We know pretty much for certain that Apple is switching out its decade-old Lightning port for USB-C with its upcoming iPhone 15 range. But rumor has it Apple is going the extra mile and upgrading the bundled charging cable in more ways than one. Recent leaks show charging cables that are longer, faster, more durable, and available in several colorful variants.
Currently, Apple ships a basic Lightning-to-USB-C cable with iPhones. Leaked images from @KosutamiSan and @MajinBuOfficial show a range of USB-C-to-USB-C cables with the following changes:
Length. The new cables are said to be 1.5 meters long, up from the 1-meter standard Apple has used for many years. Good news for those who like to use their devices while charging, although the extra length would likely necessitate a redesign of the iPhone packaging.
Durability. Like the USB-C cables that ship with Macs, these new cables look to have a braided exterior that’s much tougher than the usual thin plastic coating. The braiding protects the wire from bending and fraying and would be a very welcome improvement.
Color. This new style of cable looks to be more colorful, with photos showing five distinct colorways that presumably match the color options of the iPhone 15 range. That’s black, yellow, pink, blue, purple. Again, this follows in the footsteps of Mac cables, which color-match the customer’s chosen finish.
Speed. A separate leak suggests the iPhone 15 range will support fast charging up to 35W. Apple no longer bundles power adapters with iPhones, so users would have to pair their own adapter with the new cables to reach these speeds. Luckily, USB-C is a universal standard. If you own a MacBook, chances are you already have a compatible 35W (or higher) power adapter.
Of course, leaks have to be taken with a pinch of salt, and with these cables looking extremely similar to existing cables that come with the Mac, we could be looking at fakes. But with Apple sure to be switching to USB-C this year, making several upgrades at once seems very plausible. Fingers crossed all four of these improvements come true!