These Apple Products Are Still Sold With Lightning Following iPhone 15's Switch to USB-C

[MacRumors]

As widely expected, all four iPhone 15 models are equipped with a USB-C port instead of a Lightning port. Apple also made the AirPods Pro available with a USB-C charging case, and released wired EarPods with a USB-C connector.

Nevertheless, there are a handful of Apple devices and accessories that are still sold with Lightning, which debuted on the iPhone 5 back in 2012:

• iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14, iPhone 13, and iPhone SE
• Ninth-generation iPad
• Second-generation and third-generation AirPods
• AirPods Max
• First-generation Apple Pencil
• Magic Keyboard (Mac version)
• Magic Mouse
• Magic Trackpad
• Various cables and adapters

Apple did discontinue its MagSafe Battery Pack and MagSafe Duo Charger accessories with Lightning following the iPhone 15 event.

Some of these products will likely be updated with USB-C in the future, such as the AirPods Max and the trio of Magic accessories for the Mac, while previous-generation products in the list like the older iPhones, iPad, and Apple Pencil will eventually be discontinued. Until then, the Lightning era of Apple is not completely over.

Article Link: These Apple Products Are Still Sold With Lightning Following iPhone 15's Switch to USB-C

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

They might be waiting for the next iMac refresh to move the Mac mice and keyboards to USB-C.

 

[LittleFriend]

Thanks for confirming that the older iphones will not be retroactively magically updated in people's houses to have a new port.

 

[JungleNYC]

Aside from being proprietary ($), is there any benefit of lightning over USB-C?

 

[Hornet9988]

Don't forget the Apple TV remote!

 

[hagar]

What a mess: Apple's flagship headphones are incompatible with Apple's flagship iPhone.
And why did they ever come up with the idea to add lightning to the keyboard and mouse. Made no sense back then, and it definitely makes no sense today.

 

[iFishishh]

Good news, Apple will be selling their signature proprietary “lighting to usb-c” adapters for a low price of $50! 😆💀

 

[cocky jeremy]

Thanks for confirming that the older iphones will not be retroactively magically updated in people's houses to have a new port.

They could switch it at any time and add it to those phones that are still being sold.

 

[Rogifan]

Thanks for confirming that the older iphones will not be retroactively magically updated in people's houses to have a new port.

They’re still selling the SE, 13 and 14. So long as they keep older products around to fill price points lightning isn’t going anywhere for a while.

 

[Magnus81]

Aside from being proprietary ($), is there any benefit of lightning over USB-C?

I think lightning may be better at handling dust/lint, or removing such? As it does tend to build up over time from pockets.

 

[Return Zero]

All of these except the old iPhone models I could see being switched over to USB-C or discontinued very quickly. Like, within a few months possibly (though maybe not likely).

I agree the old iPhone models won't be redesigned.

 

[Joe Rossignol]

Don't forget the Apple TV remote!

No longer sold by Apple with Lightning.

 

[bradman83]

What a mess: Apple's flagship headphones are incompatible with Apple's flagship iPhone.
And why did they ever come up with the idea to add lightning to the keyboard and mouse. Made no sense back then, and it definitely makes no sense today.

The Magic Mouse, Keyboard, and Trackpad were released and last updated in 2015, before the majority of Macs were updated with USB-C. Since Apple was already mass producing USB-A to Lightning cables it was probably cheaper for them to just stick Lightning in there.

(And keep in mind that Apple didn't even bother to switch from USB-A to USB-C on its Lighting cables included with the iPhone until the 11 series came out in 2019, so for years their flagship phones couldn't be plugged into their flagship laptops without an adapter. Apple clearly doesn't have a good track record on this).

 

[unobtainium]

Thanks for confirming that the older iphones will not be retroactively magically updated in people's houses to have a new port.

The point is that those are the only products still being sold with Lightning.

 

[Rychiar]

how bout redesigning the mouse from scratch along with the port change….

 

[Eminemdrdre00]

Don't forget the Apple TV remote!

That switched to USB-C last year.

 

[1800AirTAG]

Wait, did some really expect Apple to upgrade literally every older product they had to USB-C just because they are releasing the latest iPhone with it?

This report should be posted if any NEW product comes out and is still on lightning.

 

[fwmireault]

I never understood why the Mac accessories had a Lightning port in the first place. They were introduced at the same time when Apple started moving its MacBooks to USB-C, and Lightning never was used on any Mac device or accessory until then. I hope they announce a USB-C replacement sooner than later

We are in a situation where the Mac Magic Keyboard has a Lightning port even if lightning never was on a Mac device but the iPad Magic Keyboard has USB-C even if iPads had lightning for years

 

[iamgalt]

What a mess: Apple's flagship headphones are incompatible with Apple's flagship iPhone.
And why did they ever come up with the idea to add lightning to the keyboard and mouse. Made no sense back then, and it definitely makes no sense today.

What do you mean incompatible? The Airpods, Airpods Pro, Airpods Max, all connect via bluetooth, so they're all very compatible with Apples flagship iPhone. And they released new wired Earpods with a USB-C connector.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Aside from being proprietary ($), is there any benefit of lightning over USB-C?

Step back in time- even a few days- BEFORE Apple actually adopted USB-C in the iPhone and you could find many passionate cases for Lightning over USB-C, with lots of rationale.

Now that Apple has actually done it, I suspect that passion is quickly evaporating and will be near silent within weeks. See collective sentiment about phablet-sized phones, NFC (pay by phone), etc BEFORE Apple adopted them and then how so much seemingly extreme passion just vanishes afterwards.

I suppose to fault USB-C now means one is faulting Apple directly... while before USB-C was "terrible, wobbly, fragile, lint-magnet, etc" when it was only rumored to go into iPhone, though virtually no one slinging such comments seemed willing to call Apple out for using it in the rest of the product lineup (for years now)... with no GOV mandate by the way.

There was lots of venting about Apple being forced to adopt USB-C but that was only an EU law. Just as Apple makes versions of iPhone with SIM cards for select markets, they could have made a USB-C one for the EU only and retained Lightning everywhere else. Apple chose to go USB-C. And now most of the crowd would have to directly fault Apple for doing so. Since that seems to be forbidden in the Appleverse, USB-C is magically promoted to being a great choice now that Apple has made it. Already the broad chorus against USB-C seems quite a bit quieter.

Could we now fire up why no one needs 8K video in iDevices, nor an 8K AppleTV... until Apple adopts them? Or why no one at all needs Vpro before anyone can buy one... until they are for sale? Or why an iMac "bigger" has no place in the lineup until Apple resurrects it? The car is dumb until Apple rolls it out? Foldable phone is a gimmick until Apple unfolds one? Etc.

Just pick a feature some competitor has that Apple does not have yet: "99.9% don't need it", "it's stupid", "here's 6 things wrong with that", blah-blah-blah... UNTIL Apple adopts it and then it becomes "shut up and take my money" and "how did we ever get by without..."

I for one welcome Apple finishing what THEY started. Each passing day approaches the finality of "one cable to rule them all." 🎉

 

[Torty]

What a mess: Apple's flagship headphones are incompatible with Apple's flagship iPhone.
And why did they ever come up with the idea to add lightning to the keyboard and mouse. Made no sense back then, and it definitely makes no sense today.

They made the mistake to not add it into Macbooks and do not develop an updated version. We will see how reliable the EU port will be.

 

[StrangeNoises]

Thanks for confirming that the older iphones will not be retroactively magically updated in people's houses to have a new port.

the listed phones are the ones they still sell.

 

[Torty]

When I get my next headphones it must not be from apple. USB-C is offered by many others.

 

[coachgq]

Don't forget the Apple TV remote!

Mine has USB C

 

[AlexESP]

What a mess: Apple's flagship headphones are incompatible with Apple's flagship iPhone.
And why did they ever come up with the idea to add lightning to the keyboard and mouse. Made no sense back then, and it definitely makes no sense today.

Of course they’re not incompatible, they just don’t use the same conector, as it has always happened with many different devices (and it still happens today). To me, it definitely made sense that smaller products and accessories used lightning and bigger products used USB-C.