From better battery to more storage, there are a few general upgrades that tend to top iPhone users' wish lists every year. But there's one specific feature fans have been requesting for a long time now – and it looks like it might not arrive in 2022.
USB-C has already hit the iPad line up, with the Pro, Air and mini all adopting the tech in recent years. But if new leaks are to be believed, iPhone users are going to have to make do with the Lightning port for yet another year. (Don't fancy waiting? Check out the best iPhone 13 deals available now.)
A fan-made render of the iPhone 14 (Image credit: Volodymyr Lenard)
According to iDropNews, the entire iPhone 14 line up is set to feature Lightning instead of USB-C. This means that most external accessories, such as cameras or hard drives, will still require a dongle to connect to the device.
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That said, the report does contain some good news. Apparently this will be an 'enhanced' version of Lightning, capable of faster transfers. "The Lightning connector normally operates at USB 2.0 speeds, but it’s not technically limited to that, and Apple engineers are working on 3.0 speeds for the iPhone 14 Pro connector."
Faster speeds would of course be a plus – and with the iPhone 14 rumoured to feature some whopping storage sizes, creatives should have more freedom than ever when it comes to file transfers.
The iPhone 13 Pro kept the Lightning port (Image credit: Future)
But this doesn't solve the issue of compatibility. While Apple has, as TechRadar notes, been slapped with EU regulations insisting it eventually include USB-C, it seems Apple is keen to keep its garden walled for as long as possible. And with the 14 rumoured to be getting a physical size bump, creatives had better save plenty of bag space for the next generation of iPhone.
Hey, maybe Apple will surprise us with a USB-U-turn come September, but for now it sounds like the dongle dystopia is set to continue for another year. Don't fancy waiting to find out? Check out today's best iPhone 13 deals below.
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Daniel John is Design Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of design, branding and lifestyle tech, and has covered several industry events including Milan Design Week, OFFF Barcelona and Adobe Max in Los Angeles. He has interviewed leaders and designers at brands including Apple, Microsoft and Adobe. Daniel's debut book of short stories and poems was published in 2018, and his comedy newsletter is a Substack Bestseller.
