but with more roundness.
Last edited:
Wireless charging is a gimmick. They could yank all that wireless charging crap out of the iPhone and literally no one would notice.
99% of the energy ever gone through the phone has been excited wirelessly.
99% of the data ever transmitted to through the phone was also done wirelessly.
Whats a cable?
99% of the data ever transmitted to through the phone was also done wirelessly.
Whats a cable?
I'm sure Apple will roll out USB-C+ or something unique to continue to make extra dollars to be the "cable of the next decade" again.