Rumor Recap: What to Expect From the iPhone 15's USB-C Port

[falkon-engine]

I have a question about a phone supporting thunderbolt. I’m skeptical that a phone will get TB3/TB4. USB3.2 10 GBPs seems more likely.

But assuming it does get TB support, some thunderbolt devices can draw upto 15W, so assuming the phone is plugged into a device that isn’t providing power delivery, will it be able to provide the necessary power?

 

[Choco Taco]

Nah, the point of moving to USB-C is to placate the EU. There might be other benefits to it, but that's reason number one why Apple is doing it.

Yes, and I'm glad the EU has done this. Proprietary cables are stupid.

With regards to speed, who plugs in their iPhone except to charge? Maybe I'm the odd ball, but I can't remember the last time I transferred data over a wire to or from my iPhone.

I plug it in all the time for full encrypted back ups, transferring large movie files and various other things for when I'm traveling. You not using it doesn't mean other people don't. And if the phone screws up and you need to restore it, you can't do that without a cable.

 

[nt5672]

USB 2.0 was released back in April 2000.

Apple is going to limit the speeds of a 2023 phone based on a year 2000 standard?!

That must be the leadership and innovation that Cook always references during the keynotes.

 

[Asbow]

Apple will just move the lightning chip inside the iPhone to maintain their firewall and will continue to operate at USB 2 speeds.
And you'll have to busy all new dongles for hdmi, Ethernet and sd card readers as well as more power bricks.

There is no lightning chip. Lightning is the port and plug. It’s USB 2.

 

[KaiFiMacFan]

USB 2.0 was released back in April 2000.

Apple is going to limit the speeds of a 2023 phone based on a year 2000 standard?!

April 2000, two months before I was born. Can’t wait to buy a new iPhone with this cutting edge technology…

 

[Stromos]

Yes, and I'm glad the EU has done this. Proprietary cables are stupid.


I plug it in all the time for full encrypted back ups, transferring large movie files and various other things for when I'm traveling. You not using it doesn't mean other people don't. And if the phone screws up and you need to restore it, you can't do that without a cable.

And you will continue to do so at the same crippled speed. The port doesn't matter at all. It's the USB chipset inside. Apple and maybe others go cheap and use a 2.0 controller. No law forces anyone to do any different. So yes you can have one cable to rule them all. Doesn't change that different cables are rated for different speeds and the device itself will only go as fast as the chipset.

Same thing with a Ethernet port. I can use the same cable for everything! Nope. There are different cables for different speeds. Ports could be 10MB to 2.5GB. The only thing that's the same is the plug itself. You're not going to get 2.5GB on a Dollar Tree Cat5 cable. You can buy a Cat6E cable but it isn't going to make things faster on a 10MB port.

 

[lkrupp]

So they will cripple the PORT to not communicate correctly with non-certified cables. Same thing, different method.

This is just a rumor and should be taken as such.

 

[Choco Taco]

And you will continue to do so at the same crippled speed. The port doesn't matter at all. It's the USB chipset inside. Apple and maybe others go cheap and use a 2.0 controller. No law forces anyone to do any different. So yes you can have one cable to rule them all. Doesn't change that different cables are rated for different speeds and the device itself will only go as fast as the chipset.

Yes. I understand that. And they need to stop doing that. I'm not sure what the point of your responses are. It's not okay what Apple is doing.

 

[dwaltwhit]

So much outrage over something that hasn’t even been announced.

 

[hans1972]

The point of moving to USB-C (aside from the universal standard) is the speed. Making it the same speed as lightning would be incredibly stupid.

USB-C is a port standard, not a transfer and speed standard

 

[hans1972]

And the point is also the speed.

No it's the common charger directive.

The purpose was to reduce the e-waste from chargers.

 

[Choco Taco]

No it's the common charger directive.

The purpose was to reduce the e-waste from chargers.

And speed.

USB-C is a port standard, not a transfer and speed standard.

It's also a speed standard.

 

[bogg]

There is no lightning chip. Lightning is the port and plug. It’s USB 2.

Wrong,

Lightning speaks USB to the computer yes, but there are two buses from the lightning chip to the phone, both of which can switch and not speak USB but other stuff instead iirc.

I took a deep dive into lightning a few years back and it is not just plain and simple USB, there’s more to it than that

 

[toobravetosave]

Am I reading this right in that Apple will handicap non-apple overpriced cables via software essentially?

If true they will actually handicap apple cables as well since current apple branded usb c cables are not certified either

 

[compwiz1202]

The point was to keep them out of the landfills. Most people are more likely to have a few USB C cables sitting around than a few lightning. The problem is, USB C has a wide spectrum of charging levels they can support. Some can charge a massive laptop. Others would be fried by fast charging a small phone.

I know it's insane. Just learned all the differences in cable in the past year or less. All these different Wattages and Data Transfers and ones that are charge only and PD vs no PD.........

 

[hans1972]

I'm pretty sure the USB-C standard only requires USB 2.0 for data transfer. Any higher data speeds are optional. I don't believe the EU law requires anything above the base USB-C standard in regards to data transfer so there is no requirement for Apple to offer anything more than USB 2.0 speeds.

In regards to charging speeds though, I believe the EU law requires that any device supporting fast charging must support USB-C Power Delivery. So Apple can't apply MFi restrictions to fast charging.

There is no requirement to have any data transfer at all.

Also, it's an interpretation issue if they can limit based on the cable:

ensure that any additional charging protocol allows the full functionality of the USB Power Delivery referred to in point (a), irrespective of the charging device used.

It only mentions charging device and not the cable.

 

[compwiz1202]

Q: If the EU hadn’t ruled on a universal tech standard and Apple was still putting Lightning on the iPhone 15 series, would this piss you off?

I don't care about the interface. I don't even care about still USB 2.0, but I could see others being upset. I think the coolest thing about going to USB-C, is if your charger is USB-C, you don't even have to look. You can pick up either end and stick it in either the charger or the iPhone.

 

[cocky jeremy]

It is getting harder to love apple when they do things like intentionally cripple a universal standard.

From the sounds of it, we will be locked into special USB cables even if we pay more for the Pro series phone to get the best fast charge and data speeds.

It is a little excessive, at least to me.

If you're buying a Pro phone, why complain about a $20 cable? It's not like it's a different cable each year. It's a one time thing and you're done.

 

[cthompson94]

There is no requirement to have any data transfer at all.

Also, it's an interpretation issue if they can limit based on the cable:



It only mentions charging device and not the cable.

"ensure that any additional charging protocol allows the full functionality of the USB Power Delivery referred to in point (a), irrespective of the charging device used."

Exactly! and even as the comment states with the "allows the full functionality of the USB Power Delivery", well what if the full functionality of the chipset is say 2.0 speeds then that would be the full functionality.

 

[compwiz1202]

Nah, the point of moving to USB-C is to placate the EU. There might be other benefits to it, but that's reason number one why Apple is doing it.

With regards to speed, who plugs in their iPhone except to charge? Maybe I'm the odd ball, but I can't remember the last time I transferred data over a wire to or from my iPhone.

I haven't since Apple Music and OTA updates came out.

 

[hans1972]

And speed.


It's also a speed standard.

No, quoting from the directive:

"[...] one of the essential requirements that radio equipment must fulfil is that it interoperates with accessories, in particular with common chargers. [...] and that developing a common charger for particular categories or classes of radio equipment is necessary, in particular for the benefit of consumers and other end-users."

https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-10713-2022-INIT/x/pdf

About the speed:

"USB-C (properly known as USB Type-C; commonly known as just Type-C) is a 24-pin USBconnector system with a rotationally symmetrical connector.[2][3] The designation C refers only to the connector's physical configuration or form factor and should not be confused with the connector's specific capabilities, which are designated by its transfer specifications (such as USB 3.2)."

USB-C - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

USB-A, USB-B and USB-C is a physical (and electrical) specification of a port.

USB 1.0, 1.1, 2.0, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2 etc. is the protocol for data transfer which determines the speed.

 

[Choco Taco]

No, quoting from the directive:

"[...] one of the essential requirements that radio equipment must fulfil is that it interoperates with accessories, in particular with common chargers. [...] and that developing a common charger for particular categories or classes of radio equipment is necessary, in particular for the benefit of consumers and other end-users."

https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-10713-2022-INIT/x/pdf

About the speed:

"USB-C (properly known as USB Type-C; commonly known as just Type-C) is a 24-pin USBconnector system with a rotationally symmetrical connector.[2][3] The designation C refers only to the connector's physical configuration or form factor and should not be confused with the connector's specific capabilities, which are designated by its transfer specifications (such as USB 3.2)."

USB-C - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

USB-A, USB-B and USB-C is a physical (and electrical) specification of a port.

USB 1.0, 1.1, 2.0, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2 etc. is the protocol for data transfer which determines the speed.

Also there's the speed standard you gotta take into account.

 

[cthompson94]

Also there's the speed standard you gotta take into account.

What speed standard are you talking about? Please provide any sort of reference, @hans1972 has already provided you the "speed standard" for USB. The standard is whatever capable chipset a company chooses to use on the device whether that be 2.0, 3.0. 3.1 or whatever.

 

[TheWatchfulOne]

The've got more important things to worry about the color schemes for, like the new Polishing Cloth™ Pro:

View attachment 2203248View attachment 2203249View attachment 2203247

No Product Red polishing cloth?

 

[Choco Taco]

What speed standard are you talking about? Please provide any sort of reference, @hans1972 has already provided you the "speed standard" for USB. The standard is whatever capable chipset a company chooses to use on the device whether that be 2.0, 3.0. 3.1 or whatever.

The speed standard one.