In a note to clients — as noted by MacRumors — analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says Apple will debut an iPhone without a Lightning connector in 2021. Lightning is a proprietary computer bus and power connector created and designed by Apple.
Chances the rumor is true, according to the Sellers Research Group (that’s me): 60%. I think Apple will replace the Lighting port with USB-C. However, I think it will happen in 2020, not 2021.
Within the next 12 months, a majority of Apple users will have at least one device (probably their Mac laptop or an iPad Pro) that charges via USB-C. It only makes sense that the iPhone make that transition, as well.
(BTW, Kuo is also predicting a second generation iPhone SE in the first half of 2020, following by an “iPhone SE 2 Plus” the following year.)
