Apple ditched Lightning for USC-B on the iPad Pro in 2018, but you shouldn’t expect a similar move for this year’s iPhone 12 refresh, according to an Apple leaker.
A Monday tweet by Fudge, aka @choco_bit, suggests that the iPhone 12 will come with a Lightning port. The reliable tipster says Apple will continue to use the proprietary Lightning until the iPhone goes all-in on wireless charging.
This tallies with what Front Page Tech’s Jon Prosser said during his recent appearance on our podcast, The CultCast.
@choco_bit is reportedly a former Apple Authorized Service Provider. The anonymous tweeter previously predicted details about upcoming Apple releases, such as a possible iPhone LiDAR camera system and more.
In the same Twitter thread, @choco_bit mentions the iPhone 13, presumably referring to next year’s handset, and suggests the device could adopt Apple’s Smart Connector in what would otherwise be a portless handset.
Lightning on the iPhone, and more
Rumors that the iPhone could adopt the Smart Connector have been around for a few years. The Smart Connector is a data and charging port that first landed on the iPad Pro back in 2015. Since then, there have been persistent rumors that it would make its way to the iPhone. However, none of these have so far paid off.
@choco_bit also reiterated a recent report from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, suggesting that Apple will not include EarPods with future iPhones in an effort to push people to buy AirPods.
One other interesting bit from @choco_bit’s Twitter thread is discussion of technologies Apple has supposedly prototyped. “[There’s] things tested internally that never make it out,” @choco_bit tweeted. “Non-pro Airpods with noise cancelling, reduced notch iPhone since XS days, gold iPhone X, etc. [It’s] basically a ‘should we?’ type of prototype that gets made just to see how feasible it is (or before management changes mind).”
