Good news and bad news for Apple fans

Apple is rumored to introduce USB-C charging with the iPhone 15 line (Image credit: Shutterstock / charnsitr)

We’re all but certain that Apple plans to embrace USB-C with its upcoming iPhone 15 line, and new rumors suggest that the company’s proprietary USB-C chargers will offer faster charging speeds than accessories produced by other manufacturers. 

We’ve already reported on claims that Apple will be implementing MFi (‘Made for iPhone’) certification on its range of USB-C accessories, and seasoned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo now reports (opens in new tab) that these Apple-produced chargers will indeed enable faster charging speeds for the iPhone 15 and its siblings. 

That sounds like good news, but since Apple no longer includes chargers in the box with iPhone purchases, you’ll almost certainly have to fork out extra cash for one of the company’s proprietary charging accessories if you want to get the most from your iPhone 15. 

To be clear: if claims regarding Apple’s MFi certification prove accurate you’ll still be able to use third-party USB-C chargers to power your iPhone 15, but these accessories won’t work their magic quite as quickly as a comparable chargers bought directly from Apple.

Currently, Apple sells two USB-C chargers: a 20W model (opens in new tab) for $19 / £19 / AU$29, and a 35W dual-port model (opens in new tab) for $59 / £69 / AU$89. It’s not yet clear whether these existing accessories will offer optimum iPhone 15 charging speeds, but since Apple reportedly expects shipments of the former to increase by 120% with the launch of the iPhone 15 (per Kuo), there’s a good chance that they will. 

That said, we’d also expect to see a handful of new iPhone-specific USB-C charging accessories launched alongside the new phones. 

As always, it’s worth taking these USB-C rumors with a pinch of salt. After all, there’s reason to doubt that Apple will implement any form of charging restrictions given that the company’s existing USB-C ports – which have been around since the iPad Pro 11 (2018) – have no such limitations (or optimizations, depending on your perspective). 

In terms of what else we expect to see introduced with the iPhone 15 line, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are rumored to inherit a handful of high-end features from the iPhone 14 Pro – including its Dynamic Island and high-res 48MP camera – though the latter’s ProMotion technology and always-on display functionality are unlikely to make it to those handsets. 

We’ll be keeping abreast of all the latest iPhone 15 news, rumors and leaks as and when they surface, so stay tuned to TechRadar for the most up-to-date info on what's likely to be 2023’s hottest smartphone launch. 

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