It seems like Apple is trying to pull a fast one, quite literally, on its early adopters.
While experts are in agreement that the iPhone 15, which is reportedly set to be revealed on September 12 or 13, will have a new USB-C charging port – new leaks suggest the device will come with a slow USB 2.0-speed cable in its box.
The complimentary cable will offer data transfer speeds at a rate of 480 megabits per second (Mbps), well below the gigabits or billions of bits per second (Gbps) that users have come to enjoy from Apple’s recent Thunderbolt ports.
To be sure, the news does not come as a complete surprise: Currently, only Apple’s iPad Pro supports the gigabit Thunderbolt 3 capable of 40 Gbps. Even recent models like the iPad Air and the iPad 10 still use older USB-C models at lower speeds.
Still, the rumors nevertheless are a disappointment to those expecting the latest and greatest from Apple’s newest iPhone model.
While experts are in agreement that the iPhone 15, which is reportedly set to be revealed on September 12 or 13, will have a new USB-C charging port – new leaks from @MajinBuOfficial on X (former Twitter) suggest the device will come with a slow USB 2.0-speed cable in its box
Images of the sluggish USB 2.0-speed cable with the USB-C connector, which is alleged to come standard with the new iPhone 15. The data transfer rate is a step back from Thunderbolt
Industry sites from MacRumors to Macworld have followed Majin Bu’s for the latest Apple news
The leak piles atop more optimistic rumors from this Monday, all less than a month before Apple officially pulls back the curtain on its new device.
Another leaker claimed to 9to5Mac that the iPhone 15 will support charging speeds of up to 35W – significantly faster than its predecessor, the iPhone 14, which has a charging speed of just 20W.
This means the upcoming smartphone could charge from 0 to 100 per cent in just one hour, saving precious time for users if they’re in a hurry.
Above, a USB-C to Lightning Cable adapter as seen at an Apple store in Chicago, Illinois
The news was revealed to 9to5Mac from ‘industry sources’, although it’s unclear if 35W charging will be supported by all of the iPhone 15 models.
Apple is expected to unveil four variations of the iPhone 15 – the standard model, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
‘According to people familiar with the matter, iPhone 15 is rumored to support charging with up to 35W,’ the report says.
‘At least some of the new iPhone 15 models can be recharged with up to 35W, which should enable even faster charging speeds on the new phones.’
35W (watts) refers to the amount of power being delivered to a phone’s battery – but if the phone doesn’t support the charging rate it won’t be able to charge any faster and will just waste energy.
Although there’s clear demand for the company to replace its own Lightning charging technology — including a European Union mandate — with USB-C, the change to its charging port is bound to be controversial.
No matter how fast the upgrade, Apple’s history of switching cords and forcing consumers to purchase its proprietary versions has led to numerous customer complaints over the years.