Goodbye Lightning? 2017 iPhones may rely on USB-C connector

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iPhone 6 Plus_8
Apple may be bringing UBC-C to iPhone.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

This year’s iPhones may boast USB-C connectors, claims a new report from The Wall Street Journal.

If true, this would bring next-gen iPhones in line with the company’s push to embrace the industry-standard connector — as seen with recent MacBooks, which ditched legacy connectors in favor of a single USB-C port for both power and data transfers.

What’s not clear from the report is whether this would mean abandoning Apple’s proprietary Lightning connector in favor of USB-C or simply switching out the USB-A plug at the end of the cable for USB-C. If the former, this would be the third connector change for the iPhone: Apple switched out the original 30-pin dock connector for the current Lightning connector with 2012’s iPhone 5.

The WSJ report also adds another voice to the growing number of stories claiming that Apple will release three different iPhones in 2017: two LCD “s” cycle iPhones, and an extra-high-end iPhone 8 to mark the 10th anniversary of the iPhone. Previous rumors have suggested the 2017 iPhone will come in three screen sizes: 5.8 inches, 5.5 inches and 4.7 inches.

Of these, the 5.8-inch “10th Anniversary Edition” iPhone 8 would feature the most exciting innovations, including a curved OLED display manufactured by Samsung. The deluxe model would also drop the Home button for a Touch Bar-style “function area” at the bottom of the smartphone’s display, according to rumors.

Although the WSJ doesn’t mention a price point, one previous report claimed the high-end 2017-era iPhone could cost $1,000 or more.

Are you optimistic about this year’s new iPhones? Leave your comments below.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

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