Will iPhone 15 have USB-C? What we know so far

Rumours are swirling all over the internet, so are they right? Will the iPhone 15 have USB-C? Well, the truth is we do not yet know for sure, but it is look likely that it will.

The Apple rumour mill is in full swing. We’re already seeing release date speculation for the iPhone 15 Max, and possible features of the iPhone 15 Ultra. Now it’s rumours about the charging cable of the iPhone 15.

Apple eventually using USB-C ports on their smartphones was an inevitability, for Europeans at least. This was ever since the EU ruled to make them mandatory in 2022.

However, the deadline for compliance was not until 2024, meaning that, if the iPhone 15 uses USB-C, it will be a full cycle before Apple was forced to. Well, a series of pretty reputable leakers seems to have confirmed just that, including ShrimpApplePro.

This could be a case of Apple seizing the initiative. That very leak from ShrimpApplePro also implied the USB-C ports would be MFI or Made for iPhone. This would mean that, while all USB-C cables would charge your device, those made by Apple would have faster speeds.

There has been some backlash to the idea of this as we have already covered in another article.

Would USB-C iPhones be good?

The EU introduced its USB-C mandate for environmental concerns and to aid consumers. They argued that the lightning cable was needless, resulting in more electronic waste and higher prices.

However, the changes could also improve the actual devices themselves. This is because USB-C cables are, to put it simply, better than lightning ones. Thanks to their higher voltage capabilities and data transfer speeds they can do more faster than their Apple counterparts.

Significantly faster in fact. At the moment, lightning cables have a maximum transfer speed of 480 Mbps and can charge your iPhone at 27W. This is compared to the 80 Gbps data transfer speed of USB-C (over 160x faster) and charging speeds of up to 100W, though even high-end fast-charging smartphones tend to limit it to around 50W.

This means that, if the rumours are true, the iPhone 15 could be the fastest-charging phone ever released by Apple.

We’ll be keeping up with all the rumours and will bring you any news that has been confirmed by Apple. Keep checking back here to stay in the loop.

Frequently asked questions

Could Apple make a portless iPhone?

In theory, Apple could make an iPhone without any wired charging port, thereby sidestepping the EU resolution. A portless iPhone would be only compatible with wireless charging but there is no sign of one appearing as of yet.

While iPhones in the USA still use lightning cables?

If Apple does use USB-C ports in the EU, it is possible they will stick with their lightning cables for the rest of the world. However, this would be a logistical challenge for the company, and other countries are eyeing similar bans to the EU, so it is also possible Apple will launch the same device worldwide.