Why can’t Apple (AAPL) use the same charger for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch?

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This week: How Apple could unify its confusing connector strategy, good luck finding an Apple Watch Edition (if you really want one), and Covid continues to impact Apple’s operations.

Starters

Believe it or not, if you’re lucky enough to have an iPhone, iPad Pro, Apple Watch, and soon a next-gen Mac laptop with the new MagSafe connector, you’ll be using four different charging cables to charge. your Apple Devices. For a company that prides itself on simplicity and making all of its technologies work seamlessly, this is an anomaly.

Let me break down Apple’s different connectors and you’ll see how confusing it is:

• Flash: Apple uses Lightning as a connector for all of its iPhones, entry-level iPad, iPad mini (but not iPad Air or iPad Pro), iPod touch, and accessories like the Apple TV remote, MagSafe Duo and Battery Pack, all AirPods products and cases, and keyboards, mice and trackpads.
• USB-C: Apple uses USB-C for the charger on current MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iPad Pro, and iPad Air.
• MagSafe for iPhone: Apple launched its large, washer-shaped MagSafe charger for the iPhone 12 line last year.
• MagSafe for Apple Watch: The Apple Watch uses the same MagSafe charger since the first model in 2015.
• MagSafe for Mac: MagSafe began its Mac comeback earlier this year with a new round connector on the revamped 24-inch iMac. Expect another MagSafe design to make its way to the new MacBook Pro this year and a redesigned MacBook Air next year.

A few years ago, Apple failed to simplify its connector strategy by switching to wireless charging. Apple tried unsuccessfully to launch its AirPower mat in 2018, which would have given the iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch a single mat to charge wirelessly. Apple last year launched the MagSafe Duo, which lets you charge an Apple Watch and iPhone 12 together, but this product doesn’t really move the needle.

I think Apple should change its connector lineup from five different chargers to three. This would greatly contribute to the simplicity and better management of several Apple products. It should start with the transition from Lightning to USB-C.

Lightning has served Apple well since 2012, but USB-C has clearly won in the industry and has become the default connector for new devices. Apple has pushed back such a decision due to the wide array of third-party Lightning accessories. But the pros are stronger than the cons, I think. By moving the iPhone to USB-C, Apple will have a unified connector with its Macs and countless other devices.

It should also move its non-USB-C iPads to the connector, along with the Apple TV remote, AirPods, and MagSafe for consistency.

Plus, charging Mac accessories through Lightning, which was never available on the Mac itself, doesn’t make sense. Apple should therefore also move its keyboard, mouse and trackpad charging system to USB-C.

It supports standard chargers. What about wireless charging? A single magnetic charger that works on iPhone, Apple Watch, and Mac is not feasible. But making the Apple Watch compatible with the same MagSafe puck used by the iPhone might be a possibility. On the Mac, the company just needs to make sure they use the same MagSafe connector on all of their laptops and desktops.

This brings us back to a single wired connector for all Apple devices, a single MagSafe connector for the iPhone and Apple Watch, and a single MagSafe connector for the Mac. It looks a lot more like Apple.

The bench

Apple is running out of its premium Apple Watch editions. If you’re looking to buy the most expensive non-Hermes Apple Watch edition less than two months before the news goes live, good luck. That’s because the titanium model, which starts at $ 799, appears to be out of stock on Apple’s website in most major markets for all strap sizes, colors, and configurations. The device is listed as “currently unavailable” and also does not appear to be ordered at most physical Apple retail stores.

Apple didn’t say the Apple Watch Edition was discontinued, so here’s my theory. With the next version of the Apple Watch just weeks away, Apple is almost running out of titanium models. Considering the high price tag, Apple probably only made a small amount expecting them to not sell very well. They probably stopped making them months ago and are finally running out of supplies.

We’ll see if Apple chooses to keep titanium for the Apple Watch Series 7, but it wouldn’t surprise me if the company ditched the more expensive Edition material, as it has in the past with ceramic and real gold. . Seriously, what’s the point of spending $ 800 or more on a watch that will be obsolete in a year and non-functional in less than five years?

Covid protocols continue their return to Apple. Remember my column on Apple delaying the return to its offices until October at the earliest? Well, that was just the start. A few days ago, Apple reinstated its mask mandate at most of its retail stores in the United States for customers and staff. He also asks company employees to hide inside. As Covid-19 cases continue to rise, I expect the October return date to be a few months short. We’ve seen Lyft and others delay returning to their offices until February 2022. The expectation in Cupertino is that Apple will eventually follow suit. One question: Will Apple require its employees to be vaccinated? So far it’s a ‘no’, but of course that could eventually change.