The iPhone 12 could ship with a new, braided Lightning cable

Iphone 12 Braided Lightning Cable
Iphone 12 Braided Lightning Cable (Image credit: DuanRui)

What you need to know

  • Images of a braided USB-C to Lightning cable have leaked.
  • A leaker says that the cable will ship with the iPhone 12.
  • Apple is rumored to be dropping the charger and EarPods from the box.

The rumor that Apple may be dropping the charger and EarPods from the box with the iPhone 12 continues to gain steam. The Lightning cable, however, seems to be holding its place in the box. According to new images leaked to Twitter, it may be getting an overhaul.

Posted to Twitter by user DuanRui, the images show a new, braided USB-C to Lightning cable. In addition to the images, the account says that the "iPhone 12 series will be equipped with USB-C to Lightning braided data cable."

Apple shipped the iPhone 11 Pro with an 18W USB-C charger and a USB-C to Lightning cable, so it would not be a far reach to expect them to extend this type of cable to all iPhone 12 models. The company is also rumored to be developing a 20W USB-C charger to use for all of its iPhones and iPads, so the move could make sense if that turns out to be true as well.

It is currently unclear if the claim is genuine, but anyone who has used Apple's Lightning cable knows that they are not the most durable. Adding braiding to the cable would surely increase the durability of the cable, a move that Apple could make to decrease E-waste, an argument it is expected to use if it does in fact remove the charger and EarPods from the box of the iPhone 12.

Joe Wituschek
Contributor

Joe Wituschek is a Contributor at iMore. With over ten years in the technology industry, one of them being at Apple, Joe now covers the company for the website. In addition to covering breaking news, Joe also writes editorials and reviews for a range of products. He fell in love with Apple products when he got an iPod nano for Christmas almost twenty years ago. Despite being considered a "heavy" user, he has always preferred the consumer-focused products like the MacBook Air, iPad mini, and iPhone 13 mini. He will fight to the death to keep a mini iPhone in the lineup. In his free time, Joe enjoys video games, movies, photography, running, and basically everything outdoors.