When will Apple switch its last Lightning devices to USB-C?

Macworld

It’s only been a little more than a decade years since Apple unveiled its new Lightning port with the iPhone 5, but the tiny port is nearly completely gone. After the European Parliament voted back in 2022 for a new rule requiring all new phones and smaller electronics that use a cable to charge to be equipped with a USB-C port, the countdown to the death of Lightning began. While the rule technically only applies to new products sold in Europe, Apple has embraced the change globally with the launch of the iPhone 15. (If you own one, check out our roundups of the best USB-C iPhone charging cables and best USB-C iPhone chargers.)

But it’s not just iPhones. Apple has already dumped Lightning on the iPad and AirPods Pro, and there are just a handful of devices remaining that still have the proprietary port. Here are all of Apple’s remaining Lightning products and when we might see them switch to USB-C:

iPhone SE

Last updated: March 2022 (3rd gen)

Next expected update: March 2025 (4th gen)

Now that he iPhone 15 has been updated with USB-C, the only phones remaining with Lightning are the older iPhone 13 and iPhone 14, and the iPhone SE. The latest iPhone SE rumors say Apple won’t be updating the current model until at least 2025, if at all. Granted, it’ll be a few years until Lightning is gone for good since Apple has sold older iPhones for several years—the iPhone 14 will likely still be available through most of 2025—but now it’s just a waiting game until the last remaining Lightning-based iPhone is gone for good.




Both of Apple’s AirPods cases need a Lightning port to charge.



Both of Apple’s AirPods cases need a Lightning port to charge.Foundry

Both of Apple’s AirPods cases need a Lightning port to charge.Foundry


Foundry

AirPods Charging Case

Last updated: March 2022 (3rd gen)

Next expected update: Fall 2024 (4th gen)

While the AirPods Pro 2 case picked up USB-C support alongside the launch of the iPhone 15, the 3rd-gen AirPods case remains saddled with a Lightning case. Apple hasn’t updated its plain AirPods in more than two years, so it’s due for an update in 2024.

AirPods Max

Last updated: December 2020 (1st gen)

Next expected update: Fall 2024 (2nd gen)

When Apple introduced the AirPods Max in December 2020, they had a Lightning port on the side for charging (or wired listening via the optional Lightning to 3.5mm audio cable). Nearly four years later, we’re still waiting for the 2nd-gen model to bring USB-C along with numerous other upgrades: better noise cancellation, an H2 chip for Adaptive Transparency, new colors, and a lighter design. But mostly USB-C.

Magic Keyboard, Magic Trackpad, Magic Mouse

Last updated: March 2022 (black)

Next expected update: 2025

Apple hasn’t changed much about its trio of Mac accessories in nearly a decade, but it does introduce new colors somewhat regularly. In 2021, all three accessories—Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad, and Magic Mouse—got new colors to match the new 24-inch iMac, while the Magic Keyboard received a Touch ID sensor. Then in 2022, Apple began offering black versions of the accessories alongside the Mac Studio and Studio Display. While we don’t expect Apple to surprise us with a Magic Mouse that charges properly (meaning you don’t have to flip it over to connect the charger), we assume Apple will update its accessories at some point with USB-C, possibly when the M4 desktops launch in 2025.








IDG

IDG


IDG

Powerbeats Pro

Last updated: June 2020 (new colors)

Next expected update:???

While most of Apple’s Beats products use USB-C or micro-USB for charging, there is one—the PowerBeats Pro—that still uses Lightning. We assume that whenever Apple releases new colors or updates the PowerBeats Pro it’ll drop the Lightning port for USB-C—though with the arrival of the Beats Studio Buds+ and Solo Buds, we’re expecting PowerBeats to just disappear at some point.