Apple confirms USB-C charging switch with iPhone 15
We thought it would be coming, but now it's finally confirmed: The iPhone 15 is getting a USB-C port. The switch was announced Tuesday at the 2023 Apple Event.
Apple users are currently stuck using a USB-C charger for their laptops and a Lightning cable for their iPhones but with this new upgrade, that's changing.
The USB-C will help with "charging, transferring data, playing audio and video," an Apple presenter said. "Now, the same product can charge Mac, iPad, iPhone, and even AirPods Pro 2nd generation, which is updated with a USB-C connector."
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You can even use a USB-C port to charge your AirPods or your Apple Watch directly from your iPhone. The presenter announced that Apple is "also bringing USB-C to EarPods, so they can work with iPhone 15 seamlessly." EarPods are what Apple calls their corded headphones. iPhone 15, of course, has MagSafe as well.
As Mashable has previously reported, this might be the change that finally converts Android users. In a survey conducted by cell phone trade-in site SellCell, 44 percent of Android users surveyed said they would switch to the iPhone if the new phone had a USB-C port. Google and Samsung have been charging via USB-C ports for years; Apple's M2 MacBook Air and some recent iPads do as well. We'll have to wait and see if that survey becomes a reality.
This likely doesn't come from the kindness of Apple's heart. Users have been asking for more compatible chargers for years and Apple has been refusing, leading some users to believe it's simply because if you need two different chargers, you're going to buy two different chargers, and that's just smart marketing. But the European Union recently passed a law that requires all phones and tablets to be universally compatible by 2024 — meaning Apple is forced to comply.
You can find the new flagship smartphone lineup here:
The 6.1-inch iPhone 15
The 6.7-inch iPhone 15 Plus
The 6.1-inch iPhone 15 Pro
The 6.7-inch iPhone 15 Pro Max
Christianna Silva is a senior culture reporter covering social platforms and the creator economy, with a focus on the intersection of social media, politics, and the economic systems that govern us. Since joining Mashable in 2021, they have reported extensively on meme creators, content moderation, and the nature of online creation under capitalism.
Before joining Mashable, they worked as an editor at NPR and MTV News, a reporter at Teen Vogue and VICE News, and as a stablehand at a mini-horse farm. You can follow her on Bluesky @christiannaj.bsky.social and Instagram @christianna_j.
