Title: Speculation Builds Around Apple Refreshing Existing iPhones with USB-C Ports
It’s no secret that Apple has an upcoming iPhone event on the horizon, with the announcement expected to be made on either August 29 or September 5. The tech giant will officially unveil the highly anticipated iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro line on September 12, followed by pre-orders going live on September 15. Customers can expect to get their hands on the new iPhones starting September 22. While we already have a fairly good idea of what to expect, there is still room for speculation.
This week, code decipherer @aaronp613 made some intriguing findings that suggest Apple may be planning to refresh some existing iPhones with USB-C ports. It is known that the upcoming iPhone 15 series will be the first to ditch the Lightning port in favor of USB-C. However, it should be noted that this decision is not solely up to Apple and is also influenced by global regulations.
The possibility of Apple swapping the Lightning port on a few existing iPhones to continue selling them for years to come is not entirely unprecedented. The Apple TV remote, albeit less complex than an iPhone, successfully made the port switch. If Apple does decide to refresh some existing phones for an all USB-C lineup, the question remains: which models would make the cut?
@aaronp613 shared his own speculation in a graphic, adding another layer of excitement to the rumor mill. Meanwhile, a prediction for the next iPhone lineup suggests that the iPhone 13 mini may not make the cut, based on Apple’s decision to drop the iPhone 12 mini from the current lineup. Instead, it is suggested that an iPhone SE 3 with USB-C could fill that slot. However, this raises the question of whether a charging port change warrants a new model identifier, considering the iPhone SE 3 already houses an A15 chip.
Another possibility highlighted by @aaronp613 is that Apple could introduce USB-C on the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, both powered by the A15 chip. However, it is important to note that these speculations are based on code analysis.
While these theories give enthusiasts plenty to ponder, it is also plausible that the references to unreleased iPhone models discovered by @aaronp613 could turn out to be red herrings. In that case, there would be no USB-C iPhones beyond what has already been expected.
As the speculation continues, the tech community eagerly awaits Apple’s official announcements in the coming weeks.