iPhone 8 USB-C: Apple Reportedly Choosing Lighting Over New Industry Standard

A new report is claiming that Apple is keeping its Lightning port for the upcoming iPhone 8, despite the fact that USB-C has some advantages over the former. The report did state that switching to USB-C is inevitable given the trend in the smartphone industry these days, but it’s not very likely for the Cupertino giant to jump on the bandwagon this year.

This Wednesday, AppleInsider did a story on why Apple will not likely ditch Lightning for USB-C on its highly anticipated 10th anniversary iPhone. The Apple-centric news site enumerated the reasons why Lightning is up to par if not better than the new industry standard.

AppleInsider compared Lightning and USB-C by focusing on three different points: power, speed and strength. When it comes to power, the site recognized USB-C as a technology that indeed delivers power well. However, it also pointed out that Lightning charging is “no slouch.” It went on to say that this is evident in the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, which charges three times faster using the 29W USB-C power adapter of the 12-inch MacBook.

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When it comes to speed, AppleInsider noted that USB-C wins this round in theory. Then, it stated that Lightning is also capable of USB-C’s transfer speeds as long as the technology is used in the right circumstances. The tech site once again used the 12.9-inch iPad as example on how Lightning could be just as fast as USB-C in transferring data. The large tablet is said to have USB 3 transfer speeds when a Lightning to USB 3 camera adapter is used with it. But this capability is only limited to the 12.9-inch iPad as of late. Still, this is a good indication that Apple does not need to switch to USB-C just to secure faster data transfers with the new iPhones.

The tech site compared the tensile strength of USB-C and Lightning connectors. According to the site, the two yielded results that were on the same range. Nonetheless, Lightning was found to be at an advantage when it came down to how the ports were still functional even when the Lighting tip broke off. “When a Lightning tip breaks off, invariably there’s a little metal left in the iPhone or iPad. After fishing the tip out, the port still worked fine. When a USB-C tip broke, 4 out of 7 cases it deformed the port, rendering it useless.” AppleInsider did clarify that there is no telling at this point if this disadvantage would be present if Apple were to really launch an iPhone with USB-C.

In a video report, the publication said that Apple’s drive to shift its consumers to wireless technology is a sign that there isn’t really a need for USB-C migration. The site added that although USB-C is becoming the industry standard, it is still not very likely for Apple to join its competitors this year. Apple’s decision on whether it would be switching to USB-C or not still remains uncertain. Either way, the company would end up in a difficult situation. Switching to USB-C would definitely annoy peripheral owners. Retaining Lightning technology, on the other hand, would antagonize consumers who want the tech giant to join other companies in embracing universality.

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PocketNow pointed out early last year that Apple seems to be not getting the credit it deserves for being the first tech company to transition to a smaller connector design with a reversible plug in the industry. Samsung’s biggest rival introduced the Lightning connector five years ago, and it has since implemented the technology in a number of its primary products and a range of accessories. Having said these, do you think it’s a good idea for Apple to ditch Lightning for USB-C on its upcoming iPhones?