iPhone 15: everything we know about the move to USB-C

Apple has always tried to stand out from its competitors. For this, the manufacturer specifically uses own operating systemscan only be found on their device. He’s even been designing lately. own chipsallows it to gain even more independence in the market. Finally, of course, this whole strategy has an unfortunate point: Lightning port.

The Lightning port has been discussed among users for years. It should be said that Apple has been careful not to match the rest of the market during its transition to micro USB or USB-C so far. But this isolation is now coming to an end.. Indeed, at the end of last year, the event became official: the iPhone 15 will finally drop the Lightning port and be equipped with a USB-C port.

Why will the iPhone 15 switch to USB-C?

To understand where this change came from, we need to go back a bit, or rather to 2021. That year he really started the steps that would lead the European Commission to impose the use of USB-C ports on Apple. One of both Europe’s universal charger challenge is not newso in 2021 things have stepped up a gear.

It will take until June 2022 for the measure to be formally adopted by Members of the European Parliament. A few months later, it’s Parliament’s turn to close the debate once and for all. Since then, the thing is official: Apple has no choice but to comply with the new regulations. Then all that remains is to set a deadline. This will be none other than December 28, 2024, the date when all Apple devices must be equipped with a USB-C port.

As a reminder, the reasons put forward by the European Commission are not simply a matter of practicality. Authorities also believe this transition will allow reduce electronic wastegives users the option to have a single charger for all their devices. For this reason, many countries have declared their participation in the movement. United States, India or South Korea.

Which iPhone 15 models will have a USB-C port?

If legislation leaves more than a year for Apple to switch to USB-C, the manufacturer has already confirmed that the iPhone 15 will be equipped with USB-C this year. Theoretically, these are all models of the smartphone of the future that will benefit from this new connection – and who will say goodbye to the port of Lightning along the way.

But in practice we should expect some nuances. Indeed, the manufacturer can integrate Different ports to iPhone 15. Thus, a rumor claims that Pro models will benefit from faster connectivity than their standard counterparts.

Concretely, according to the very reliable Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will be equipped with the next generation. USB3.2up to the transfer rate. 40GB/sIn addition to being able to connect to external 4K 120 Hz displays, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will be limited to the standard. USB2.0it is much slower than its sibling as it only has access to it. 480Mbps transfer rate.

Is Apple considering bypassing European regulations regarding USB-C?

Of course, Apple does not intend to leave this job so easily. If the manufacturer absolutely has to succumb to the omnipotence of USB-C, they still have ways of preferring their own products to those of competitors. Join the Game MFi certificateor Made for iPhone.

This certificate can be viewed as: Some kind of label attributed by Apple in Lightning cables that provide users with the quality of the latter. Among other things, this allows you to buy a cable with peace of mind without having to worry about damage to your iPhone. However, according to a rumor coming directly from China, Apple could easily throttle the performance of non-MFi cables.

All this is still only at the rumor stage, so it should be approached with caution. But if that turns out to be true, Apple will have a good way. to encourage users to prefer their own productsDefinitely more expensive to provide the best possible performance.

Can the iPhone 15s do without a fully charging port?

There is another possibility that we haven’t mentioned yet: all wireless. What if Apple decides to remove all ports on the iPhone 15? This may sound silly, but it is far from science fiction. Indeed, European regulations stipulate that Apple must equip its devices with a USB-C port. B. With wireless charging, any port no matter the type becomes redundant.

Especially since Apple showed signs of interest in this technology from the iPhone 12, which was the first to be compatible with the MagSafe wireless charger. If this process showed little improvement in the following years, it is clear that the manufacturer has already set foot in the bowls. The second is not for this reason deciding to give up the port entirely at just one provocation.

So the possibility exists, but it’s better not to hope it happens for the iPhone 15. Apple now seems determined to integrate a USB-C port into its next smartphone, andThe time seems a little short to deliver truly convincing wireless charging technology. The future, of course, holds many surprises for us.

Will more Apple devices switch to USB-C?

The European Commission has been very clear on this: Apple has until 28 December 2024 to replace the Lightning port on its devices with a USB-C port. Moreover, the legislation does not only target the apple brand (although it is particularly affected by this measure), but also all electronic devices sold only in the Old Continent. Theoretically, all Apple devices will therefore have to pass before the deadline.

But the transition won’t be for everyone at the same time. Therefore, it should be the first iPhone to go with the iPhone 15. According to Mark Gurman, journalist at Bloomberg and expert at the Cupertino firm, we’ll have to wait until at least 2024 so other accessories integrate new connectors. According to the latter, the next AirPods will be the last to be made without a Lightning port shortly before the deadline set by the European Commission.

Similarly, future iterations of Mac accessories, such as Magic Mouse, Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad, it will also have to offer a USB-C port. As explained above, it’s also not impossible for Apple to release wireless-only versions of its devices and force users to equip themselves with a suitable charger. It will still take a little more patience to reach the gold.

Either way, Apple should no longer delay the inevitable. In the coming months, we will see that the transition to USB-C takes place quietly, with certain nuances that only the Cupertino company has a secret. So, what do you think about this new European Union regulation? Feel free to share your views with us in the comments!