Tag: USB-C

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Mobile Syrup

Apple’s iPhone 15 could switch from Lightning to USB-C

There’s a possibility Apple could move from its proprietary Lightning port to USB-C on all or at least some of its iPhone 15 devices, according to often-reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Though most of the industry has moved on from USB-A to USB-C, Apple continues to feature its Lightning port in its smartphones and lowest-end iPad. Even its own iPad Mini, iPad Air and iPad Pro have shifted to the USB-C port.

In Kuo’s recent tweet, the analyst said that the move to USB-C will improve iPhone data transfer speeds and charging. If true, this would be a massive hit to Apple’s MFI accessory certification program. In the past, Kuo has cited the loss of MFI-related revenue and USB-C’s lesser waterproof spec as reasons the tech giant likely won’t switch from Lightning to USB-C.

The European Union (EU) could soon pass legislation that will force Apple to bring USB-C to all of its iPhones, iPads and AirPods available in Europe. Apple’s possible Switch to USB-C with the iPhone 15 series could be the tech giant getting ahead of this move.

There’s also some speculation that Apple could have plans to go entirely portless at some point, and that its magnetic MagSafe connector was the first step in this process. However, pressure from the EU could have altered the tech giant’s plans.

Source: @mingchikuo Via: The Verge 

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Mobile Syrup

Homemade USB-C iPhone currently costs $100,000 on eBay

If you want to be the lucky owner of the world’s first USB-C iPhone, you’ll have to shell out a ridiculous amount of cash.

The fabled homemade iPhone that ditches Apple’s Lightning port in favour of USB-C currently sits at $100,000 USD (roughly $124,000 CAD) after 154 bids on eBay.

The listing describes the smartphone as a black 64GB iPhone X that doesn’t include a box or additional accessories. It’s worth noting that there are seven days left in the auction, so the cost is sure to continue to skyrocket.

Thankfully, the seller is offering free shipping to anywhere in the world, as well as a 30-minute call “if you have any questions” (what a deal). The listing also states that whoever buys the USB-C iPhone can’t “restore, update or erase” the device, and says that you must confirm you won’t open it or use it as your daily smartphone.

Oh, and the seller doesn’t accept returns, so if you change your mind, you’re stuck with it.

Ken Pillonel is behind this particular USB-C iPhone project, so it’s likely safe to assume that he’s behind this auction. While Pillonel first showed off the project a few weeks ago, he recently released a YouTube video outlining how he was able to add a USB-C port to the iPhone X.

Image credit: eBay (geeken)

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Mobile Syrup

Some users experiencing USB bugs in macOS Monterey

As macOS Monterey rolls out to Macs around the world, some users are experiencing a bug related to USB-C hubs no longer working with their Mac.

A report published by Cult of Mac outlines a Reddit user that found their MacBook Pro hub’s USB-C ports stopped working after updating to Monterey, but that their HDMI port still functioned normally. The user was able to remedy this by using an official Apple-certified hub.

Other users experienced USB-C display monitor issues and power throughput bugs when using external USB-C accessories.

This issue also appears to be affecting both Intel and Apple chip Mac devices and there is no clear fix from Apple yet. Hopefully, a future build of the OS update will remedy the problem, but for now, it appears that dongle compatibility is spotty.

I’ll also note that during my time with macOS Monterey so far, the main issue I’ve encountered consistently is Safari crashes every time I try to drag a tab out of its window to create a separate window.

Source: Cult of Mac

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Mobile Syrup

Apple Watch Series 7 requires at least a 5W USB-C adapter for fast charging

Apple says its new Watch Series 7 can recharge up to 33 percent faster than the Series 6, going from zero to 80 percent in just 45 minutes.

That’s great and all, but you’ll need a few things to make it actually work.

The first (and the easiest) thing is a new USB-C charging cable for the Apple Watch. Thankfully, Apple includes one of these new cables in the box with the Watch Series 7. However, if you need another one, you can get one from the Apple Store for $39.

The other thing you’ll need is a USB-C power brick capable of putting out the right amount of power. Previously, it wasn’t clear how much power the Watch Series 7 needed, but a new support document from Apple (spotted by MacRumors) clears it up.

In short, you’ll need a USB-C power brick that supports at least 5W over USB Power Delivery (USB PD) or greater. Although Apple doesn’t include a power brick in the Watch Series 7 box, it likely won’t be too hard to come by something that puts out at least 5W — for example, the Pixel charger sitting on my desk can output 15W or 18W of power.

As a refresher for those who didn’t read our article about iPhone 13 charging, you can calculate the watt output of a charging bring by multiplying the volts and amps listed in the fine print on the charging brick (assuming the brick doesn’t just list the wattage outright).

It’s also worth noting that if you want to stick with just Apple accessories, the minimum option is Apple’s 18W USB-C charging brick. I couldn’t find the 18W one on the Apple Canada website, but the next step up (20W) is available for $25.

Along with the 18W and 20W options, Apple’s support page says that its 29W, 30W, 61W, 87W or 96W adapters will all fast-charge the Watch Series 7. The 5W requirement stands for third-party chargers.

All that said, there’s probably a decent chance you already have a 5W USB-C charging brick you can use for the new Apple Watch. If not, you can either fork out at least $25 for the Apple brick or grab one of the countless options on Amazon ranging between $10 and $35 in price.

Source: Apple Via: MacRumors

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Mobile Syrup

All you need is a masters in robotics to create a USB-C iPhone

Despite years of rumours, it’s unlikely Apple will ever ditch the iPhone’s propriety Lightning connector for the more universal USB-C port without being forced by a powerful government body.

That said, the tech giant has slowly moved several of its devices over to USB-C, including the iPad mini, iPad Air and of course, its various Mac devices.

Since Apple will never make the jump, robotics engineer and YouTuber Ken Pillonel, took matters into his own hands to create the “World’s first USB-C iPhone.” In Pillonel’s video, he shows off an iPhone equipped with a USB-C cable capable of receiving power and handling data transfers through the port.

Pillonel says that he reverse-engineered Apple’s C94 connector to create a PCB with a female USB-C port over several months. To be clear, this isn’t something the average iPhone user will be able to handle themselves given Pillonel has a Master’s degree in robotics.

Still, it’s fascinating that someone was able to get this to work and reminds me that in an alternate universe, maybe there is an iPhone that features USB-C.

For more on this fascinating USB-C iPhone mod, check out Pillonel’s very detailed blog post.

Image credit: Ken Pillonel

Source: Ken Pillonel, Kenny Pi (YouTube) Via: AppleInsider 

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Mobile Syrup

USB-C cables get new identification icons to show power and speed

Several new USB-C identification symbols for cable and port packaging just dropped. Companies can use the symbols to help consumers tell which USB-C cables, ports and charging bricks can do what.

The USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), a group that maintains the USB standard, created the new icons, which work alongside the USB4 and 240 watt (W) power standards.

While ultimately it’s good to have symbols to help identify which USB accessories can do what, the new icons exemplify an ongoing issue with USB-C: it’s confusing.

USB-C was supposed to be much simpler. One port to rule them all, everything just works, etc. Except, that’s not the case.

Seasoned tech veterans likely won’t have an issue here (the new identification symbols generally do a good job communicating what a cable can do). But for those not immersed in the tech world, trying to figure whether you need the USB4 40Gbps cable or the USB Type-C 240W cable or the one that does both (or the one that does neither) could be confusing.

The Verge points out that the new branding ties into the USB Power Delivery (USB PD) 3.1 specification announced earlier this year, which confusingly lives under the USB Type-C Release 2.1 specification. Ultimately, all these things are trying to communicate the power level that cables and charging bricks can deliver, now up to 240W with the correct cable and brick combination.

I would argue that having identification symbols is better than not having them. It’s also arguably better than having several different port types, although in many cases, people still need USB-A, HDMI, DisplayPort and other kinds of ports (we are definitely not in a one-port world yet). And don’t get me started on the variety of proprietary charging hardware from laptop manufacturers that use the Type-C port but don’t fall under any USB spec.

When you compare to another specification that uses the USB Type-C port — Thunderbolt 4 — it’s clear that USB is much more confusing. Anyone shopping for a Thunderbolt 4 cable just needs to look for the Thunderbolt 4 logo, and then they know it can handle everything in the specification.

To me, that’s the ultimate solution — one standard that works for everything I need. Charging, video, data transfer, etc. Maybe USB will get there one day.

Source: USB-IF Via: The Verge