iPhone 15 is coming with USB-C port, but with a TWIST

After the European Union's order, Apple has no alternative but to include a USB Type-C port in its iPhones. Several leaks and rumours have suggested that iPhone 15 series would be the first iPhone lineup to include the USB-C port. However, a latest leak brings out the twist in this big change that is likely to happen on the upcoming iPhones. A MacRumors report quoted a Weibo post as suggesting that the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro's USB-C port and charging cables will come equipped with a Lightning-like authentication chip, which may limit their compatibility with accessories not approved by Apple.

As per the latest rumor, Apple iPhones will include a USB Type-C port but will come with its own custom integrated circuit (IC) interface for the port. Integrated circuits (ICs) are semiconductor chips used to facilitate communication between devices. While the third-party charging cables lack this chip, which can result in compatibility issues.

"The latest rumor seems to suggest that Apple has developed a similar custom IC for the USB-C ports on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro, and presumably its charging cables. As well as the iPhone 15 lineup, the new IC is apparently destined for new MFi-certified peripherals," the report mentioned. However, it must be noted that the USB-C interfaces used by Apple in the 10th-generation iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro do not have an IC chip for authentication. This would mark the first time the company has included this feature in its USB-C ports.

Will this have an impact on the speed of charging

It’s still unknown if the addition of the authentication chip could affect the functionality of the new iPhones or not. However, it is possible that Apple may restrict certain features such as fast charging and high-speed data transfer to only certain devices.

As per Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the USB-C port on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus is said to remain limited to USB 2.0 speeds, which is similar to the Lightning port. While, only the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Ultra are expected to offer faster data transfer speeds.