Skip to main content

iPhone 15 will finally give us what we’ve all wanted for years

“Apple will drop the ports altogether before even considering switching to USB-C on the iPhone lineup” — this running joke in the tech circle might end next year. The unreal is about to happen. According to the reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple might give us a USB Type-C port on the iPhone 15 in 2023.

In a pair of tweets, Kuo said that his latest survey indicates that Apple will drop the Lightning port in favor of the USB-C port. As The Verge points out, the “survey” could include component manufacturers, from whom Kuo seems to get a lot of his information about the future Apple products.  The switch would make things more convenient for users with multiple gadgets and also help improve iPhone’s transfer and charging speeds, depending on the iOS support.

Recommended Videos

Kuo expects to see “existing USB-C-related suppliers of Apple’s ecosystem (e.g., IC controller, connector) become the market’s focus in the next one to two years, thanks to vast orders from iPhones and accessories’ adoption of USB-C ports.”

The analyst has a reliable track record but we are still skeptical about Apple adopting USB-C for the iPhone since we’ve been hearing rumors about the idea for years. While the iPhone-maker has been hell-bent on sticking to the Lightning port, it has partly adopted the reversible USB standard with its iPad lineup and USB-C-compatible Thunderbolt ports on many Macs.

But the change could finally happen because of the pressure built by policymakers. For the unaware, the EU is considering a proposal that would make USB-C ports mandatory on various electronic items, including smartphones. The presence of a standard USB port across all electronics would mean lesser chargers and data cables as you’ll be able to charge your devices using a single type of charger.

While the EU has yet to adopt this motion, there is no reason to expect that it won’t. As and when that happens, Apple would have up to two years to shift its products into alignment if it intends on selling its iPhones in Europe (and likely, around the world too).

Prakhar Khanna
Prakhar Khanna is an independent consumer tech journalist. He contributes to Digital Trends' Mobile section with features and…
Will my iPhone get iOS 26? Here’s every supported model
We've got the full list of iOS 26 supported devices - find out if you're getting the new iPhone update
iOS 26 features on a series of iPhone screens

Apple announced iOS 26 at WWDC 2025, and the new iPhone update comes with a fresh new 'Liquid Glass' look and plenty of features - and there are loads of iOS 26 supported devices, which is great news.

And no, you haven't missed a volley of updates since iOS 18 in 2024. Apple has skipped a bunch of numbers, so instead of giving us iOS 19 in 2025, we got iOS 26 alongside iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26 and tvOS 26. In short, Apple's brought its operating system numbering into line. Nice.

Read more
iPhone 17 price looks more certain to rise for first time since the iPhone 12
Apple might be preparing its first iPhone price increase in five years
iPhone 16 Pro Max next to the 16 Plus, 16 Pro and regular iPhone 16

For years now, Apple has launched the base model iPhone at $799 - but in 2025, more and more signs are pointing towards prices being increased for the introduction of the iPhone 17.

The likelihood of an iPhone 17 price increase was raised by the Wall Street Journal in May, and now Counterpoint Research notes in its recent 2025 shipment forecast that "cost increases are expected to be passed on to consumers" by not only Apple, but Samsung as well.

Read more
5 rumored iOS 26 features we could see at WWDC 2025
An iPhone 16 laying on a shelf with its screen on.

Apple’s upcoming WWDC 2025 showcase is going to be a busy one, even though the expected AI-powered software rebirth may not land until next year. In the meantime, reliable sources have spilled the beans on what we might expect for the next major iOS overhaul. 

Starting with the name, Apple could skip iOS 19 and could go straight from v18 to v26. We are also expecting a design overhaul, something that could draw inspiration from Vision OS. On the functional side, an AI health coach would be a huge draw for fitness enthusiasts. 

Read more