If you're dismayed at the likelihood that Apple will skip including a charger in the box and wired EarPods in the box with the iPhone 12 range, there's perhaps one silver lining: the Lightning cable will be really, really nice.
Twitter user and leaker @L0vetodream has shared four images of a white braided USB-C to Lightning cable that has been rumored to ship with Apple's upcoming handsets. Apple currently doesn't offer a braided Lightning cable — well, at least not if you don't shell out $6,000 on a Mac Pro, which happens to come with a fancy black one.
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Braided cables are typically more durable than silicone-shrouded ones, and less susceptible to tangling. However, as MacRumors points out, the white cable expected to ship with next-generation iPhones notably lacks the silicone reinforcement near the edges that is present on the black Mac Pro edition cable.
new lightning cable pic.twitter.com/psW670omTSJuly 23, 2020
It's also unclear at this stage if this USB-C to Lightning cable will be packaged with every iPhone 12 variant, or if it will only be included with the higher-end Pro models. Last year's entry-level 6.1-inch iPhone 11 got a USB-A cable in the box and a standard 5-watt adapter, rather than Apple's newer, faster USB-C-based accessories.
Ironically, this could be the last hurrah for the Lightning cable. Insiders have hinted that Apple will ditch cables for at least one of the iPhone 13 models, which may go entirely portless, instead opting for wireless charging or a Smart Connector, similar to what the iPad Pro employs.
Ultimately, getting a braided Lightning cable will be a somewhat hollow consolation prize for missing out on an adapter and wired headphones. Apple will reportedly release a new fast 20-watt charger that will be sold separately around the time the iPhone 12 emerges. It will likely replace the current 18-watt brick, which costs $30.
Yesterday, a report from the rather dubious Macotakara claimed the iPhone 12 launch event will slip into October, based on information from "multiple suppliers in China." The LTE-only iPhone 12 models might see release that same month, while the 5G-capable ones would be pushed off until November. Again, this source's track record is pretty hit-and-miss overall, but given the year 2020 has been, further delays certainly wouldn't be out of the question.
