Apple’s Lightning port may be on third-party accessories from 2015

Accessory makers will be allowed to use Lightning, Apple’s proprietary port for its iOS devices, starting next year. Until now, only iOS devices had access to the Lightning port on Apple’s mobile devices.

For example, the change allows docks to have a Lightning port, allowing users to use the Lightning cable that came in the box with their iPhone to power docks. The same goes for battery case manufacturers, who were previously not allowed to put a Lightning port on their case, writes 9to5 Mac. Right now, for example, those accessory makers use micro USB ports to power their accessories.

Apple will let the changes take effect early next year. From then on, headphones will also be able to be equipped with a Lightning connection. The manufacturer uses Lightning on its iPhones and iPads of recent years. The connector succeeded in 2012 the 30-pin connector, which Apple used on iPods and later the first generations of the iPhone and iPad.