A Weibo post implies that the USB-C connector on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro, as well as the charging cables that come with the devices, will include an authenticator chip similar to Apple’s Lightning port, potentially limiting their compatibility with non-Apple devices.
Apple has reportedly developed a USB-C variant for this year’s iPhone 15 series, according to a rumor submitted by someone claiming to be an integrated circuit expert with 25 years of experience working on Intel’s Pentium CPUs.
The way information is transferred between devices is controlled by semiconductors known as integrated circuits (IC) interfaces. Since its introduction in 2012, first-party and MFi-certified Lightning ports and connectors have incorporated a small IC that confirms the reliability of the parts used in the connection. For instance, the absence of this chip in third-party charging cables that are not MFi certified frequently results in connected Apple devices displaying “This accessory is not supported” warnings.
Apple can encourage users to purchase genuine iPhone accessories using the authenticator chip and profit from MFi-approved accessories. However, it also enables Apple to combat fake and potentially harmful accessories.
According to the most recent report, Apple has created a comparable custom IC for the USB-C ports on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro, most likely for its charging cords. The new IC is intended for new MFi-certified peripherals and the iPhone 15 series.
The USB-C interface Apple now uses in its 10th-generation iPad, iPad Air, iPad mini, and iPad Pro does not include an IC chip for identification. Thus this would be a first for the ports of this kind that the company currently offers.
If this modification could significantly affect the new devices’ functionality is still debatable. Apple might restrict MFi- and Apple-certified cords for features like high-speed data transfer and quick charging.
According to an Apple analyst, the USB-C ports on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will only offer USB 2.0 speeds, which are the same as Lightning. Only the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models will provide quicker charging times. As a result, in the entry-level iPhone 15 models, the physical shape of the connector may be the only notable distinction between Lightning and USB-C.
The split between the iPad Pro and the entry-level iPad would be mirrored, making the report extremely credible. Both iPad models have a USB-C port, but the iPad Pro supports full-fledged Thunderbolt speeds of up to 40 Gbps, while the 10th-generation iPad is restricted to USB 2.0 rates of up to 480 Mbps.
