The iPhone and its users are in for a big change with the upcoming release of the iPhone 15 series on September 22nd. This new line of iPhones will be the first to feature a USB-C charging port, replacing the Lightning port that has been used in previous models. While Apple may lose out on the royalties it collects from certified Lightning cables, it has the opportunity to make up for it with sales of USB-C cables and chargers.
According to MacRumors, Apple Store representatives are being trained to inform customers purchasing the new iPhone 15 series that their old Lightning cables will not be compatible with the new devices. They will also remind buyers that although a USB-C to USB-C cable is included in the box, a charging brick is not included.
To address this change, TF International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo stated earlier this year that Apple increased its forecast for shipments of the 20W USB-C charger by 120% for the third quarter and scheduled shipments of 70 million units for the fourth quarter. Kuo expects year-over-year growth in shipments of the 20W USB-C charger to be between 30% and 40% for 2023, which would mean delivering 230 million to 240 million units of the charger this year.
It is speculated that Apple may make it possible for third-party USB-C cables to work with the iPhone 15 line only if they have been certified under Apple’s MFi (Made For iPhone) program. This would effectively turn a generic USB-C cable into a proprietary one. According to leaker ShrimpApplePro, all third-party USB-C accessories made for the iPhone 15 lineup will need to be MFi-certified to work with the 2023 iPhone models.
In terms of data transfer speeds, it is expected that the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will maintain the same rate of 480Mbps that the Lightning port delivers. However, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max may see faster data transfer speeds ranging from 20Gbps to 40Gbps. At the higher end of this range, the iPhone 15 Pro handsets would support Thunderbolt 4.0.
As the release of the iPhone 15 series approaches, we hope that Apple Store reps are well-prepared to educate customers about these changes and help them make a smooth transition to the new devices.
