It's also the detail that TV shows most often miss, so a character in a drama is chatting away on the phone with the screen blazing inappropriately.
Anyway, the new report comes from the reliable Ming-Chi Kuo from TF International Securities. Right now, on the iPhone 14 Pro, the proximity sensor is, “located under the display (outside the dynamic island)”. As you’ll know, the Dynamic Island is the display cut-out that houses the front-facing camera and other elements.
But a new report from Ming-Chi Kuo, the highly reliable analyst from TFI Securities, says there’s good news, but also a frustrating limitation when it comes to how USB-C will work on the new phones. In a new research note at Medium, Kuo claims that the move to USB-C will mean the company can optimize for faster charging speeds. That’s the good news, and very welcome, of course.
But the flip side is that these speeds will only be achieved when using the right charger, specifically an MFi charger, which means one that has been approved by Apple.
Since the iPhone 12, released in 2020, Apple has not included a charging plug in the box, so users have often relied on what they had already.
However, the cable now supplied in the box with all iPhones is USB-C to Lightning, whereas most older charging plugs have a USB-connection. So, for many, the supplied cable has sat idle.
This has meant slower charging from, for example, the old 5W charger Apple used to include with many of its phones.
So, Kuo says “I believe Apple will optimize the fast charging performance of MFi-certified chargers for the iPhone 15. Among Apple’s chargers, the 20W USB-C model is the most cost-effective choice for iPhone users, resulting in strong replacement demand for 20W USB-C chargers.”
In other words, you won’t get the fast charging unless you’re using a certified charger, and one that’s fast enough, like the Apple 20W version. As a result, it’s expected that this charging plug will sell in big numbers. Kuo again: “Apple has significantly increased the total shipment forecast of its 20W USB-C charger by approximately 120% for 2Q23 and 3Q23 and has set 20W USB-C charger shipment at about 70 mn units for 4Q23, as it is optimistic about strong replacement demand for 20W USB-C chargers following the switch to USB-C for the iPhone 15 series.”
The 20W charger sells for $19, while a more powerful 30W model costs a little over twice that at $39—which if you are planning on buying an iPhone 15 Pro, you might want to consider as it’s thought the Pro phones will charge faster still, at up to 27W. You can buy cheaper chargers than this, but you have to reckon with the expectation that they won’t deliver as fast a charger if they’re not Apple-certified.
While not explicitly stated by Kuo, it’s also thought that the charging speeds will only be delivered with MFi-certified cables as well There’s good news here, of course: there’ll be one of these cables in the box with a new iPhone, so you’re sorted.
Apple makes money from MFi-certified products, even from third parties. But Apple would make clear that it insists on MFi certification for other reasons such as ensuring the best user experience. It’s certainly true that not all cables are equal.
Since it’s rumored that the iPhone 15 price is going to climb, buyers may need to factor in a little more to pay for a suitable charging plug.