Apple officially bids farewell to the Lightning port after 13 years.
The iPhone 16e features a new USB-C port.
Apple has taken an important step into the future by unveiling the new iPhone 16e, which features a USB-C port, officially marking the farewell to the iPhone 14 series, the last model to include the Lightning port. With this move, Apple has ceased offering devices that utilize this connection, closing a chapter in its history.
The Lightning port, introduced in 2012 as an alternative to the bulky 30-pin connector, was an innovation at the time. However, despite its initial significance, its disappearance has been hastened by regulatory pressure. In 2022, the European Union established regulations mandating that all new mobile devices—including phones, tablets, and headphones—must include a USB-C charging port, setting a deadline for implementation by the end of 2024. Despite this deadline, Apple anticipated the change with the launch of the iPhone 15 in September 2023, and has already adapted its MacBooks to USB-C chargers.
In addition to the Lightning port, another iconic element of Apple devices, the home button, has been removed. The old iPhone SE was the last model to retain this feature, marking a significant moment as several classic Apple interfaces are relegated to the past.
