Other USB-C iPhone: The Ugly Truth

[Lounge vibes 05]

I know everyone is riding on a high because top level Apple executives confirm that they have to comply with the new European law and switch the iPhone over to USB-C within the next two years, most likely in next year's iPhone 15 series.
But I’ve seen a lot of people make some assumptions about this change that I don't think are going to be quite accurate, and I think a lot of people are going to be in for a rude awakening when it happens.
SPEED
Let’s start by busting a myth, Lightning is not restricted to USB 2.0 speeds.
The iPhone is restricted to USB 2.0 speeds, Lightning is not.
The iPad Pro from 2017 had a Lightning port on it, and that Lightning port supported USB 3.0 speeds.
If Apple wanted the iPhone to have faster transfer speeds, they could’ve done it.
They could’ve done it in 2017 alongside the iPad, but they didn’t.
They could’ve did it when they introduced Pro-res and Raw support, but they didn’t.
They could’ve done it when they introduced 1TB iPhones, but they didn’t.
They could’ve done it when they introduced a 48 Megapixel camera, but they didn’t.

It’s not a restriction of the port, it’s a deliberate choice on Apple’s part to keep the iPhone at USB 2.0 transfer speeds.
In fact, this was proven just this week.
Apple introduced the tenth generation iPad.
It has a USB-C port.

And Wouldn’t you know it…
https://www.macrumors.com/2022/10/27/ipad-10-slower-usb-c-port/
That’s right, USB-C, but 2.0 transfer speeds.
And I absolutely expect the iPhone 15 to follow the trend.
Maybe, MAYBE the iPhone 15Pro and Pro Max, or just the Pro Max get slightly faster speeds.
But if you are expecting to get a new iPhone next year that goes from 2.0 speeds up to whatever the latest thunderbolt protocol is, I don't think that's going to happen.
Apple, for whatever dumb reason they have, thinks the transfer speed of the iPhone doesn’t need to go past 2.0.
I don’t agree, but I’m also not stupid.
I don’t think a forced port switch will change their minds.
Which brings us to another aspect…


CHARGING SPEEDS
The iPhone has slowly increased its charging speed, from 18W, to 20W, most recently to 27W.
I fully expect that to continue.
Anyone expecting the change to USB-C will force Apple to allow 35W, 45W, 60W+ charging I think will be very mistaken.
I fully expect them to keep the fast charging speed at 27W, or if there is an increase it will be very small.


COMPATIBILITY

Apple has this pop-up in iOS, it sounds a little something like this:

“This accessory cannot be verified.”

There’s more to it but you get the point.

I fully expect this pop-up to quickly become very common when people pick up their new iPhones, stick some $1.50 USB-C cable that came with some random gadget into their iPhone and it doesn’t like it.

I fully expect Apple to do everything in their power to make sure you are using their USB-C cables, and only their USB-C cables.


BACKWARDS COMPATIBILITY WITH LIGHTNING PRODUCTS

I’ve already seen people predicting that Apple will ship a Lightning (male) to USB-C (female) adapter in the box of the iPhone 15.

THEY ABSOLUTELY WILL NOT!

They’ll be more than happy to sell you one for $10-20, but include one?

They didn’t do it when 30 pin became Lightning, they didn’t do it when the MacBooks switched from MagSafe 2 to USB-C, they didn’t do it with any of the iPads, they absolutely will not do it with the iPhone.

I wouldn’t even be surprised if by 2025 they just… don’t ship a cable at all.

The new Apple Siri Remote has USB-C, and guess what?

It does not come with a cable.


Other than all that, yeah it’s going to be a lot of fun. Can’t wait for the next three+ years of confusion.


Disclaimer

Although I disagree with governments getting involved in things like this, I do think Apple switching to USB-C on all of their devices is the right thing to do and will benefit everyone in the long run. I’ve just seen people runaway with theories about how great it will be, and wanted to give my perspective as a skeptic.

 

[russell_314]

People are going to complain, no matter what Apple does. Short of Apple putting TB4 on the iPhone there’s going to be someone complaining about it. Even then they’ll find a reason not to like it.

The bottom line is the vast majority of users won’t ever do anything other than charge with that port on their phone. The difference this will make his every existing user will have to buy all new cables and throw the existing ones in the landfill.

On the upside, this means someone carrying an iPad, iPhone, and MacBook can now just travel with one cable. Why they would do that because then they would be restricted to charging one device at a time I don’t know, but they can do it.

 

[sjperformance]

Lighting. USB C. Whatever it is. Are there many out there like me who doesn’t really care about this? I honestly don’t. I don’t transfer files from my iPhone. I charge my phone every night via MagSafe while I sleep. Ummmm yeah at this point I wouldn’t mind a port less iPhone like an Apple Watch.

 

[sorgo †]

So true, OP. Many good points. Viva la Lightning!

 

[Ac1d 8urn]

Lighting. USB C. Whatever it is. Are there many out there like me who doesn’t really care about this? I honestly don’t. I don’t transfer files from my iPhone. I charge my phone every night via MagSafe while I sleep. Ummmm yeah at this point I wouldn’t mind a port less iPhone like an Apple Watch.

Me! People work themselves into a lather over how completely unacceptable it is to need two different cables to charge their pile of devices, but I can't think of a feature that matters less to me than what kind of charge port my phone has. You think needing two cables is bad? Lol I'm a greybush, I lived through needing a different proprietary charger for every device I own. I still have a big plastic tub full of old chargers with different connectors. We have it good nowadays.

Lightning is fine, USB-C is fine. It's such a non-issue.

 

[Peacemaker_1]

Why do you think Apple is limiting speeds to 2.0?

 

[davedvdy]

I can't think of a feature that matters less to me than what kind of charge port my phone has. You think needing two different cables to charge all your various devices is bad?

The real gripe is the transfer speeds, not just the cable type itself. Content creators offloading large files on iPhones are the ones who have these issue mainly, which is why it is likely a non issue for you.

There's a myth that USB-C will definitively bring with it USB 3.0 transfer speeds. As the OP pointed out, Lightning was already capable of that but capped on the iPhone (but not the 2017 iPad), and it's also capped on the entry level iPad with USB-C to USB 2.0 speeds.

 

[tsupersonic]

Lightning is fine, USB-C is fine. It's such a non-issue.

imo lightning is not fine anymore and hasn't been fine for a while. It's 2022, they should've had a strategy when they switched other devices in their ecosystem to USB-C (iPad + Mac's). Of course, they would lose out on the sales of lightning accessories, but environmentally having two different cable standards is not fine. It has caused confusion amongst customers and lightning has created additional e-waste.

 

[russell_314]

Why do you think Apple is limiting speeds to 2.0?

It’s not about limiting the speed, but not installing the components required for faster speed. It’s not some artificial limitation they’re putting on. Tech nerds lost their minds when they did that with the base model iPad. The thing is most tech nerds aren’t buying the base model iPad.

If I had to predict I would say the regular iPhone would have USB 2.0 but the Pro will have faster. Tech nerds will lose their minds again when that happens

 

[exoticSpice]

Lighting. USB C. Whatever it is. Are there many out there like me who doesn’t really care about this? I honestly don’t. I don’t transfer files from my iPhone. I charge my phone every night via MagSafe while I sleep. Ummmm yeah at this point I wouldn’t mind a port less iPhone like an Apple Watch.

Yeah I don't use ports on Mac. Let's make a portless MacBook.

 

[mpavilion]

imo lightning is not fine anymore and hasn't been fine for a while. It's 2022, they should've had a strategy when they switched other devices in their ecosystem to USB-C (iPad + Mac's). Of course, they would lose out on the sales of lightning accessories, but environmentally having two different cable standards is not fine. It has caused confusion amongst customers and lightning has created additional e-waste.

I’m in favor of the switch, but the e-waste happens when the switch happens. If anything, Apple has delayed it by not switching. I haven’t had to buy lightning cables in years, but I’ll have to buy new cables (and ditch the old ones) when I eventually buy a USB-C iPhone.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Yawn. I'll go from not using the Lightning port on my iPhone, to not using the USB-C port on my iPhone. Whatever.

 

[prime17569]

I suspect that Apple will do the following with regard to the speed of the USB-C port:
- iPhone SE: 480 Mbps, like the iPad 10th generation
- non-pro iPhones: 5 Gb/s, like iPad Air 4, or 10 Gb/s, like iPad Air 5; definitely not USB 4/Thunderbolt 3
- Pro iPhones: USB 4/Thunderbolt 3, like iPad Pro

However, it is also possible that Apple might do the following:
- iPhone SE: 480 Mbps, like the iPad 10th generation
- non-pro iPhones: 5 Gb/s, like iPad Air 4
- Pro iPhones: 10 Gb/s, like iPad Air 5

 

[zidarko]

My last trip was with a single cable USB-C, single power adapter and a QI charging pad (Apple's Duo), which was enough to charge my M1 MacBook pro, iPhone, Watch and Airpods.

I charge my iPhone overnight wirelessly.

Cables are so passé

 

[jaytv111]

I fully expect Apple to do everything in their power to make sure you are using their USB-C cables, and only their USB-C cables.

But, they don’t do anything to “make sure you are using their USB-C cables and only their USB-C cables” on the iPad. They work equally with Apple and non-Apple cables. So chances are low the iPhones change this at all.

 

[jaytv111]

My last trip was with a single cable USB-C, single power adapter and a QI charging pad (Apple's Duo), which was enough to charge my M1 MacBook pro, iPhone, Watch and Airpods.

I charge my iPhone overnight wirelessly.

Cables are so passé

Didn’t you have a Lightning cable for the Magsafe Duo?

I mean, we still need cables. Even wireless charging still uses cables. Only wireless charging in broad use is sunlight powered electronics.

 

[macfacts]

Why do you think Apple is limiting speeds to 2.0?

Saving money on hardware.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

Why do you think Apple is limiting speeds to 2.0?

I would assume because they can get away with it on an iPhone while they can’t in a Mac or an iPad, and since they can get away with that they’d rather you use their proprietary wireless services like AirDrop, iCloud drive and iMessage.
Also, makes it easier to stomach when they inevitably get rid of the port, and I still believe they will get rid of the port before 2030. There’s been code for Internet recovery on the iPhone for the last three full versions of iOS, they are definitely wanting to do that.
And Apple removing a full speed thunderbolt port from the iPhone will hurt a lot more than them removing a slow aging 2.0 port from the iPhone.
Especially if they can introduce something like AirDrop 2.0, that transfers files wirelessly at faster speeds than USB 2.0, then they can advertise it as an upgrade.
“Look, our new wireless protocol is 1.3 times faster than the old slow cable that you used to use, isn’t that incredible?”

 

[Rradcircless]

I always suspected Apple would sooner embrace a completely portless design and have MagSafe be the singular charging option before ceding to USB-C. That way they could still charge customers for their MagSafe devices and make millions or more off the third party licensing commissions.

 

[TechnoMonk]

I hope Apple makes a separate USB-C iPhone for the EU. I am sure I won’t be tinkering with a USB A car play connection in my 3-year-old 70K car. The car is pretty much the only place I connect my phone.
I spend 100-150 nights a year on the road, cables and USB 3.0 speeds have never been an issue. A wireless charging pad with a USB port does the trick to charge my phone and AirPods Pro wirelessly. The USB port keeps my AW6 charged. I like this setup on the road and do not worry about cables, except for my AW6.

I usually drive if the destination is under 4-5 hours in the post-Covid world. A 95W USB charger in the Car is good enough to keep MacBook Pro 16 M1 Max juiced up as needed. The car play port for the phone works great.

There will be a lot of pissed-off car play users if Apple moves to USB C. Most cars don’t have adequate space to put dongles. Last but not least, anecdotally, most folks who complain about carrying cables travel maybe a couple of times a year. Frequent travelers usually have a good set up to handle the travel.

 

[Lakersfan74]

A USB-A to C cable or a USB-A to C port is all we would need. I prefer a cable instead of a dongle. My car stereo is USB-A on the front for a wired connection I prefer that over Bluetooth. I don’t even have CarPlay.

 

[TechnoMonk]

A USB-A to C cable or a USB-A to C port is all we would need. I prefer a cable instead of a dongle. My car stereo is USB-A on the front for a wired connection I prefer that over Bluetooth. I don’t even have CarPlay.

The assumption is a third-party USB A to USB C cable will work. Initially, I used a third-party Lightning cable; the system in the car was not reliable. The service engineer recommended using the original apple cable, as it was a pretty common issue with third-party cables. Never had any issues after moving to the Apple Lightening cable. Unless Apple manufactures and ships a USB A to USB C, I don't have lot of confidence in those third-party cables. Not to mention compatibility issues of older Systems in the cars.


For me, Car play is more important than an extra cable or a slight improvement in speed, which isn't a big deal. I don't see car manufacturers updating or supporting the newer technologies in older cars. I am sure speed and an extra cable will be the least of concern if the Car plays Compatibility issues pop up. It's illegal in most of the US to hold your phone when driving.

I dont care what EU nannycrats think is good. Apple can keep it to EU.

 

[ArkSingularity]

Lightning's "USB 3.0 support" wasn't true USB 3.0 support. It basically used gimmicks to achieve these speeds, and only supported certain devices because they used both sides of the port individually rather than using them in duplicated pairs like standard Lightning ports do. This meant that it wasn't going to be fully compatible with most existing Lightning cables and devices, and was also bad for the overall reliability of the port (meaning that only one pin had to fail for the port to experience problems, rather than both pins together).

I'm not saying these are issues Apple couldn't have worked around (clearly USB managed to find a way, so Apple could have also). But their "USB 3.0 Lightning" port was a gimmick from the beginning, it hadn't actually solved any of the core problems with the port or the protocol. In the vast majority of circumstances, it wasn't a true USB-3.0-speed port.

 

[jaytv111]

I hope Apple makes a separate USB-C iPhone for the EU. I am sure I won’t be tinkering with a USB A car play connection in my 3-year-old 70K car. The car is pretty much the only place I connect my phone.
I spend 100-150 nights a year on the road, cables and USB 3.0 speeds have never been an issue. A wireless charging pad with a USB port does the trick to charge my phone and AirPods Pro wirelessly. The USB port keeps my AW6 charged. I like this setup on the road and do not worry about cables, except for my AW6.

I usually drive if the destination is under 4-5 hours in the post-Covid world. A 95W USB charger in the Car is good enough to keep MacBook Pro 16 M1 Max juiced up as needed. The car play port for the phone works great.

There will be a lot of pissed-off car play users if Apple moves to USB C. Most cars don’t have adequate space to put dongles. Last but not least, anecdotally, most folks who complain about carrying cables travel maybe a couple of times a year. Frequent travelers usually have a good set up to handle the travel.

I don’t think this is true. USB-C works just fine with Carplay. I actually use USB-C with Carplay, crazy right? But I have a wireless Carplay adapter, it has a USB-C on it, it literally has no problem being used with Carplay. As far as I know, it‘s all just USB protocol underneath, and any cable that supports USB 2.0 is good enough for Carplay or Android Auto. The issue with cables could be things like interference, no shielding, no grounding, bad wiring, broken wiring, or with Lightning if it’s not certified it might not work with the iPhone properly because it’s not up to Apple’s spec.

In addition, most systems adapt to Android Auto with USB-C just fine.

USB-C cables, on the other hand, just work across many different devices. The main issue is when they’re not wired according to spec. That could be a problem, Benson Leung blogged years ago about cables not being wired correctly. But if you buy cables from reputable stores it’s not an issue any more, the issue was when you bought a cable from Amazon and like 90% of them weren’t wired to spec. That isn‘t the case any more, Amazon cracked down on the bad cables.

You could see Apple just have a support doc that says “buy this cable from our store” (they sell them already) to use Carplay with USB-C properly, or just find it from your local reputable store. Really shouldn’t be more of an issue then, say replacing a 30 pin cable with USB-A on the other end with a Lightning cable with USB-A. Which we went through 10 years ago.

Also if there is a USB-C iPhone, it’s for the whole world. Has there ever been an Apple product with a different port for one market? I can’t think of any. Only one that’s close I guess is the iPhone 14 having no SIM in the US. But by that analogy they would have an iPhone with no port whatsoever and just Magsafe charging. That would be far worse for Carplay because you would need to use an adapter, quite like mine, to convert to wireless Carplay, but not every car plays well with wireless Carplay adapters.

 

[CraigJDuffy]

The real gripe is the transfer speeds, not just the cable type itself. Content creators offloading large files on iPhones are the ones who have these issue mainly, which is why it is likely a non issue for you.

There's a myth that USB-C will bring with it USB 3.0 transfer speeds. As the OP pointed out, Lightning was already capable of that but capped on the iPhone (but not the 2017 iPad), and it's also capped on the entry level iPad with USB-C to USB 2.0 speeds.

Tbh, I’d be mad if they went to USB 3 rather than 4 at this point.