Apple will adopt USB-C more widely across its product portfolio in the coming years, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman says he expects the company to transition all of its wireless headphones, including the recently updated AirPods Pro, to the charging standard by 2024. Additionally, Apple could upgrade accessories like the Magic Mouse with USB-C. – and a more intuitive design, one would expect – as soon as next year.
The reported change would bring most Apple products into compliance with the European Union’s upcoming USB-C mandate. Earlier this week, the European Parliament voted to make the port the common cargo standard across the bloc. Once approved, the legislation will mean that all new phones, tablets and headphones launched in the EU must have USB-C for charging by the end of 2024. The mandate will extend to laptops in spring 2026.
In May, Gurman reported that Apple had begun testing USB-C iPhones before the EU adopted the proposed legislation. He then warned that if the company went ahead with the switch, “it wouldn’t happen until 2023 at the earliest.” Now he says the iPhone 15 line “is essentially a lock” to receive USB-C next fall.
However, Apple’s switch to USB-C may be short-lived. Gurman expects the company to transition the iPhone and iPad “fully” to inductive charging “at some point in the next few years.” He points out that the company may see the technology as a way to get around EU legislation, as it does not cover wireless charging.
Of course, if you’ve been following the Apple rumor mill long enough, you’ll know that a port-less iPhone is something the company has been thinking about since it removed the headphone jack from the iPhone 7 in 2016. Since then, however, Qi charging has created some problems for Apple, including most notably the cancellation of AirPower in 2019.