Apple has been granted a patent from the US Patent and Trademark Office for magnetic connectors which could one day replace its own Lightning port.
As reported by Patently Apple, the filing reveals an accessory connector – which can charge something like an Apple Watch – that is also capable of exchanging power and data with a smartphone.
The connector is designed to be like a tile which can attach magnetically to the electronic device port, a similar deign to the new MagSafe.
Apple introduced wireless MagSafe charging with the iPhone 12 which had charging speeds limited to 15W, slower than the Lightning port at 20W.
The patent filing could see charging speeds accelerated to beyond the Lightning port capabilities.
Apple first filed the patent in April 2018 and it was only granted on March 4, 2021.
The iPhone 13 has been rumoured to be the guinea pig phone for the magnetic charger, but it is likely we won’t see it until at least 2022.
Apple introduced the Lightning port to the iPhone 5 in 2012 after ditching the original 30-pin connector.
