The iPhone 15s will officially mark Apple’s transition from proprietary Lightning to universal USB-C. It is to the European Union that we owe this small revolution, which will impose this novelty on the manufacturer from 2024. If the latter’s plans in this area are still unclear, a few rumors have already surfaced and allow us to see more clearly. A brief overview of everything we know on the subject.
Apple has always sought to stand out from its competitors. For this, the manufacturer uses in particular own operating systems, which can only be found on its devices. Recently, he even designs his own chips, allowing it to gain even more independence within the market. Finally, there is of course the unfortunate point of this whole strategy: the Lightning port.
The Lightning port has been debated among users for years. It must be said that Apple has been careful so far not to conform to the rest of the market, whether during its transition to micro-USB or to USB-C. But this isolation is now coming to an end. Indeed, the thing was made official at the end of last year: the iPhone 15 will finally drop the Lightning port and will be equipped with a USB-C port.
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Why will the iPhone 15 switch to USB-C?
To understand where this change comes from, we have to go back a little, to 2021 more precisely. It was that year that the European Commission really began the steps that would lead it to impose the use of the USB-C port on Apple. Whether Europe’s fight for the universal charger is not newso it is in 2021 that things have moved up a gear.
It will take until June 2022 for the measure to be officially adopted by MEPs. A few months later, it is Parliament’s turn to close the debates definitively. Since then, the thing is official: Apple has no choice but to comply with the new regulations. All that remains, then, is to set a deadline. This will be none other than December 28, 2024, the date on which all Apple devices must be equipped with a USB-C port.
As a reminder, the reasons put forward by the European Commission are not just a question of practicality. The authorities also believe that this transition will allow reduce electronic waste, giving users the option of having just one charger for all their devices. As such, several countries have already announced that they are joining the movement, including United States, India or South Korea.
Which iPhone 15 models will have a USB-C port?
If the legislation still leaves Apple more than a year to transition to USB-C, the manufacturer has already confirmed that the iPhone 15 will be equipped with it this year. In theory, these are all models of the future smartphone that will benefit from this new connection — and who will bid farewell to the Lightning port along the way.
In practice, however, we should expect some nuances. Indeed, the manufacturer could integrate different ports to its iPhone 15. Thus, a rumor claims that the 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 generation USB3.2capable of reaching a transfer speed of up to 40 GB/sin addition to being able to be connected to external 4K 120 Hz displays. The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, on the other hand, will be limited to the standard USB2.0much slower than its sister, since it is only able to reach the 480 Mbps transfer speed.
Does Apple intend to circumvent European regulations on USB-C?
Of course, Apple does not intend to let it go so easily. If the manufacturer is certainly forced to bow to the omnipotence of USB-C, it still has ways to favor its own products over those of the competition. Join the game MFi certificationor Made for iPhone.
This certification can be seen as a kind of label attributed by Apple on Lightning cables, which ensure the quality of the latter to users. Among other things, this allows you to buy a cable with peace of mind, without having to worry about the damage that it could cause to your iPhone. However, according to a rumor coming straight from China, Apple could simply curb the performance of non-MFi cables.
All of this is still only at the rumor stage, so it should be approached with caution. However, if this turns out to be correct, Apple will have a good way to encourage its users to prefer its own productscertainly more expensive, to ensure the best possible performance.
Could the iPhone 15s do without a charging port entirely?
There is another possibility that we have not yet mentioned: that of all wireless. What if Apple simply decided to remove all ports from its iPhone 15? This may sound silly, but it’s 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, regardless of type, becomes unnecessary.
Especially since Apple has already shown signs of interest in this technology from the iPhone 12, which for the first time was compatible with the MagSafe wireless charger. If this process has shown little improvement in the following years, it is clear that the manufacturer has already set foot in the dish. The latter is therefore not only at a provocation to decide to do without the port entirely.
The possibility therefore does exist, but it is better not to hope to see it materialize for the iPhone 15. Apple now seems determined to integrate a USB-C port into its next smartphone and theThe time seems a little short to offer a truly convincing wireless charging technology. The future, on the other hand, certainly holds many surprises for us.
On the same subject — iPhone 15 Pro: here are the first 3D renderings of the smartphone, USB-C is confirmed
Will more Apple devices switch to USB-C?
The European Commission has been very clear on this subject: Apple has until December 28, 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 this is particularly affected by the measure), but all electronic devices sold only the Old Continent. In theory, all Apple devices will therefore have to pass before the deadline.
But the transition will not happen at the same time for everyone. Thus, the iPhone should be the first to pass, with the iPhone 15 therefore. According to Mark Gurman, journalist at Bloomberg and specialist of the Cupertino company, we will have to wait until at least 2024 so that the other accessories integrate the new connectors. According to the latter, the next AirPods will be the last to do without the Lightning port, shortly before the deadline imposed by the European Commission.
Similarly, future iterations of Mac accessories, such as Magic Mouse, Magic Keyboard, and Magic Trackpad, will also have to offer a USB-C port. As explained above, it is also not impossible that Apple will launch wireless versions of its devices only, forcing users to equip themselves with a suitable charger. It will still take a little more patience to get to the bottom of it.
Either way, Apple should no longer put off the inevitable. In the coming months we will see the transition to USB-C take place quietly, with certain nuances that only the Cupertino company has the secret. And you, what do you think of this new European Union regulation? Do not hesitate to share your opinion with us in the comments!
