Apple might bring the USB-C port to older iPhones

We are seeing more and more leaks reaffirming the rumor that Apple will drop its proprietary Lightning port with the iPhone 15 series and replace it with a USB-C one instead. Of course, this would be a monumental change, given how long we have all waited for it to happen, but there have been whispers that Apple is planning to do something even more surprising.

Whenever a new generation of iPhones comes out, Apple typically continues to sell the non-Pro models of the previous one. Now, you wouldn't expect any changes with those older models, but an Apple developer going by the nickname @aaronp613 found something peculiar that might suggest otherwise for the near future.

In the midst of digging inside the tvOS 17 beta 5 code, Aaron discovered two new references to iPhone models, which were different from the four found in earlier beta updates (via NotebookCheck). The initial four are thought to be those for the four iPhone 15 models we expect Apple to announce on September 12. So, the question is what are the other two?

The theory is that these elusive models will be the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus but with brand new USB-C ports. If this ends up being true, the most likely explanation would be keeping up with EU regulations. Although, if that's the case, shouldn't the iPhone 13 also have its port changed? There is also a chance it is the iPhone 14 and iPhone 13 (without the Plus).

A more anticlimactic outcome could be that these additional iPhone references are just devices for developers to do internal tests on. The truth is we cannot know for certain, but they do raise some questions and create a bit of mystique around the iPhone 15 series launch. The good news is that we are just about a month away from Apple's iPhone 15 event, so we won't have to wait too much to find out.