| Cult of Mac

iPhone 15 will be part of making Qi2 the global wireless charging standard

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Apple’s MagSafe fuels new Qi2 wireless charging standard
Qi2 brings the benefits of MagSafe to Android.
Photo: WPC/Cult of Mac

Qi2 is a new wireless charging standard expected to go into widespread use later in 2023. And, according to an unconfirmed report, the upcoming iPhone 15 will be one of the handsets that supports it, including 15W charging.

That’s not surprising, considering Qi2 is heavily based on the MagSafe system built into current iPhones.

EU warns Apple not to limit iPhone features to MFi-certified USB-C cables

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Apple is raising some subscription services costs for the first time.
Apple could find itself in hot water if it places limits on how iPhones work with non-MFi cables.
Photo: Josh Davidson/Cult of Mac

Ahead of Apple’s transition from Lightning ports to USB-C for its devices, the European Commission warned the company not to limit the functionality of charging cables that don’t carry Apple’s MFi certification.

EU Commissioner Thierry Breton reportedly sent a letter to Apple addressing rumors that iPhone charging and data-transfer speeds might be reduced when using non-MFI USB-C cables. Breton reminded Cupertino that such limitations could lead to iPhones being banned from the European market.

iPhone 15 Pro could support Thunderbolt over USB-C

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iPhone 15 already in trial production
iPhone 15's USB-C port could be a lot faster than a regular USB port.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac/Pixabay/Pexels

Apple will seemingly equip the USB-C port on the iPhone 15 Pro lineup with Thunderbolt 3 capabilities. This opens the door to connecting high-bandwidth storage devices and other accessories to the upcoming iPhone.

Apple already includes a Thunderbolt 3 port as standard across its iPad Air and iPad Pro lineups. This allows the tablets to drive external monitors with up to 6K resolution.

Rumor: iPhone 15 could feature frosted glass back

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iPhone 15 already in trial production
Apple could offer iPhone 15 in an iPhone 12-like cyan color.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac/Pixabay/Pexels

A new rumor claims Apple will offer the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus in a cyan-green color. Additionally, the company apparently plans to use a frosted glass back on these phones.

Up to this point, Apple only used frosted glass on its iPhone Pro lineup. (The iPhone 14 series features a clear glass back.)

iPhone 15 Pro’s rumored solid-state buttons reportedly shelved

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Leaked CAD images show iPhone 15 Pro mute button could prove problematic
iPhone 15 Pro will have regular, physical buttons.
Image: chenwen1987

Apple may not ship the iPhone 15 Pro series with the rumored unified solid-state capacitive buttons. TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says Apple abandoned the plan due to “unresolved technical issues.”

Previously, multiple rumors indicated Apple would replace the physical buttons on the iPhone 15 Pro with capacitive keys. The design also would have added two new Taptic Engines to simulate the feeling of pressing physical buttons.

Apple couldn’t get away with proprietary USB-C cables for iPhone 15

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Apple couldn't get away with proprietary USB-C cables for iPhone 15
We might see this some day.
Photo: Cult of Mac

USB-C is finally coming to the iPhone, but there are rumors and speculation that only Apple-approved cables will be able to charge the device. Realistically, though, there’s no way Apple would be allowed to get away with that.

The European Union is forcing Apple to drop the Lightning port, and would surely squash attempts to make USB-C into anything but a universal standard. That’s if Apple is even trying to do that, which is questionable.

iPhone 15 Pro will use new microprocessor to power capacitive buttons

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iPhone 15 already in trial production
Here's how iPhone 15 Pro's capacitive buttons will allegedly work.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac/Pixabay/Pexels

Apple will include a new low-power microprocessor to power the iPhone 15 Pro’s capacitive buttons. This will enable the solid-state buttons to function even when the phone is switched off or has a dead battery.

The new microprocessor will also take over other low-power tasks like Apple Pay Express Card and Find My functionality. Apple’s A-series chip currently handles these tasks in super low power mode.

iPhone 15 could go eSIM-only in more countries

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Apple video explains how to activate an iPhone 14 eSIM
iPhone 15 could force you to ditch the physical SIM card for good.
Graphic: Apple

Apple removed the SIM card tray from the iPhone 14 units sold in the US. With the iPhone 15, the company seemingly plans to ditch the SIM slot on the iPhone in even more countries.

A new report indicates the iPhone 15 could launch with only eSIM support in France.

Apple could optimize MFi USB-C power bricks to fast-charge iPhone 15

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iPhone 15 already in trial production
iPhone 15 may force you to spend money on a USB-C charger.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac/Pixabay/Pexels

Apple could optimize the fast-charging performance of MFi-certified USB-C power bricks for the iPhone 15. The company is expected to ditch the Lightning connector and transition to USB-C on its 2023 iPhone lineup.

Due to this change, Apple reportedly expects a strong demand boost for its 20W USB-C charger.