Apple May Limit iPhone 15’s USB-C Port Functionality

According to a rumour shared on Weibo, Apple may limit the iPhone 15/‌iPhone 15‌ Pro’s USB-C port functionality with a Lightning-like authenticator chip (via MacRumors).

The source claims that Apple is developing its own variant of USB-C for the iPhone 15 series launching later this year, which will not work with Apple-unapproved accessories.

All first-party and MFi-certified Lightning ports and connectors contain a small IC that confirms the authenticity of the parts involved in the connection.

Since non-MFi-certified third-party charging cables do not feature this chip, users get “This accessory is not supported” warnings when using such accessories.

Dubbed the “authenticator chip,” it allows Apple to receive a commission on MFi-certified accessories while encouraging customers to buy only certified peripherals.

The latest rumor seems to suggest that Apple has developed a similar custom IC for the USB-C ports on the ‌iPhone 15‌ and ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro, and presumably its charging cables. As well as the ‌iPhone 15‌ lineup, the new IC is apparently destined for new MFi-certified peripherals.

It must, however, be noted that the USB-C interface currently found in the 10th-generation iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro, do not contain an authenticator chip.