So long, Lightning.
On Tuesday, Apple showed off the new iPhone 15 in all its glory and different colours. For some, the event was a chance to admire the company’s high-tech innovations in the smartphone space. They drooled over the Pro model’s ability to record 3D video, thought about the amazing photos they could take with a better camera, and debated between the pink and the shiny new titanium.
But Apple didn’t want to make the biggest and best change for the average consumer, like me. Instead of a Lightning port, all iPhone 15 models will use a USB-C port to charge. If that doesn’t sound like much, let me explain. Because it really is a very big deal.
Think about the iPhone features you actually use, assuming you’re not a power user. I’ll share mine with you. I get around the city with Maps. I send texts. I dial. I go through TikTok over and over again. I look at my emails. Most of what I do with my phone every day only needs a keyboard and a WiFi signal.
Do you know what I don’t use very often? All the nonsense that Apple says will change your life is true.
Push Touch? I never used it, and neither did anyone else. I have never used cinematic mode to take a video. I’m still on iOS 15 because I don’t need anything from iOS 16 or the soon-to-be-released iOS 17.
Do you know what I need as a regular user who is not a tech expert? A charging port for everything. And one that isn’t broken, if possible. I can only charge my iPhone 13 wirelessly right now because the Lightning port on all of my phones is broken and won’t take a charge. The name of Apple’s charging system is clever, but it can be very fragile. In fact, Lightning cables have also been known to break for a long time.
Even though I’m not the only one with this problem, I know it could be a problem with me. I run with my phone in my pocket, which I’m sure adds to the buildup of dirt and liquid. But a USB-C connection seems much more durable to me, and I’ve never had any trouble charging my laptop or other devices with a USB-C. Now I’m ready to talk about my next point.
Even if your Lightning port has never broken, switching to USB-C is still important for you. It’s not the most creative or cool thing, but it gets the job done. Now, you can charge all of your devices with the same cable. You can finally only pack one cord for all of your electronics. You can also borrow a charger from someone who has an Android. We might as well be living in a different world.
Apple did not want to do this, just to be clear. The company made it look like a big renovation that they had always planned to do. But the change happened because the European Union passed a law that requires USB-C to be compatible with everything by 2024. Apple had to join the rest of the world and make its phone charge through the same port as its laptops and tablets. It could no longer make you buy a different charger just because it could. Apple can talk all it wants about new buttons or world-class cameras, but this is what people really care about.
I’ll probably buy the iPhone 15 soon because, well, my current phone doesn’t charge. I’m not sure if I’ll ever really use the now-standard Dynamic Island. But I will definitely charge my phone with the charger for my laptop, and vice versa. Someone at Apple is probably mad about this idea somewhere. I’m thankful for that.
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