The iPhone 14 series brings many upgrades over the iPhone 13, but do the new phones come with USB-C or stick to the outdated Lightning port like previous generations? The iPhone 14 series consists of the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max. While the cheaper models retain the A15 Bionic chip and wide notch of the iPhone 13 series, the iPhone 14 Pro models feature the new A16 Bionic processor, Dynamic Island, an always-on display, and an upgraded 48-megapixel primary camera.
Unfortunately, the iPhone 14 lineup does not include a USB-C port. Like previous years, the 2022 iPhones also ship with the Lightning port for charging and data syncing. That includes all four iPhones in this year’s lineup, including the Pro models. While iPhone users have been waiting for Apple to introduce USB-C for years, the company has been reluctant to switch over from its proprietary connector that was originally introduced in 2012.
iPhone 14 Charging Options
As it stands, iPhone 14 users will need to use a Lightning cable and power adapter if they want to use wired charging. The Lightning to USB-C cable is included in the box, but a charger isn’t. This means users will need to use a power adapter that has a USB-C input to charge their iPhone. For the fastest-possible charging, it’s best to use a 30W adapter, such as Apple’s 30W USB-C adapter. The iPhone 14 can fast-charge at up to 25W, while the iPhone 14 Pro models max out at 29W speeds.
The iPhone 14 series also supports wireless charging, although the maximum speeds are much lower at 7.5W. With support for the Qi standard, the iPhone 14 will charge on any wireless charging mat or stand. All four models also support MagSafe, which is Apple’s proprietary magnetic wireless charging technology. With a MagSafe charger, the iPhone 14 can charge at up to 15W speeds. However, it’s worth noting that MagSafe chargers are generally more expensive than Qi wireless chargers, and both need to be purchased separately.
USB-C Is Coming To The iPhone 15
Despite its reluctance to embrace USB-C, Apple will be forced to make the shift with the iPhone 15 in 2023, thanks to an EU legislation that requires all mobile devices to use USB-C ports for wired charging. This rule will apply to smartphones, tablets, cameras, headphones, handheld video game consoles, e-readers, and more. Lawmakers in the U.S. are also proactively seeking to regulate a common charging interface on all mobile devices sold in the country.
While most mainstream consumer electronics companies already use USB-C ports on their mobile devices, Apple is the only major holdout for now. However, thanks to legislative initiatives in major markets, Apple will need to switch over to USB-C in a move that could reduce e-waste and collectively save consumers millions of dollars in unnecessary expenditure on different chargers and cables. So while the iPhone 14 doesn’t feature a USB-C charging port, subsequent generations of iPhone will use the universal standard.
