Bad news for iPhone 15 buyers? USB Type-C could spell trouble

Apple's upcoming iPhone 15 series is highly anticipated, and the market has been flooded with various leaks and rumours regarding the upcoming iPhones. Apple is not only expected to offer substantial upgrades over the iPhone 14, such as a periscope camera, solid state buttons, titanium frame and more, but the iPhone 15 will also be the first time that Apple will use the USB Type-C, instead of its proprietary lightning port.

Apple’s lightning cable technology came into effect with the launch of the iPhone 5 way back in 2012, moving away from the 30-pin connectors used by the previous iterations of iPhones and iPods. And now, it is going away due to the EU ban and its adoption of USB Type-C as the new charging standard for all electronic devices, forcing Apple's hand.

However, a recent leak could spell bad news for those looking to buy the iPhone 15 series as it has been revealed that Apple could actually limit the iPhone’s charging speed if a third-party charging cable is used. Slowing down of charging speed would not benefit buyers at all.

Apple to limit USB Type-C

According to a report by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple will limit charging speed for users who don’t use Apple-certified chargers and cables. The whole point of shifting to Type-C ports was to have a single cable which could be compatible with multiple devices, but this Apple strategy could throw a wrench in the works.

Although Apple’s Made for iPhone (MFi) program has been present for years, safeguarding customers against potential hazards with the use of non-certified chargers and cables, Apple has not placed any restrictions on iPads or Macs which have had the Type-C port for years. This move could mean bad news for early iPhone 15 adopters who would need to shell out extra for Apple certified cables.

Lower data transfer speeds

Kuo also reported that the Pro models of the iPhone 15 series could benefit from extra transfer speeds. Although all iPhones will come equipped with the new USB Type-C port, only the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will benefit from USB 3.2’s 20Gbps transfer speeds. Meanwhile, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will still offer USB 2.0’s 480 Mbps transfer speeds.