Apple has announced the new iPhone 15 with something they have changed after 11 years: the lightning port is now USB-C. USB-C has existed since 2014 and has been on many devices such as laptops, controllers, keyboards, and Android phones.
The reason why the change has been implemented on the new iPhone is because the EU passed a law to have a common charging standard, requiring Apple and other companies to use a USB-C port for devices they manufacture. If they do not follow the rules, financial punishments will occur.
Michael Goggin, phone enthusiast, reveals the pros and cons of Apple switching to USB-C.
“For the environment, it’s a good move, but when it comes to their personal revenue, it can be bad because they’re able to trademark Lightning,” said Goggin. “They can’t trademark USB-C.”
The charging standard aims to reduce the amount of cables people need to use to charge, transfer data, and connect devices.
“It would be very good for Apple to have one singular cable,” said Goggin.
Before the iPhone 15 was released, Macbooks had USB-C, iPads had USB-C, iPhones had lightning. Having one cable not only reduces e-waste for consumers, but also saves money since people don’t need to buy and carry multiple cables to support their devices.
The iPhone 15 has USB 2 data transfer rates with 480 megabits per second (Mbps), but lightning cable has the same speed as USB 2, meanwhile the 15 Pro and Pro Max have USB 3 speeds with ten times faster data transfer rates. Those who upgrade to the Pro and higher to receive the benefits of USB 3 which can be utilized such as uploading big files to your phone or computer.
Many people have thought of lightning as a way for Apple to make more money since it is their own connector dedicated for iPhones while other devices offer USB-C.
It can be a tough decision for customers who buy iPhones to switch over cables because of the lightning cables they have, but Apple refused to switch over until the EU was involved. USB-C has been an industry standard for many years, continuing to simplify people’s lives with less clutter and waste to go into landfills.
