10 years ago, Apple unveiled the iPhone 5, which unlike previous generations, lacked the 30-pin connector and hit the market with a Lightning port. Thanks to the use of this port, users could insert the cable into the phone’s port regardless of the correct cable orientation. This is while, before Lightning, for other ports there was only one correct orientation.
However, this port, which was once considered an attractive innovation, has now drawn the ire of many users who are calling for the iPhone to migrate to USB-C. But overall, Apple is one of those companies that is in no hurry to adopt new technologies. Here, we’ll look at 6 technologies that Apple adopted later than its competitors.
This feature has not yet been implemented, but due to new EU regulations, Apple has no choice but to use a USB-C port for its 2023 iPhones. Although this law will come into effect in mid-2024, analysts believe that Apple will not take risks in this regard and will use a USB-C port for the iPhone 15 series starting in 2023.
In addition to the European Union, the US and Brazil are also seeking to pass new laws to mandate the use of USB-C ports for all phones. The first Android phone equipped with this port was released in 2015, meaning that next year Apple will join this trend 8 years later than its rivals.
It should be noted that 5 years ago, the iPad Pro was released with a USB-C port, and despite this trend continuing for other iPad models, the company is strongly resisting ditching the Lightning port. In the meantime, we should also mention the 12-inch MacBook, which arrived in users’ hands with a USB-C port in 2015.
After years of using a 12-megapixel main camera for various models, Apple has this year launched the iPhone 14 Pro models with a camera sensor based on pixel binning technology.
For years, the Nokia 808 held the record for the highest mobile camera resolution with its 41-megapixel camera. In 2018, Huawei unveiled the P20 and Mate 20 phones with a 40-megapixel camera and approached this record. Finally, in late 2018, Huawei and Honor introduced the first phones with 48-megapixel cameras.
One of the most important features of the Huawei P20 Pro camera was its use of pixel binning technology, which, in addition to improving photo quality in low-light environments, offered advantages such as the ability to capture HDR photos without needing to combine multiple different images. It should be noted that the Nokia 808’s camera sensor, in addition to its high resolution, also had a very large size. This phone’s sensor was so large that the sensors of the iPhone 14 Pro models are now considered to be almost the same size.
The iPhone 11 series phones were released in 2019 with a 4G model, and finally, Apple switched to using a 5G modem for the iPhone 12 series. The main reason for this delay is not related to Apple’s usual stubbornness about using new technologies. Rather, it goes back to the conflicts between Apple and Qualcomm and Intel’s failure in this area. Finally, after Intel accepted defeat in the field of 5G modem manufacturing, Apple and Qualcomm also set aside their legal disputes and once again signed a cooperation agreement.
During that period, rumors about the iPhone using modems from Samsung, MediaTek, and even Huawei were heard, but these rumors did not materialize. After Intel’s failure, Apple decided to personally enter this field, and for this reason, in 2019, it acquired this company’s mobile modem division for $1 billion. Some analysts believed that Apple would start using proprietary modems in 2023, but it seems the company has faced many challenges regarding modem-related patents.
The Galaxy S10 5G is considered the first phone based on this technology, which was released in 2019. Therefore, in total, Apple adopted this feature 18 months later than its old rival.
In 2019, Apple introduced the Always-on display feature for the Apple Watch 5 using LTPO panels. But this feature, after years of waiting, has finally made its way to the iPhone 14 Pro models.
Years ago, when most Android phones used LCD displays, these phones could somehow simulate the Always-on display feature. But apart from these phones, in 2016, phones like the Galaxy S7 and LG G5 were released as the first phones based on Always-on display technology. At that time, activating this feature put a lot of strain on the battery, but in recent years, the energy consumption of this feature has significantly improved.
Like the Always-on display, wireless charging also initially made its way to the Apple Watch. In fact, the first generation Apple Watch in 2014 also featured this. The Palm Pre is considered the first phone equipped with this feature, released in 2009. For several years, other than this phone and its subsequent generations, no other phone utilized this feature.
But eventually, in 2012, phones like the Nokia 920 and Nexus 4 also reached users with wireless charging. Initially, phones used two different standards for wireless charging, but eventually, various companies agreed on using the Qi standard.
In 2017, Apple unveiled the iPhone X and iPhone 8, and these phones featured wireless charging. In 2020, MagSafe technology arrived, allowing users to magnetically charge their iPhones.
