iPhone 15 USB-C might only enable certain features if you use official cables

iPhone 15 USB-C might only enable certain features if you use official cables

There has been a lot of discussion recently about Apple's rumoured change to USB-C with upcoming iPhones to comply with changes in EU law. A recent post to Weibo suggests that Apple has developed a Lightning compatible integrated circuit board, which will be used alongside USB-C.

Off the back of this, it's suggested that the board can control exactly what functionality any cable or device with USB-C can do if it is plugged into the port, enabling, and disabling certain features. This is only a rumour posted to Weibo at this stage, and whether the existence of this board is true is still not confirmed. If it is true, it may simply just enable backwards compatibility with Lightning accessories.

With the iPhone 15 due to launch later this year, if it were to include USB-C across all the models, it would be a meaningful change given that Lightning was first introduced with the iPhone 5 in 2012. There is a possibility that USB-C cables will only support slow charging with other accessories enabling other features that users of the standard are familiar with, such as external displays (or potentially limiting this to the Pro models only).

Source: Weibo via 9to5Mac