A USB-C iPhone may have once seemed impossible, but the latest rumors suggest it’s actually coming sooner than you think. Amid regulatory pushback and Lightning connector limitations, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro are expected to switch to USB-C this fall. Head below for the latest details on what we know so far.
Regulatory pressure forces Apple’s hand
There are a number of reasons why Apple seems to have changed its tone on releasing a USB-C iPhone. One thing that’s hard to ignore, however, is impending legislation around the world.
After several years of back and forth, the European Union has officially reached an agreement on a “common charging port” standard. From 2024, all smartphones sold in the 27 EU countries will have to use USB-C for charging. This includes iPhone and even peripheral accessories like AirPods.
Apple has pushed back on legislation that would mandate a USB-C iPhone. The company says such laws stifle innovation and actually lead to more environmental waste.
After the EU approved its legislation, US lawmakers expressed their support. Many have called for the United States to adopt something similar. Senator Elizabeth Warren echoed this call in an article on Twittersaying:
Consumers shouldn’t have to constantly buy new chargers for different devices. We can make things clearer with uniform standards, for less expense, less hassle and less waste.
In early October, the EU legislation was officially adopted following a full vote by the European Parliament. The law was passed by an overwhelming majority, with 602 votes for, 13 against and 8 abstentions. Under the law, there are exemptions for products that are too small to offer a USB-C port.
Finally, to complete the process, the USB-C law was officially registered and came into force on December 27, 2022. Under the law, companies have until December 28, 2024 to comply with the mandate with new introductions smart.
That could technically give Apple until 2025 to formally comply with USB-C regulations, but it’s expected to do so sooner than that.
Will the iPhone 15 use USB-C?
Analyst Ming-Chi Actu first predicted in 2019 that Apple would launch a portless iPhone as early as 2021, but that didn’t materialize. It’s easy to see why – wireless technologies just aren’t reliable or powerful enough to fully replace a connector like Lightning or USB-C. Charging speeds aren’t as fast, data transfer is slow and unreliable, and consumer adoption just isn’t there yet.
A portless iPhone is still in the works and is currently being tested internally at Apple, but we don’t expect to see it launch to the public this year or next.
The Lightning connector is also starting to show its age. When it was first unveiled in 2012 with the iPhone 5, Apple’s Phil Schiller touted it would be the “modern connector of the next decade”. It’s been a decade since that announcement, and it’s clear that Lightning is falling behind USB-C in areas like charging speeds and data transfer speeds.
This brings us to where we are today. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Actu predicted last May that the iPhone 15, coming this year, will feature a USB-C port for charging and data transfer. This report was finally corroborated by Bloomberg, which also said that the iPhone 15 could move to a USB-C port next year.
In an interview, Apple’s marketing manager, Greg Joswiak, even went so far as to say that Apple will have no choice but to comply with European legislation, thus confirming that the iPhone with USB-C will come sooner rather than later.
Finally, Netcost-security.fr exclusively obtained the CAD files of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro, confirming that the devices have a USB-C port instead of Lightning. This was also corroborated by other leaked iPhone 15 images on Twitter.
Interestingly, a report said that Apple was looking for ways to retain some control over the iPhone accessory ecosystem. This report suggests that the iPhone 15’s USB-C port may have some functionality limited to Apple-certified cables. This, however, has not been corroborated by any other source.
A USB-C iPhone is sure to delight many consumers, especially those who already own an iPad or Mac that also uses USB-C. That being said, with the large number of iPhone users, Apple will no doubt be criticized for changing the iPhone’s charging connector, even if switching to USB-C is ultimately the right decision and will long overdue.
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