avatarMark Ellis

Summary

The article discusses the author's indifference towards the rumored Apple 35W Dual USB-C Port Power Adapter, considering it underwhelming compared to existing third-party options, and expresses hope for more significant iPhone 14 upgrades.

Abstract

The author, after stumbling upon a Forbes article about a leaked Apple support document, reflects on the rumored release of a new Apple 35W Dual USB-C Port Power Adapter. Despite the potential convenience of charging multiple devices, the author remains unimpressed due to the lack of included cables, the likelihood of a high price point, and the abundance of similar third-party products already on the market. The article also touches on the author's disappointment with the persistent use of the Lightning port in the iPhone 14 rumors, rather than a switch to USB-C. However, there is some excitement for other potential iPhone 14 upgrades, such as the removal of the notch for a pill-shaped cut-out and a possible camera sensor resolution increase to 48MP, which would be a significant improvement over the current 12MP sensor used since the iPhone 6S.

Opinions

  • The author is underwhelmed by the rumored Apple 35W Dual USB-C Port Power Adapter, considering it not a significant innovation.
  • There is a clear preference for third-party charging solutions like the Aukey PA-B6S, which the author finds more versatile and powerful.
  • The author is critical of Apple's decision to not include a USB-C cable with the rumored charger and the likelihood that it won't be bundled with the iPhone 14.
  • The author expresses frustration with Apple's continued use of the Lightning port instead of transitioning to USB-C, which is seen as a step backward compared to the competition.
  • The author is hopeful about other iPhone 14 rumors, particularly the potential for a new camera system with a 48MP sensor, signifying a substantial upgrade in camera technology.
  • The author invites readers to share their thoughts on the rumored charger and the iPhone 14's potential features, indicating a desire for community engagement on the topic.

I Don’t Care About This iPhone 14 Rumour

Although there might be some light on the horizon…

Image courtesy of author

While idly flicking through the weekend’s news last night, I came across a Forbes article titled ‘ Apple Accidentally Leaks Massive Upgrade For iPads, iPhones ‘.

Ooh! What’s this, I wondered. Do we finally have something to get excited about with Apple’s next iteration of their portable telephone?

As it turns out — no; this latest ‘massive’ leak relates to the power brick. Which probably still won’t come in the box.

If you stick with me beyond this intro, I am hugely grateful. Thank you.

The latest MASSIVE leak

On 8th April, someone at 9to5Mac spotted a new support document that had been accidentally published by Apple.

The document referred to a currently unavailable ‘Apple 35W Dual USB-C Port Power Adapter’. It read as follows:

Use the Apple 35W Dual USB-C Port Power Adapter and a USB-C cable (not included) to charge your device. Connect a USB-C cable to either port on the power adapter, extend the electrical prongs (if necessary), then plug the power adapter firmly into the power outlet. Ensure the power outlet is easily accessible for disconnecting. Connect the other end of the cable to your device.

The document obviously isn’t there anymore (presumably whipped away quicker than the contents of the person’s desk who made the boo-boo). But its brief presence does suggest that Apple is looking to up its game when it comes to official charging technology for the iPhone.

As always, Apple isn’t first to the pack with this. There are countless Android phones on the market that have more impressive charging capabilities and bundled accessories. But the charging brick referred to in the leaked support document would be a significant upgrade on the current single-port 30W and 45W chargers currently provided by Apple (it’d probably be smaller, to boot).

If this leak results in a living, breathing product, it would give us the option of buying an Apple-branded charging brick that’s capable of fast-charging your iPhone, and topping up an Apple Watch simultaneously.

Crikey — are you still with me? Bravo!

Why I couldn’t care less about this leak

As you’ll note from the quoted text above, the leaked support document made it clear that the dual-port charger doesn’t ship with a USB-C cable. And one can assume that the charger itself categorically won’t be bundled with the iPhone 14, either.

So, there’s the first underwhelming footnote.

But there are several other reasons I just cannot get excited about this leak — and why I genuinely hope that the person who accidentally published the support document didn’t get too much of a telling off.

Firstly, there are countless options out there for fast-charging power bricks with multiple outlets. My pick of the bunch is the Aukey PA-B6S, which offers 90W charging in a compact, well-built frame. You can connect three devices to it at once via the single USB-A port and dual USB-C ports.

I use it all of the time. Unfortunately, it no longer appears to be available (ominous? Possibly…), but there are so many reputable brands offering similar devices, such as UGREEN.

The second reason I can’t get excited about a potential Apple dual-port charger is the price. It’ll cost about the same as four third-party chargers combined, and no amount of fancy product wrapping or marketing is going to make it much of a draw for 99% of people.

Lastly, if the accompanying leaked schematics of the iPhone 14 in the Forbes article are anything to go by, it looks like Lightning will remain. I’ve waffled on about Lightning enough in the past, so I’ll spare you my thoughts today. But, suffice to say, any remote hope I might have had that we’d see USB-C on a future iPhone is now well and truly quashed.

There is, of course, a strong possibility that Apple’s dual USB-C charging brick has already been cancelled. They don’t, after all, have a particularly good track record when it comes to creating multi-charge solutions, do they?

There is some light on the horizon…

Not all iPhone 14 rumours are this boring.

Although there are reports that the regular iPhone 14 won’t feature any significant external design changes at all, it’s looking increasingly likely that the iPhone 14 Pro will indeed do away with the notch in favour of a pill-shaped hole-punch cut-out for the camera and accompanying sensor technology.

We could also see one of the biggest upgrades to the iPhone camera system since the iPhone 6S. Reliable rumour scavenger, Ming-Chi Kuo, tweeted last month that the next iPhone will increase its sensor resolution to 48MP.

Apple has stuck resolutely with a 12MP sensor for six years, while the competition has delved deeply into large sensor territory. More detail, better low-light performance, and images that can be printed at a larger scale make for a genuinely exciting iPhone 14 rumour.

Am I being unfair? Are you excited about a dual-charging Apple power brick? Get involved in the comments!

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Originally published at https://markellisreviews.com on April 11, 2022.

Technology
Apple
iPhone
Smartphones
Gadgets
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