Apple Reportedly Planning to Limit iPhone 15's USB-C Port in the Same Way as Lightning

[jlc1978]

Im also not sure they can call it a USBC port if its not operable with other USBC accessories, that would depend on the USBC standards body.

The USB-C specifically allows for custom implementations using some of the pins.

I just don’t get it. What’s the point of limiting when it’s been out for years on the iPad just fine? Is Apple trying to make this an exclusive feature?

I can see it if they wanted to ensure cables work properly for high speed data transfer; something missing from iPads. Alternatively, it could be part of a security implementation to limit access to iPhone data or protect form electrical faults from non-certified cables; a move that might make sense given iPhones are much more likely going to be charged in public locations; possibly with cables and power sources of unknown origin.

I don't understand why Apple would add an MFi chip to USB-C. They didn't do it when the 2018 iPad Pro came out, and they certainly didn't do it for the 10th-generation iPad, so why do it now, and only for the regular iPhones?

As I pointed out above, there could be a number of legitimate reasons.

Apple sticking it to the world or the EU?

Certainly not the EU since it would fully comply with the regulation.

 

[Rogifan]

Hmm...
iPhone 15 - usb 2.0
iPhone 15 pro - usb 3.0
iPhone 15 ultra - thunderbolt transfer speeds? 🤔

I absolutely could see them doing something like this.

 

[szw-mapple fan]

Surely better would be to keep lightning? Moving to USBC just means chucking out all existing cables and starting again, with no real user benefit.

But it would mean all Apple devices would be able to be charged using the same cable. Also since a lot of iPhone users probably already have USB-C on other devices (laptops/iPads/android tablets etc.), I doubt a lot of new cables would be needed.

 

[David1964]

I’ve always stuck with Apple’s cables anyway so not an issue for me 🤷‍♂️

 

[NightFox]

If it prevents users attaching potentially lethal chargers to their Apple devices, I'm ok with that. All the cheap knock off cables in the world are not worth one single life.

Huh? Do you mean chargers or cables? You can connect 'potentially lethal chargers' to lightning cables right now. And you want a situation where suddenly none of your existing chargers will work with your new iPhone because they're not certified, even if they're 'branded' ones. The mains wall sockets with embedded USB ports? Your desktop hub? Your PC's USB ports? The USB ports in your car?

 

[sam_dean]

Do you remember which brand? Asking for a friend.

Retail chain shut down...

 

[6787872]

The rumor declares that Apple has developed its own variant of USB-C for this year's ‌iPhone 15‌ lineup

split up apple, fine them billions and regulate them to hell and back. this is ridiculous.

 

[6787872]

Interesting. I don’t see a problem in the reduction of the attack surface in the USB interface. USB has been a used as an attack vector in the past successfully.

no.

if someone has physical access to your phone, your security has already failed.

 

[Abazigal]

I absolutely could see them doing something like this.

My rationale is that the pro model iPhones support pro-res footage, which can be a pain to get off your device. Even normal usb3.0 speeds would be a significant boost to the time it takes to transfer them to your Mac, but I am hoping for at least 3.1.

An ultra iPhone, I imagine, would sport some souped up camera feature which might end up taking photos that take up a ton of space (my guess is that it would come with at least 512gb storage, which would offset the higher starting price somewhat). Thunderbolt just to differentiate it from the pro. Who knows - maybe Apple might even throw users a bone and bundle a nice braided thunderbolt cable inside (and those things aren't cheap).

Normal iPhone - people have lived with lightning for so long, they can continue to live with it. Not ideal, but the iPad 10th gen did come with a usb 2.0 port, therefore setting precedent for this sort of thing...

 

[C_Topher]

How am I going to connect my 3 8K monitors?

 

[NightFox]

Meanwhile, I can still plug my iPhone into my Mac Studio using the brand new Apple-manufactured Lightning cable that came with the iPhone and get a pop-up telling me that 'This Accessory May Not Be Supported'.

Yeah, this'll work.

 

[3448322]

Man, that’s wild. It’s like Apple’s claims that they care about customers and about the environment aren’t sincere at all.

 

[3530025]

EU's requirement is USB-C, and that is what they're gonna get.

I am sure Apple's lawyers read everything and found out there is nothing that prohibits this what they are supposedly going to do.

Guess what. EU can change and add to their requirements and laws. And that's certainly what you can expect if Apple plans crappy move like this. It's anti-consumer and anti-environment.

I’ve always stuck with Apple’s cables anyway so not an issue for me 🤷‍♂️

So you're using USB-C iPad and USB-C MacBook, right? These cables are not MFi certified, so they won't work with new iPhone, if those rumors are true. So this may be quickly issue for you as well.

Also you don't know whether these "iPhone MFi USB-C" cables would be compatible with "non-MFi USB-C devices" like iPads and Macbooks. Certainly not good position.

 

[Sarafay]

would like higher charging and data velocities to step up to competition.

 

[Wahlstrm]

Transferring 512GB or 1024GB over a connection with a theoretical max transfer speed of 0,48GB/s (in real life often half that) should not have be a thing in the 2020’s.

 

[mjschabow]

Transferring 512GB or 1024GB over a connection with a theoretical max transfer speed of 0,48GB/s (in real life often half that) should not have be a thing in the 2020’s.

Oh it can be if you buy Apple's new USB-C cable for only $49.99!

 

[mrochester]

But it would mean all Apple devices would be able to be charged using the same cable. Also since a lot of iPhone users probably already have USB-C on other devices (laptops/iPads/android tablets etc.), I doubt a lot of new cables would be needed.

I don’t know about you but my laptop USBC cable is located in one place for charging the laptop, my iPad USBC cable is located in another place for charging the iPad and my iPhone Lightning cable is somewhere else. Changing the lightning cable to USBC does not change anything from an environmental or convenience perspective.

 

[David1964]

Guess what. EU can change and add to their requirements and laws. And that's certainly what you can expect if Apple plans crappy move like this. It's anti-consumer and anti-environment.



So you're using USB-C iPad and USB-C MacBook, right? These cables are not MFi certified, so they won't work with new iPhone, if those rumors are true. So this may be quickly issue for you as well.

Also you don't know whether these "iPhone MFi USB-C" cables would be compatible with "non-MFi USB-C devices" like iPads and Macbooks. Certainly not good position.

I currently do not have an iPad,I sold it over a year ago to help pay for an iPhone 13 Pro Max and am not planning to buy another one yet.My M2 MacBook Air is always charged with the MagSafe charger and not USB-C.

 

[jimbobb24]

Rumor threshold getting pretty low. But it’s perfect clickbait as gets all the people inclined to hate an opportunity.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Man, that’s wild. It’s like Apple’s claims that they care about customers and about the environment aren’t sincere at all.

When profits and PR spin collide, there can be only one victor in modern Apple.

 

[jimbobb24]

It's stupid from an engineering perspective, it's limiting for the user, it's the opposite of environmentally friendly and it's only serving their greed. Hope the EU will update that law, so we don't need to buy more useless cables.
Some marketing people don't know how to create value so they intentionally extract it in order to sell an expensive option that has it. Immoral and hopefully illegal one day.

Now your hopes rest with the EU lol.

Assuming this obscure rumor is true I don’t understand how it makes any difference to the environment.

 

[3530025]

I currently do not have an iPad,I sold it over a year ago to help pay for an iPhone 13 Pro Max and am not planning to buy another one yet.My M2 MacBook Air is always charged with the MagSafe charger and not USB-C.

In such case I understand this may not affect you at all. However you don't benefit from "one cable fits all" feature. Which is really useful when traveling.

Also I believe there are many customers who got iPad, Macbook and iPhone. And in such case you going to have three cables instead of just one. Which is just dumb. I'm really all right to pay premium price for Apple products - I'm playing this game. Yet I'm not fine with crippled devices because of some marginal licensing fees for MFi cables going to Apple.

 

[phenste]

was just hoping they would figure out a solution to USB-C eventually getting looser than a…not gonna make the comparison. ya catch my drift tho?

in all seriousness. I can hold my 14PM (a pretty damn weighty phone) upside down by the cable with a Lightning port connected. (yes, I only test this on my bed, I prefer to be cautionary in my endeavors.) the same will never be true for USB-C after a few years (but wait…I forgot, we’re supposed to get new phones every year! 😱🙄)

 

[3530025]

Assuming this obscure rumor is true I don’t understand how it makes any difference to the environment.

huh. You going to have separate cables for iPhone and iPad/Macbooks instead of just one unified cable for all tablets, laptops and phones? You really can't see (not just) environmental benefit here?

 

[aeternitas]

Didn’t you all want USB C? Well there you go!