Apple has just won a new patent from the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office—and it’s a new magnetic smart connector designed in several styles. There is no official announcement from Apple yet, but it could be safe to suspect that such a charger might be making its way into the iPhone 13. Apple has previously used a similar type of connector in the iPad, designed to link to Apple’s Smart Keyboard.
iPad Smart Keyboard Connector
If Apple does indeed choose to implement its patented magnetic smart connector into the iPhone 13, it might not be the end of the world. While it would be annoying to have to throw away all our Lightning cables (and of course, we can say goodbye to wired EarPods for good), it seems like such a connection may make chargers less susceptible to damage from bending—meaning you may no longer have to go through cables like nobody’s business. From the patent photos, it looks like a hearty tug sideways on the cable may simply disconnect it rather than risk breaking the charger. The iPhone 13 is sure to be compatible with wireless charging, in any case, and we are waiting on Apple for further news.
