iPhone 8 Release Date Rumors: 2017 Models Will Have Lightning Port, Not USB-C, Analyst Claims

It was reported earlier this week that Apple’s iPhone 8 will ditch the Lightning port and replace it with a USB-C. However, an analyst is refuting those claims stating that all three new iPhones this year will continue using the Lightning port.

Although Apple will be sticking to its proprietary Lightning port for the iPhone 8 , the tech giant will be adding fast charging capabilities, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo from KGI Securities (via Apple Insider). He also says that the power management technologies (the cable) will be changed by Apple in order to incorporate fast charging.

Kuo believes that Apple will be adopting the power management tech from Texas Instruments, while the power delivery chips will be taken from Cypress. Also, the previously rumored L-shaped battery for the iPhone 8 is also expected to enable fast charging, according to 9To5Mac.

The cable that comes with the new iPhones will feature a Lightning connector on one end and a Type-C connector on the other. By doing this, Apple will be able to meet the USB-C fast charging standard, while still keeping the Lightning port on the device itself. Kuo says that this will be called “Type-C power Delivery.”

As for data transfers through the Lightning port, Kuo believes Apple isn't prioritizing making data transfers faster. He said transferring files via a cable is a “niche application” as majority of people are now use to syncing through the cloud. Currently, data transfer speed through the Lightning port to USB 3 is 5gbps.

The Wall Street Journal reported this past Tuesday that Apple was completely replacing the Lightning port on the new iPhones with a USB-C port. Although the WSJ’s report contradicts Kuo’s predictions, both agree that there will be three new iPhones this year. The popular rumor making the rounds is that there will be 4.7-inch, 5.5-inch and 5.8-inch iPhone.

In terms of an iPhone 8 (iPhone X, iPhone 10th Anniversary) release date, expect the major launch of Apple's flagship to come in September. Since the iPhone 5 in September 2012, Apple has released its most significant iPhones at its September event. The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus were unveiled on Sept. 16, 2016.