Apple drops the price of its USB-C-to-Lightning cable to $19

Apple fans have been complaining about this cord's price for a while. But now it raises the question: Could USB-C play prominently in the next iPhone?

Gordon Gottsegen CNET contributor

Gordon Gottsegen is a tech writer who has experience working at publications like Wired. He loves testing out new gadgets and complaining about them. He is the ghost of all failed Kickstarters.

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Gordon Gottsegen

May 21, 2018 11:58 a.m. PT

Close up of Lightning (left) vs. USB-C (right) connectors.
Sarah Tew/CNET

Apple quietly dropped the price of its Lightning to USB-C cable in the Apple store, which is sure to please some iPhone fans, and some people think it may hint at what's to come for future Apple products too.

When it was released in 2016, $25 for the one-meter Lightning-to-USB-C cable was a hefty price to ask. Now, at $19 (or £19 or AU$29), it's at least in line with Apple's other cables. The $6 price drop was spotted by 9to5Mac, which speculates that USB-C cables may replace USB-A in the next batch of iPhones. The price drop means that the Lightning-to-USB-C cable now costs the same as the standard Lightning-to-USB-A cable.

Currently, every new iPhone includes a Lightning-to-USB-A cable in the box for charging and connecting to your computer. But the iPhone 8 and iPhone X can charge faster if you use a USB-C cable. Not to mention, Apple only uses USB-C ports in its MacBook and MacBook Pro laptops.

Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.