Smartphone and tech fans around the world received a pleasant – but not unexpected – surprise during the recent announcement of the latest Apple iPhones.
The new Apple iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Max were announced by the tech giant on September 13.
Among an improved A17 Processor chip, a 48 MP main camera, and aerospace-grade titanium casing, there was a small but significant change.
The iPhone will now use the standard USB-C charger port and cable, rather than Apple’s proprietary Lightning connector cable.
This means that the iPhone 15 Pro and Max will use the same charging cable and port as most other mobile phones and portable smart devices currently on the market, including the various Android smartphones, the Amazon Kindle and Rakuten Kobo e-reader, and most wireless headsets and earbuds.
The current Apple iPad range also uses USB-C cables for connection, as does the current Apple Macbook laptop range.
While the decision to switch to USB-C was not officially explained by Apple in their announcement, it is almost certainly due to a European Union law mandating that all smartphones and tablets sold in the EU from the end of 2024 use the common charging connector.
From a user perspective, this means no longer having to buy different cables to charge different phones.
Many of us will have experienced a situation where our phone battery needs charging while we are out or visiting a friend, and they only have the other type of cable available.
Both phones are available in a range of colours of storage sizes.
The iPhone 15 Pro has an RRP starting at $1,849 (for the 128 GB model), with the iPhone 15 Pro Max starting at an RRP of $2,199 (256 GB model).
They became available for purchase in Australia on September 22.
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