Apple is expected to feature the latest chips only in the Pro model of the iPhone 14 series, which will be released this fall, but new leak information has raised the prospect that even more important changes will be added to next year’s model.
According to anonymous industry insider Leaks Apple Pro, Apple will move the Pro model of the iPhone 15 next year to a USB-C port, leaving the standard model with a Lightning port.
Leaks Apple Pro said Apple has taken the initiative in following the EU’s decision to have all manufacturers adopt USB-C by the fall of 2024.
Interestingly, LeaksApplePro pointed out that Apple could go one step further and make the 2024 iPhone 16 Pro a “portless” version that only supports MagSafe for wireless charging. Introduced by Apple in 2020, MagSafe’s wireless charging power is up to 15W, and 40-60W is inferior to the typical Android USB-C fast charge.
That said, the new EU rule applies only to “devices that use wired charging,” so Apple can avoid applying this rule by portlessing the iPhone, LeaksApplePro said.
In any case, it’s a big shock that Apple will have two different charging ports for each model for the first time in the history of next year’s iPhone 15 series. Behind this decision may be supply chain constraints, but prior to the enforcement of the new EU rules, we will introduce USB-C exclusively for Pro models and show their willingness to follow them. May be a wise choice.
However, this move will also lead to confusion for customers and reduce demand for the Standard Model. When the Lightning terminal was introduced on the iPhone 5 in 2012, the resale price of older models that adopted the Dock connector dropped sharply.
As a result, if this information is correct, anyone considering a replacement iPhone will have to make a difficult decision. With the move to USB-C, all models of this year’s iPhone 14 and next year’s standard model of the iPhone 15 will soon become low-resale legacy devices.
As for the iPhone 14, the Pro model in particular can be expected to upgrade the camera and improve performance, but given the significant price increase, it doesn’t seem like a significant expense.
In my opinion, unless you want a new device for everything, you should forgo this year’s iPhone 14 series and see what happens to your device in 2023. But of course, the choice is up to you.