Apple might deliver USB-C to AirPods and Mac equipment by 2024

Apple’s making ready to undertake USB-C charging throughout its line of AirPods and Mac equipment inside the subsequent couple of years, based on a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. The purported shift away from Lightning comes because the European Union appears to mandate USB-C charging on new smartphones, tablets, and headphones launched within the area in late 2024. While the laws nonetheless hasn’t but been signed into legislation, it received approval from the European Parliament final week.

To adjust to the upcoming guidelines, Gurman believes Apple would possibly deliver USB-C to the next-gen AirPods, AirPods Pro, and AirPods by 2024, whereas Mac equipment, together with the Magic Mouse, Magic Keyboard, and Magic Trackpad might make the swap to USB-C as quickly as subsequent 12 months. Apple’s as a consequence of refresh its Mac lineup with a brand new iMac and Mac Pro subsequent 12 months, and for the reason that launch of recent Macs sometimes “coincides with accessory updates” Gurman says “it’s a safe bet that those accessories will move to USB-C in their next incarnation.” Gurman equally believes Apple will swap over its AirPods earlier than the EU’s laws goes into impact.

Earlier this 12 months, a report from Gurman instructed that Apple has already began testing USB-C charging on its iPhones, however that we shouldn’t anticipate them to land on gadgets till 2023 “at the earliest.” Gurman reiterates this perception on this most up-to-date Power On publication, as soon as once more including that he thinks Apple will add a USB-C charging port to the iPhone 15, in addition to to the entry-level iPad anticipated to launch by the tip of this 12 months.

As my colleague Jon Porter factors out, Apple technically wouldn’t should adjust to the EU’s upcoming legislation till it releases the iPhone 17 within the fall of 2025, as there’s a two-year grace interval that enables corporations (specifically, Apple) sufficient time to make the transition to USB-C. Despite this, Gurman thinks Apple will “handily beat the due date with its most visible products.”

Even if Apple does make the transition to utilizing USB-C, Gurman expects its presence on Apple gadgets to be short-lived. Gurman believes that Apple will finally deliver inductive charging to the iPhone and iPad “at some point in the next few years” to get across the laws, because it doesn’t apply to gadgets that don’t assist wired charging.