Analyst Kuo: AirPods and other Apple accessories also get USB-C

AirPods and other Apple accessories could also get USB-C instead of Lightning in the near future, says TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Last week it came out that the iPhones of 2023 will probably get a USB-C port.

Apple AirPods Pro 2021

With that, Apple seems to stop using the proprietary Lightning port for some time. Kuo doesn’t mention a moment when the accessories in new versions will have a USB-C port, but is talking about the “near future”.

In addition to the AirPods, this includes Magic Trackpad, Magic Keyboard and the MagSafe Battery accessory for iPhones. All those products in the current iteration have Lightning ports to charge them.

Kuo said last week that Apple wants to release iPhones with USB-C ports by 2023. Bloomberg editor Mark Gurman also says that. Kuo and Gurman are known as two of the most accurate Apple followers. Many of the rumors they publish later turn out to be true.

The Lightning port has been around for about ten years and replaced the 30-pin connector that Apple previously used on iPods and iPhones, among others. The proprietary standard has, among other things, lower maximum data transfer speeds than the newer USB-C. The European Commission is in the process of mandating USB-C on smartphones and other electronics, which would mean a ban on using only Lightning.