Gurman: AirPods and Mac Accessories Likely to Switch to USB-C by 2024
Earlier this week, the European Parliament approved a new directive to force manufacturers to offer USB-C as a common charging port across a wide range of devices in Europe by the end of 2024. In his latest “Power On” newsletter, Gurman said that Apple has been preparing to make changes to its devices to meet these new legal requirements. Gurman believes that Apple will beat the legislation’s date of application in late 2024 with most of its products. The iPhone 15, he claims, will beat the EU’s mandate by a year, featuring a USB-C port in the fall of 2023. The entry level iPad, the only iPad to still feature a Lightning connector should switch to USB-C by the end of this year.
Gurman speculated that if Apple releases a new iPhone SE model in March 2024 with a Lightning port instead of a USB-C port, it will be in compliance with EU law since it would launch before the end of the year – but any new iPhone SE model released in 2025 or 2026 would need to feature USB-C.
Gurman noted that all AirPods models, as well as the Magic Mouse, Magic Keyboard, and Magic Trackpad will need to make the switch when new versions are released. He anticipates several major Mac updates next year, including a new iMac and a Mac Pro, and said that “one could probably assume that move coincides with accessory updates.”
Despite the switch to USB-C across Apple’s family of products, Gurman said that he thinks the USB-C era will be far shorter than the tenure of the 30-pin iPod connector or Lightning, “at least for Apple’s mobile devices.” The iPod connector and Lightning will have been on new Apple devices for around 11 years each before they were phased out, and Gurman still believes that “Apple’s future is wireless and that some version of the canceled AirPower dream from 2017 will still eventually come to fruition – well before a decade from now.”
He added that “at some point in the next few years,” Apple will probably begin transitioning entirely to inductive charging on the iPhone and the iPad, a move that largely exempts the devices from EU law mandating a the inclusion of a USB-C port.
Popular Stories
These 10 U.S. States Will Let You Add Your Driver’s License to Your iPhone
Earlier this year, Apple launched a feature allowing residents of participating U.S. states to add their driver’s license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age.
As we wait for IDs in the Wallet app to expand to additional U.S. states, here is everything you need to know about how the feature …
One of iOS 16’s Best Features Drains Battery When Enabled
One of iOS 16’s most praised features comes at the cost of draining battery life, according to recently published Apple support documents.
The feature, known as “keyboard haptics,” is optional in iOS 16 and allows users to get physical feedback via slight vibrations upon the touch of each key, confirming that it was pressed much like keyboard sounds. The feature is a useful addition to the…
Five Apple Products You Should Avoid Buying Right Now
Rumors suggest that Apple still has several new devices that are coming before the end of the year, including a range of Macs and iPads. It’s not looking like we’re going to get an October event in 2022, but refreshes are coming soon, probably via press release. If you’re planning to buy a Mac or an iPad, make sure to check out our list to know what’s safe to pick up now and what’s not.
iPad …
New Apple TV Rumored to Launch in 2022 With These Four Features
Back in May, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that a new Apple TV would be released in the second half of 2022. Last month, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman also said that a new Apple TV was “getting closer” and “could potentially launch this year.”
With a new version of the Apple TV potentially on the horizon, here are four rumored features and changes for the streaming box.
Faster chip: Gurman said…
Apple Releases New Beta Firmware for AirPods, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max
Apple today provided developers with a new beta firmware update for the AirPods 2, AirPods 3, AirPods Pro, AirPods Pro 2, and AirPods Max. The new beta has a version number of 5B5040c.
Apple has been providing beta updates for the AirPods since the Worldwide Developers Conference in June, and the firmware is limited to developers who can download it from the Developer Center. Installing the…
No October Apple Event Expected Despite Upcoming Wave of New Devices
Apple is no longer expected to host an event this month, despite plans to unveil a host of new devices including new iPad and Mac models, according to recent reports.
In recent months, Apple has been expected to hold an event in October to announce a range of products that did not receive any stage time during the company’s iPhone 14 unveiling event last month. In a recent newsletter, Bloombe…
Hands-On With Google’s New Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro and Pixel Watch
Google today announced the launch of the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro smartphones, which will directly compete with the iPhone 14 lineup, plus it debuted the Pixel Watch, an Apple Watch competitor. MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera was at Google’s event, and he was able to get some hands-on time with the new devices to give us a look at how they measure up to Apple’s latest product lineup.
Subscrib …
Apple Rumored to Launch 27-Inch Mini-LED Display in Q1 2023
Apple is planning to launch an external monitor with a 27-inch mini-LED display in the first quarter of 2023, according to Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) analyst Ross Young.
In a tweet shared with super followers, Young said that Apple had “pushed” the debut of the monitor to Q1 2023. Young is presumably talking about the first calendar quarter of 2023, aka the months from January…
