For many years, Apple relied on the 30 pin connector to connect the iPhone and iPad to charging sources and also for accessories to connect to it. Then came the iPhone 5 which saw Apple introduce the Lightning connector which changed things as it meant that users no longer needed to figure out how to plug it in.
However Apple has recognized that there are still some accessories out there that rely on the 30 pin connector, which is why they have continued selling a Lightning to 30 pin adapter, or at least they used to, because it has been reported that the adapter has been taken down from Apple’s website, leading to speculation that it might have been discontinued.
This doesn’t really come as a surprise, and in fact the surprise was that the accessory stuck around for as long as it did. To be fair Apple has been known to support devices for very long periods of time, and updates to iOS and macOS offer pretty good evidence of that. In any case it might still be possible to find third-party adapters out there if you really need the adapter, but as far as official accessories are concerned, it looks like Apple will no longer be selling it.
Speaking of connectors, while Lightning has been around for a while, there have been rumors that Apple could be thinking of switching to USB-C. Apple’s upcoming rumored iPad refreshes are said to be the first to make the switch, but we’ll have to wait and see.
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