iPhone 8 Not Switching To USB-C? Lighting Port Retained With Internal Changes to Allow Faster Charging
After being the subject of numerous rumors, KGI has refuted claims that were made in the Wall Street Journal earlier this week that Apple's upcoming iPhone 8 would be replacing Lightning with a USB-C port. Ming Chi Kuo of KGI wrote that this will not be the case because all three new 2017 iPhones will retain the Lightning port. What potential buyers could expect would be faster charging, with changes to the internal components.
9to5 Mac reports that Apple will do this by changing the current power management technologies, so that fast charging features may be added to the iPhone 8. By doing this, they will be able to bring some of the power benefits of a USB-C port without making any changes to the physical connector. It looks like Apple is not willing to give up its trademarked Lightning connector anytime soon.
These new internal components charging will be sourced from Texas Instruments and Cypress. The 2-cell L shaped battery design of the upcoming iPhone 8 will be the main framework in letting the device charge faster. As of this writing, it is not yet clear if these advancements will tie in with some previous rumors pointing out to wireless charging coming to the iPhone 8.
Kuo said that while it has been proven that the USB-C port would allow faster data transfer rates than the maximum speed of the Lightning, this would not serve as a sufficient reason for Apple to change connectors for the upcoming iPhone 8. This is what they call a niche application for the iPhone. It is not yet clear how USB-C synergizes with the iPad lineup.
BGR reports that this confirmation debunks all previous rumors that Apple will be abandoning the Lighting port altogether to switch to a more universal USB Type C. Of course, faster charging will be a welcome change for all iPhone users and the move to USB-C will come with a cost. Most of Apple's computers still use standard USB Type A port so this could mean that an iPhone 8 user would not be able to plug his or her device into a Macbook.