3 weeks ago
2
Apple is finally removing the Lightning port from its lineup of Mac accessories. This morning, the company announced a new iMac with M4 that comes with updated versions of the Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, and Magic Trackpad that include USB-C, and is also selling them individually in the Apple Store. All three have featured the proprietary Lightning port since 2015.
The prices haven’t changed from their Lightning versions; the USB-C Magic Mouse is $99, the Magic Keyboard, which is so far seemingly only available as the larger model with a numpad, is $199, and the Magic Trackpad is $149. All three are available in black or white. And no, we still can’t tell where the charging port is for the Magic Mouse, but at least so far, the images Apple has published show what appear to be unchanged designs.
The shift to USB-C is overdue: all Mac desktops and notebooks had switched to USB-C as their primary connectivity port by 2018. The iPad started getting USB-C the same year, and USB-C arrived on the iPhone in 2023. Switching these accessories to USB-C will allow many Apple device owners to toss their USB-C-to-Lightning cables now that the entire line has switched over.
EU regulators pressured Apple to fully switch from Lightning, with the company ultimately updating the port on the iPhone 15 last year. Apple has been slowly swapping out the ports on its remaining devices since then. Last month, the company upgraded its AirPods Max headphones to USB-C as well (and… didn’t do much else).
In the past few years, Apple has had several opportunities to replace its computer peripherals with new versions that, at the very least, updated how they charge. However, alongside the release of the M1 Mac Mini in 2020, the redesigned M1 iMac in 2021, the Mac Studio in 2022, and each of their spec upgrades in 2023, Apple seemed determined to keep Lightning.
Now, the iPhone SE is Apple’s final major device with a Lightning port, which may change soon enough.
Developing...
)
)
)
English (US) ·