Technologies

Everything We Know About the iPhone 15 and USB-C

There are still plenty of questions about how Apple will handle the iPhone’s switch to USB-C.

For the first time in more than a decade, you might need a different charger for your iPhone. Apple executives said the company plans to comply with European rules mandating that new phones all use the same common USB-C charging port. Most phones already use USB-C, with Apple being the main outlier.

When asked if Apple will move to USB-C, Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, said the company has «no choice.» Apple will «comply with local laws» as it does around the world, Joswiak said during an appearance at The Wall Street Journal Tech Live conference in October.

That said, there’s still a lot we don’t know about how Apple will execute the transition to USB-C for the iPhone. Apple rarely discusses new products before announcing them, meaning we don’t have much insight on details like whether all new iPhones will get USB-C, or just those sold in Europe.

Apple declined to share further details regarding future plans to bring USB-C to the iPhone.

Will the iPhone 15 have a USB-C charging port?

A close-up view of an iPhone 13 Pro Lightning port — Today’s iPhones use the Lightning port to charge.

Stephen Shankand/CNET

There’s a chance the iPhone 15 could have a USB-C port instead of the Lightning connector, but it’s impossible to know until Apple releases its next iPhone. The EU’s rules say all mobile phones sold in the EU will need to have a USB-C charging port by the end of 2024. That means it’s unclear whether Apple will start the transition in 2023 with what will presumably be the iPhone 15, or wait until 2024.

But Chiew Le Xuan, a research analyst for Canalys, thinks the switch could come sooner rather than later.

«What we think is that Apple will bring Type C to the iPhone 15 series,» he said. «So, similar to what they did for the iPads [and] the Macs: They sort of just transitioned the whole product line.»

Apple has reportedly tested iPhone models with USB-C in the past. Bloomberg reported last May that Apple was testing future iPhone models with USB-C, as well as an adapter that would enable these iPhones to work with Lightning connections. Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst for TF International Securities known for his Apple predictions, also said Apple plans to convert the iPhone to USB-C in 2023.

It’s also worth noting that Apple is a member of the USB Implementers Forum, a nonprofit organization that was formed to further advance USB development and adoption.

What’s the reasoning behind the EU’s new rules?

The new mandate is part of an effort to simplify the charging experience for consumers and cut down on electronic waste.

«Under the new rules, consumers will no longer need a different charger every time they purchase a new device, as they will be able to use one single charger for a whole range of small and medium-sized portable electronic devices,» reads a European Parliament press release.

The shift is also meant to help cut down on the roughly11,000 metric tons (12,125 tons) of annual e-waste resulting from unused chargers in the EU, the release says.

Will all future iPhones adopt USB-C, or just those in Europe?

This is another question we won’t know the answer to until Apple releases future iPhone models. But Maurice Klahne, senior research analyst at Counterpoint Research, thinks it seems likely Apple will transition the iPhone to USB-C more broadly rather than keeping it region-specific.

«It’s just simply too costly to make different devices for different regions,» he said. «And so Apple will likely make the switch everywhere all at once.»

What benefits does USB-C offer over Lightning?

1-meter Apple Lightning-USB-C cable — Stephen Shankland/CNET

The transition to USB-C could result in more perks and conveniences for iPhone owners. For example, you’d be able to use the same charger that powers other devices, like your MacBook laptop or iPad, to charge your iPhone. There’s also a broad accessory ecosystem for USB-C, considering it’s been standard on most electronics for the better part of the last decade. Plenty of Apple’s own products already rely on USB-C rather than Lightning, such as the iPad Air, iPad Pro and Apple’s lineup of MacBooks.

It’s possible the switch to USB-C could result in faster charging and data transfers, specifically on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Kuo has reported that only the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will support high-speed data transfers over USB-C, for example.

Le Xuan agrees, saying Apple will likely do more to separate the regular iPhone 15 from its premium sibling this year.

«By then moving into a Type C switch, we will probably see some sort of differentiation between the Pro and Pro Max and the non-Pro Max in terms of charging speeds,» he said.

Will I need an Apple-specific USB-C cable?

You shouldn’t need an Apple-made cable to charge your iPhone when Apple makes the switch to USB-C. After all, that would defeat the purpose of the EU’s push toward a universal charging cable.

But the company could potentially make it so that Apple-certified USB-C cables offer benefits over noncertified alternatives. Kuo, for example, reports that Apple will likely optimize chargers that are part of the company’s MFi certification program to offer faster charging speeds. This follows a leak from ShrimpApplePro (who also leaked the Dynamic Island’s design early), which says cables without an MFi certification will be limited in charging and data transfer speeds.

Apple hasn’t spoken about its plans for the iPhone 15 or future USB-C charging cables beyond the comments made at The Wall Street Journal’s conference. But a move like this could help Apple boost its accessory ecosystem by maintaining some level of exclusivity as it embraces the switch to a universal iPhone charger.

«Even though their walled garden isn’t as walled anymore,» said Klahne, «they can still make these little adjustments to keep their iOS base more walled off from the general Android market.»

Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 15 lineup in the September timeframe during its usual annual product launch event. Other than USB-C charging, rumors suggest new solid-state buttons are coming to the Pro models, while the Dynamic Island is expected to expand to non-Pro versions.

Technologies

TikTok and FIFA Team Up for World Cup 2026 Coverage

A new team-up aims to make this summer’s tournament more accessible for fans.

If you hadn’t already planned on swiping on TikTok videos of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a new partnership between the social media platform and tournament organizer FIFA could motivate you to start stretching out your thumbs.

As the soccer tournament nears — it will take place from June 11 to July 19 and span 16 host cities in Canada, Mexico and the US — TikTok will become FIFA’s first «preferred platform.» According to a FIFA statement on Thursday, this entails TikTok providing more coverage of the World Cup, including original content and even livestreaming of some portions of matches.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

You can use the FIFA World Cup 2026 hub on TikTok to find content, match tickets and viewing information, as well as participation incentives such as custom stickers and filters.

In the US, World Cup games will air live across Fox and FS1. If you don’t have cable, you can get a live TV streaming service, such as YouTube TV, which includes those channels. Additionally, every match will stream live on Fox One and the Fox Sports app.

«FIFA’s goal is to share the exhilaration of the FIFA World Cup 2026 with as many fans as possible,» FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström said.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Jan. 9, #473

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Jan. 9, No. 473.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition might be tough, if you don’t know your sports venues. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Are you ready for some playoffs?

Green group hint: Up! Down!

Blue group hint: Where teams play.

Purple group hint: Not angels.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: NFL playoff rounds.

Green group: Jumping ability.

Blue group: NBA arenas.

Purple group: ____ devils.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is NFL playoff rounds. The four answers are conference championship, divisional, Super Bowl and wild card.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is jumping ability. The four answers are bounce, bunnies, hops and ups.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is NBA arenas. The four answers are Delta, FedEx, Scotiabank and Spectrum.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ____ devils. The four answers are blue, New Jersey, red and sun.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

Technologies

Speediance’s Compact Resistance Trainer and Wearable Make Wellness and Fitness More Connected

Speediance unveils a portable strength training device and a wearable at CES.

Speediance unveiled its new Gym Nano and Speediance Strap products this week at CES 2026. The smart fitness equipment manufacturer, which previously developed its own smart home gym, the Gym Monster 2, designed the Gym Nano and Speediance Strap to complement its current equipment ecosystem.

«Rather than developing products in isolation, we’re building a comprehensive training and health ecosystem that adapts to users’ real lives and empowers better decision-making over time,» Speediance founder and CEO Liu Tao said in a statement.

Speediance used the consumer tech expo in Las Vegas to demonstrate the Gym Nano, a portable, motor-driven cable resistance training system designed to occupy minimal space for those who prefer to work out at home. The strap is a prototype wearable device designed to read your health data and provide training recommendations based on this insight.

CNET previously tested Speediance’s VeloNix AI Smart Bike and named it the best AI-powered exercise bike.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

Gym Nano

The Gym Nano is a compact digital cable resistance machine trainer that fits any space and delivers full-body workouts. It’s meant to make strength training at home easier if you have limited space and can’t commit to larger home gym equipment.

The Gym Nano offers up to 220 pounds of resistance through adjustable 1-pound increments. It also has five dynamic weight modes: Eccentric, Chain, Standard, Fixed Speed and Sled.

Speediance Strap

The strap can be used for both endurance and strength training activities and recognizes various types of exercises, movement patterns, training volume and other insights that can help you learn how well your body is responding to your training.

The Speediance Strap is a screen-free wearable that collects data related to your sleep, training and core body temperature. It then uploads and shares this data to the Speediance Wellness Plus app, where it makes suggestions for your daily training and recovery based on this information. Similar to other wearables, the Speediance Strap assesses your readiness each day and can detect stress factors to determine if you should focus more on recovery on that day.

«With Speediance Strap, we are exploring how wearable data can function as part of a decision-support layer within a connected fitness system, rather than existing as isolated metrics,» Tao said in a statement.

Additionally, everyday insights (like core and recovery data) will be free to you unless you want to upgrade to the Wellness Plus access, which will come at an additional cost to receive long-term insights and AI planning.

It’s unclear when the Gym Nano will be available for purchase, but the Speediance Strap is expected to launch through a Kickstarter campaign in spring 2026.