Apple’s iPhone 15 lineup is said to be the first from the company to transition from Lightning to USB-C, a hardware switch that will happen before the EU’s mandate. This would mean consumers would no longer have to purchase and carry around two separate charging accessories, but there is still a possibility that you will have to acquire an official Apple cable, courtesy of the latest leak. The new iPhones’ USB-C flex cables got a closer look, showing a special ‘3LD3’ chip that may force customers to purchase compatible accessories.
Tipster claims this chip may be used for transmission encryption, which may hint at the possibility of limiting what cables can be used with the iPhone 15
On X, Majin Bu has shared more USB-C flex cables that he claims belong to the iPhone 15 series. While we have reported about this internal component before, our interest was piqued in the thread that followed when he started talking about the special 3LD3 chip that Apple apparently designed. Unfortunately, the model number of the chip does not disclose its functionality, but the tipster says that according to chips that were packaged in the past, its primary function might revolve around ‘transmission encryption.’
The terms used in the post suggest that Apple might be using this chip and the iOS pairing to limit the charge received by all iPhone 15 models. However, Majin Bu states that all USB-C cables should be compatible with Apple’s future devices as it is required by EU law, so perhaps all regions governed by the European Union might allow it. However, this limitation may be practiced in other markets, which do follow any mandate set by the EU, forcing customers to purchase official Apple USB-C cables to charge the iPhone 15.
iPhone15 Plus USB C connector detail pic.twitter.com/J0nDO7WPeU
— Majin Bu (@MajinBuOfficial) August 14, 2023
To remind you, with Apple removing the proprietary Lightning port, it can no longer earn royalties from accessory manufacturers, so the only way to regain that lost revenue is to force customers to pick up USB-C cables that will only work with the iPhone 15. It is still entirely possible that the ‘3LD3’ chip is just a security measure to prevent hackers from stealing important data when plugging in an iPhone 15’s USB-C port, meaning that every other cable can still work with those upcoming models.
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