News & Reviews:   USB-C

Tale as old as time, it's a common thing for Asians to put their wet phones inside a container or bag of rice. However, Apple does not recommend doing that as there is a chance of damaging your iPhone.

During the Apple Event, it was revealed that the iPhone 15 series is indeed the first in the lineup to have a USB-C port and charging cable. As such, we can expect some new cable accessories by Apple with a hefty price tag and here's what we can find.

The rumours of the iPhone 15 series having a USB C port are getting stronger. In this latest news, a leaker posted a few details of what we can expect about Apple's own USB C cable. This includes the cables that won't have MFi (made for iPhone) restrictions as previously feared.

The iPhone 15 series that’s coming later year is expected to feature USB-C in accordance with the latest EU regulations. However, despite the universal nature of the port, Apple is reportedly planning to limit its functionality, whereby it may not work with accessories not approved by the tech giant.

Previously, we reported on European Union (EU) passing a law which makes USB-C mandatory for the charging of devices, a rule that even Apple said it has “no choice but to comply”.  Well, a similar law has also been passed in India and smartphone manufacturers have been told that they have a deadline of March 2025 to comply with the new requirement.

After Apple confirmed that it will comply with the EU’s USB-C regulations, we may be seeing the port being standard across next year’s iPhone 15 series, instead of the Lightning port. However, it looks like not all of the upcoming iPhone’s USB-C ports would be equal, as Apple is likely to put higher-speed data transfer on the iPhone 15 Pro series.

Previously, we reported on Apple confirming that it will comply with the European Union’s (EU) new law for a unified USB-C charging port. Now, it looks like the EU is not done just yet and may force Apple to do more changes on its mobile devices, including allowing for third-party app stores, app sideloading and iMessage interoperability with non-Apple devices.

Previously, the European Committee (EC) voted for all devices to use USB-C ports. Now they have decided to carry out another enforcement - better phones and tablets battery life and spare parts. According to sources, draft proposals have already been published this week.

Batteries and fast charging technology on smartphones have progressed tremendously over the years, with over 100W fast charging being something relatively common these days. With that in mind, you’d be surprised that Apple, one of the largest smartphone manufacturers in the world is still selling the same 5W USB charger that ships with older generations of the iPhone (before they stopped including chargers in the box).

Thankfully, it looks like Apple may set to discontinue selling the 5W power adapter given how it has been out of stock in various countries for a while now. As reported MacRumours, the 5W USB Power Adapter is no longer available at many Apple Stores around the world.

It is reported that India might soon follow the footsteps of Europe by imposing a new policy that requires all the electronic products sold in the country to switch to USB-C. The government has called a meeting for all industry stakeholders, which is getting held on 17 August.