Speaker 1: Your next iPhone could ditch the lightning cable and switch to U S bbc. That's right. According to new image leaks of the iPhone 15, apple might be moving away from the cable. It's used for more than a decade in favor of the same u SB charging tech used on Android phones. They have, of course, been plenty of rumors that Apple has been planning this switch for a while now. Then in late 2022, we saw new laws from the EU that will require phones sold in Europe to use U s BBC for wired charging from 2024. [00:00:30] And then of course, there are the millions of households around the world who literally cannot have another argument about which kind of charger gets pride of place on the bedside table, or why we even need to buy two charging cables in the first place because why are we living in this commingled Android iPhone house, and is this really gonna be a green bubble marriage forever?
Speaker 1: I don't know if I can live like this. Anyway, what was I talking about? Oh, yes, I'm Claire Riley, and this is one more thing with Bridget out this week. I've got a chance to take the reins and talk [00:01:00] about a real bug bear of mine charging cable interoperability. It's a sexy topic, but seriously, it's not just those Android iPhone households that are thinking about this. The Lightning cable first came out in 2012 with the iPhone five, considering how many other parts of the iPhone have been upgraded since then. No more home button a dynamic island instead of that chaga of a bezel, it's amazing that charging tech has stayed the same, but according to new renders, leaked to nine to five [00:01:30] Mac by a case manufacturer and 3D artist Ian Zebo. This year's iPhone looks like it's finally making the switch to U S bbc.
Speaker 1: According to nine to five Mac, the renders are CAD files used by the case manufacturer to make accessories to fit the new iPhone. So they're normally a pretty reliable indication of what kind of design we can expect, and they're on the bottom of the iPhone 15 Pro u s bbc. The renters also give us a few other hints. We can expect thinner bezel on the iPhone 15 Pro as well [00:02:00] as a more sizable camera bump than it's predecessor, which could probably indicate an upgrade on camera Tech. Though, to be fair, camera upgrades are normally the one thing we do expect from a new iPhone launch at this stage. There's also more of a curve to the edge, which is a departure from that more flat edge design on the iPhone 14 nine to five Mac is also speculating that the volume rocker could be capacitor rather than a physical button.
Speaker 1: That said, these are just early renders, so it's a long way from concrete confirmation. But back [00:02:30] to charging. Why is U S BBC a big deal? Well, it's just faster than lightning, both in terms of charging and data transfer speeds. Lightning charging on the iPhone is limited to roughly 25 watts, but U S BBC offers faster charging speeds, and in the case of U S B P D or U SB Power delivery, that could be 100 watts or higher. In fact, apple already offers U S B P D on MacBooks with support for this faster charging the data transfer speeds [00:03:00] if you're still doing that by a cable, that is are also faster. But it's also just a sign of where Apple has been heading. The company introduced U S BBC to MacBooks in 2015, the iPad Pro in 2018, iPad Air in 2020 and iPad Mini in 2021, bringing it to the iPhone would really round out the collection.
Speaker 1: Not just that, but it's also a sign of where the world is heading. That EU legislation that I mentioned up top is going to require U s BBC on any phone that charges with a cable, and [00:03:30] it applies to other devices like keyboards, mice, and headphones too. That means by the end of next year, if Apple wants to sell iPhones in Europe, they'll need to have a US BBC port or no port at all, and that no port design is a possibility in the future. Apple could release phones that use wire charging for the next two iPhone launchers, the 15 and the 16, and then go without ports all together after that. That didn't mean going all in on wireless charging and it's mag MagSafe technology, but for now [00:04:00] at least it seems we're set to have U S BBC for the foreseeable future. See what I did there?
Speaker 1: Yeah, of course, ditching Lightning doesn't mean you'll be buying an old generic U s BBC cable necessarily. Considering the success of Apple's made for iPhone accessory program, which brings them a tidy little slice of income on all Apple certified iPhone accessories sold, you'll still be able to buy a minimalist white cable to match your Apple brand and cleaning cloth. So where do you [00:04:30] stand on Lightning versus u s bbc? Are you annoyed that you're gonna have to ditch all your existing cables or are you excited for the upgrade? Or are you like me and you are just finally looking forward to a little piece and harmony on your bedside table? Let me know in the comments below. And if you want more iPhone news, be sure to check out Bridget's great video about the rumors of an iPhone subscription plan. That's right, subscription for your physical phone. Totally wild. Until next time, I'm Claire Riley Fornet.
