Gurman: iPhone with USB-C in 2023, AirPods and Magic accessories by 2024

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman claims that USB-C iPhones are “essentially a lock”for 2023, while AirPods and Magic accessories are likely to switch to USB-C by 2024.

• What is happening? Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman believes the iPhone will ditch Lightning and switch to USB-C in 2023, with accessories coming in 2024.
• Why care? Because Apple’s charging strategy is a mess. A more elegant solution based on the USB-C standard and the USB Power Delivery protocol is needed.
• What to do? Since USB-C charging is coming to all Apple products soon, it would be a good idea to try different multi-port chargers like Ugreen’s 100W charger which will replace all the chargers you use today.

iPhone with USB-C in 2023, Apple accessories in 2024?

In the latest edition of his Bloomberg Power On newsletter, reporter Mark Gurman lays out the case for an iPhone with USB-C instead of Lightning in 2023.

He says the iPhone 15 is “essentially a lock”to get USB-C in fall 2023, ahead of a new European Union mandate by a year. As for the budget iPad ($329 model), it will switch to USB-C by the end of this year, Gurman continues.

He also said he expects AirPods and other Apple accessories, including a Magic-branded mouse, keyboard and trackpad, to be released by 2024.

Consumers don’t have to keep buying new chargers for different devices. We can clear things up with common standards—with less cost, less hassle, and less waste. https://t.co/rbxLleahIj

— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) July 7, 2022

How the EU mandate works

The new European law will force manufacturers like Apple to use the USB-C standard to make chargers work with more devices than before, reduce e-waste and save consumers money.

If Gurman is right, all Apple devices will switch from Lightning to USB-C by 2024. Now, new European law says the transition applies to “new devices,”and Gurman explains what that means in practice.

Suppose Apple releases the iPhone SE in March 2024 with Lightning instead of USB-C. This would not make this device non-EU compliant because it was released before the end of 2024. This would simply mean that the 2025 or 2026 model would require a change.

What about Magic accessories?

However, I don’t think it will take Apple that long to bring USB-C to all of its devices. I’m willing to bet that the next versions of regular AirPods, AirPods Pro and AirPods Max will switch to USB-C, and this transition should be done by 2024.

And this:

I’m looking forward to major Mac updates, including the new iMac and Mac Pro, next year. It can probably be assumed that the move coincides with the upgrade of accessories. Given that changes to Mac accessories are few and far between, I think it’s safe to bet that these accessories will make the jump to USB-C in their next incarnation.

The law applies to certain types of devices: phones, tablets, cameras, headphones, headsets, electronic readers, keyboards, mice, mobile navigation systems, portable game consoles and speakers. As mentioned, these devices should transition to USB-C by the end of 2024 “for new products”sold in the European Union.

And since it’s almost impossible to imagine that Apple, the king of simplicity, will release two versions of the iPhone in 2015 – one with USB-C charging for its EU customers and a Lightning equivalent for the rest of the world – an iPhone with USB-C is indeed inevitable.

As for laptops, the new law will apply to them in the spring of 2026. The only devices not covered by the new European law are smartwatches and devices that do not charge via a wired connection.