One Analyst Thinks the iPhone 8 Will Still Have a Lightning Connector With USB-C Adapter for Europe

lightning to micro usb adapterThe Wall Street Journal today reported that at least one upcoming iPhone model will include a USB-C port instead of a Lightning connector.

If the report is accurate, a single USB-C cable could be used to charge the so-called iPhone 8, 12-inch MacBook, or the latest MacBook Pro models.

People familiar with Apple’s plans said the iPhone releases this year would include two models with the traditional LCDs and a third one with the OLED screen.

They said Apple would introduce other updates including a USB-C port for the power cord and other peripheral devices instead of the company’s original Lightning connector.

That's not a rumor we've heard previously, but The Wall Street Journal is a reputable source that often accurately predicts Apple's plans.

Nevertheless, the move towards USB-C has yet to be substantiated by other credible sources, and Apple changing the charging port on iPhones for the second time in five years, after switching from the 30-pin Dock Connector to Lightning connector in 2012, would certainly be a controversial decision.

At least one analyst is not convinced that Apple will ditch Lightning on its next iPhones, but he does believe USB-C will be in the mix.

Barclays managing director Blayne Curtis told MacRumors that he expects the iPhone 8 to keep its Lightning connector, while he believes that Apple will sell a Lightning to USB-C adapter in European countries to adhere to the European Commission's "one mobile phone charger for all" campaign.

This adapter could be similar to Apple's female-to-male Lightning to Micro-USB adapter, which allows an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with a Lightning connector to charge and sync with a Micro-USB cable. Apple sold a similar 30-pin Dock Connector to Micro-USB adapter in Europe to adhere to EU policy.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

Apple iPhone 16e Feature

Apple Announces iPhone 16e With A18 Chip and Apple Intelligence, Pricing Starts at $599

Wednesday February 19, 2025 8:02 am PST by
Apple today introduced the iPhone 16e, its newest entry-level smartphone. The device succeeds the third-generation iPhone SE, which has now been discontinued. The iPhone 16e features a larger 6.1-inch OLED display, up from a 4.7-inch LCD on the iPhone SE. The display has a notch for Face ID, and this means that Apple no longer sells any iPhones with a Touch ID fingerprint button, marking the ...
iphone 17 pro asherdipps

iPhone 17 Pro Models Rumored to Feature Aluminum Frame Instead of Titanium Frame

Tuesday February 18, 2025 12:02 pm PST by
Over the years, Apple has switched from an aluminum frame to a stainless steel frame to a titanium frame for its highest-end iPhones. And now, it has been rumored that Apple will go back to using aluminum for three out of four iPhone 17 models. In an investor note with research firm GF Securities, obtained by MacRumors this week, Apple supply chain analyst Jeff Pu said the iPhone 17, iPhone...
apple launch feb 2025 alt

Here Are the New Apple Products We're Still Expecting This Spring

Thursday February 20, 2025 5:06 am PST by
Now that Apple has announced its new more affordable iPhone 16e, our thoughts turn to what else we are expecting from the company this spring. There are three product categories that we are definitely expecting to get upgraded before spring has ended. Keep reading to learn what they are. If we're lucky, Apple might make a surprise announcement about a completely new product category. M4...
Generic iOS 18

Here's When Apple Will Release iOS 18.4

Wednesday February 19, 2025 11:38 am PST by
Following the launch of the iPhone 16e, Apple updated its iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia pages to give a narrower timeline on when the next updates are set to launch. All three pages now state that new Apple Intelligence features and languages will launch in early April, an update from the more broader April timeframe that Apple provided before. The next major point updates will be iOS ...
prioritize notifications ios 18 4

Everything New in iOS 18.4 Beta 1

Friday February 21, 2025 1:08 pm PST by
Apple finally released the first beta of iOS 18.4 to developers for testing purposes, and while the beta is lacking some of the Apple Intelligence features we were hoping for, there are some notable new additions. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Priority Notifications - Apple Intelligence There is a new Priority Notifications feature that can show you your most...
apple launch feb 2025

Tim Cook Teases an 'Apple Launch' Next Wednesday

Thursday February 13, 2025 8:07 am PST by
In a social media post today, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an upcoming "launch" of some kind scheduled for Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," he said, with an #AppleLaunch hashtag. The post includes a short video with an animated Apple logo inside a circle. Cook did not provide an exact time for the launch, or share any other specific details, so...
iPhone 16e Feature

Apple Denies Speculation Surrounding iPhone 16e's Lack of MagSafe

Friday February 21, 2025 8:01 am PST by
Apple has confirmed that its custom-designed C1 modem in the iPhone 16e has nothing to do with the device's lack of MagSafe support, according to Macworld. Following the launch of the iPhone 16e, there was some speculation online about how MagSafe magnets might have interfered with the C1 modem's cellular connectivity performance, and this was considered to be a potential reason for the...
apple c1

Apple Unveils 'C1' as First Custom Cellular Modem

Wednesday February 19, 2025 8:08 am PST by
Apple today announced its first custom cellular modem with the name "C1," debuting in the all-new iPhone 16e. The new modem contributes to the iPhone 16e's power efficiency, giving it the longest battery life of any iPhone with a 6.1-inch display, such as the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16. Expanding the benefits of Apple silicon, C1 is the first modem designed by Apple and the most...

Top Rated Comments

Mascots Avatar
104 months ago
There is no way Apple would move from Lightning. They have invested so much into the ecosystem, it hasn't hit the limits as far as technical prowess, and Apple's control of the entire implementation allows them to do many things that would require serious work to implement without Lightning's wrapper on USB's transfer mechanism.

Did you know that when you plug accessories in, iOS flashes them with the most up-to-date firmware? Or the majority of the handshake between wireless devices (Pencil, Magic accessories) is handled by Lightning? Or even that Lightning's adaptor/connector support is so interoperable that it can survive any foreseeable transition or include any existing connection ever? They've just invested so much from a technical aspect that I see them having a hard time reimplementing much of it with a standard that they don't control.

Even the development path says no - if Apple transitions iOS devices to USB-C, they'd have to move controller hardware for supported modes back into the iDevice; at the moment the iDevices only need to control USB traffic and everything else is handled on the cord. Neither is Apple going to allow that complexity - which they worked so hard to move out of the core - back in, nor chance having to make a device larger to support a random array of modes (HDMI, DP are good examples and USB-C's mode set has grown every 6 months) and would never welcome back the days of: "this device only supports these series of connections".
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
djcerla Avatar
104 months ago
Barclays, AKA the guys who downgraded Apple with $115 target one day before the stock skyrocketed.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
reden Avatar
104 months ago
And $20 in the US
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ios-dan Avatar
104 months ago
This will never happen. Apple is all about thin. USB is thinner, as far as USB goes, but it's not thinner than lightning.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Chupa Chupa Avatar
104 months ago
And $20 in the US
Yes, but in the US it will be an optional purchase. Guarantee you the iPhone will cost more in Europe than the US and more than $20 too - it always does even after you add in VAT - so stop your whining.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hwilson39 Avatar
104 months ago
The WSJ article could be interpreted as "comes with Lighting to USB-C cord instead of Lighting to USB-A". The wording is vague.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)