Gurman Says Apple’s Adoption Of USB-C In iPhone 15 Comes With Some Costs, Flags One Headache That ‘Seems Unavoidable’ – Apple

What Happened: Apple has been forced to embrace the USB-C connector for all variants of its iPhone 15 and the AirPods Pro, despite the company’s dislike for the connector, Bloomberg columnist Mark Gurman said in the latest instalment of the weekly “Power On” newsletter on Sunday.

The switchover was necessitated by the European Union’s mandate that mobile device makers should transition to the USB-C standard by the end of the year. Despite its lack of enthusiasm for the connector, Apple will likely tout a slew of advantages, including the use of single-charging cables for iPhones, Macs and iPads; breakthrough data transfer speed; faster charging; and the compatibility of the iPhone with chargers used by non-Apple devices, the Apple writer said.

The company always wants to operate from a position of strength when it introduces a new product or deals with the media, Gurman said.

Drawbacks To Change: Gurman said he foresees some drawbacks as Apple transitions to USB-C technology. These include:

• Loss of a revenue stream from accessory makers that have traditionally used the Lightning connector
• The devotion of engineering resources and money to accommodate the switch
• Increased compatibility with the Android ecosystem, which makes customer defection from Apple much easier

Gurman said Apple will do its best to mitigate the concerns. “It will include a USB-C cable in the box, and it’s been pushing MagSafe and other forms of inductive charging for several years,” he said.

The company can also ensure “there are plenty of adapters that convert Lightning to USB-C, helping [to] make the transition as seamless as possible,” he added. However, the Apple writer said he sees one unavoidable headache. “Even if Apple includes a USB-C cord with every new iPhone, users will need a compatible charging brick. And that’s unlikely to be part of the package,” he said.

Anyone currently using a charger sold with an iPhone 11 or earlier model will need to buy a new brick that has a USB-C port or buy a cable that converts USB 2 to USB-C, he added. Apple ended Friday’s session up 0.85% at $189.46, according to Benzinga Pro data.