When Apple introduced the Lightning connector in 2012, the reaction was somewhat mixed. Sure, the Lightning connector offered a range of functional improvements over the 30-pin dock connector, but some folks simply couldn’t come to grips with the fact that the new technology essentially rendered many of their existing iOS accessories useless.

A few years later, the 30-pin dock connector now nothing more than a distant memory, just another example of a legacy technology Apple mercifully abandoned in favor of a superior replacement. Of course Apple replaced it with a special Lightning connector that would allow the company to separate its iOS devices from all rival products and maintain its MFi accessory certification program. Surprising though it may be, however, a new report claims that Apple is on the verge of ditching its proprietary Lightning connector on the iPhone in favor on an industry standard, which is something many people thought would never happen.

According to a report from Mac Otakara, an iPhone lineup with built-in support for USB-C may see the light of day as early as this year. The report does note that Apple’s 2019 iPhone lineup hasn’t yet resulted in a reference design, which is to say that upcoming iPhone features and the overall design haven’t been 100% finalized just yet. Interestingly enough, when the first renders of an iPhone with a triple lens camera first surfaced last week, we were informed that current iPhone prototypes remain in the Engineering Validation Test (EVT) stage, adding credence to the notion that Apple is still nailing down the specifics of its next-gen iPhone lineup.

For what it’s worth, Mac Otakara has been extremely accurate on various iPhone rumors in the past. That notwithstanding, you’ll still want to take this particular rumor — especially this early in the game — with the requisite grain of salt.

Incidentally, the iPhone 11 rumors have been coming in at a steady clip all week. Just yesterday, word surfaced that Apple’s next-gen iPhone lineup may incorporate support for Wi-Fi 6. There have even been rumblings, however unlikely, that Apple may introduce 5G capable iPhones later this year.