Apple is ready to commit a serious offense against the iPhone 7
The device, which is gorgeous and only a few months old, will likely be reduced to non-recyclable shards by the upcoming iPhone 8, if the rumors are true. Of course, it's true that a shiny new iPhone is always around the corner, but there's reason to believe that Apple's upcoming flagship device will be such a significant leap forward that it would be foolish to invest in one now.
Here's the thing: A Wall Street Journal report on Tuesday said Apple will ditch the Lightning port for the iPhone 8, replacing it with a USB-C one. In other words, the cables you currently use to charge your phone or listen to music will become useless, doomed to stay in your drawer forever!
Like most “innovations” from Apple these days, there’s a precedent for this one. Before the iPhone 5 launched in 2012, devices used a 30-pin connector that fit its iPod. It was a wider, bulkier thing than the Lightning port on today’s iPhones. Many third-party gadgets (like the ubiquitous iHome) used this connector, so adapters were sold to keep consumers quiet.
You may still see such connectors on older gym equipment (now somewhat obsolete because Apple created a new type of cable five years ago), or on clock radios in hotel rooms.
But there's good news: A switch to USB-C would bring Apple into an established ecosystem, theoretically turning all users against such a dirty turnover.
This is why now is a bad time to buy an iPhone: Lightning, an Apple-exclusive technology, appears to be on the verge of “death.” If the iPhone 8 introduces a USB-C port, you’ll find yourself stuck with an old-fashioned form factor that won’t work easily with newer third-party devices. And that’s not a good thing.
