According to a new report, the USB-C port and charging cords for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro will have a Lightning-like authenticator chip, which may limit their compatibility with third-party accessories not sanctioned by Apple.
Apple may be working on its own variant of USB-C for the iPhone 15 lineup
A rumor shared on Weibo, by a user who claims to be an integrated circuit expert with 25 years of expertise working on Intel’s Pentium processors, suggests that for this year’s iPhone 15 series, Apple has created its own USB-C model.
Semiconductor chips called integrated circuit (IC) interfaces are used to control how information is shared between devices. First-party and MFi-certified Lightning ports and connectors have included a tiny IC since their launch in 2012 that verifies the legitimacy of the components used in the connection. For instance, third-party charging cables that are not MFi certified lack this chip, which frequently causes linked Apple devices to display “This accessory is not supported” warnings.
The authenticator chip enables Apple to combat fake and potentially hazardous accessories while simultaneously encouraging customers to purchase genuine iPhone peripherals and earn a commission on MFi-certified accessories.
According to the report, Apple has created a comparable bespoke IC for its charging cables and USB-C connectors for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. The new IC appears to be planned for future MFi-certified peripherals as well as the iPhone 15 series.
It is important to note that Apple’s USB-C interface, which is now found in its 10th-generation iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro, does not have an IC chip for authentication, which would make this a first for the ports of this type that the tech giant currently offers.
The functioning of the new devices may not be significantly affected by this inclusion, but it’s possible that Apple will restrict certain features, including fast charging and high-speed data transfer, to Apple and MFi-certified cords.
The USB-C port on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will only support USB 2.0 speeds, which is the same as Lightning, claims TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. It appears that only the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models will have faster charging times. As a result, the only significant distinction between Lightning and USB-C on the common iPhone 15 versions might only be the connector’s physical design.
