Can You Charge iPhone 15 with a Non-Original Cable?

The new iPhone 15, released in the fall of 2023, became Apple’s first smartphone with a USB-C port. Among experts and brand enthusiasts, debates quickly ignited: what happens if you use a non-original USB-C cable from Android devices to charge the device?

What’s the Debate About?

A bit of history: until recently, iPhones came with a Lightning-USB cable. Apple recommends using this cable to charge smartphones from the iPhone 14 series onwards. Unlike cheap Chinese counterparts, the original cable contains microchips that protect the device from electrical voltage spikes.

Certified accessories labeled MFi are also safe to use. MFi stands for Made For iPod, iPhone, and iPad – a certification program launched by Apple in 2005. Participants have a license from the company and produce products that meet its high standards. Such cables will guarantee proper functionality with Apple devices.

Now to the essence. In the latest iPhone 15 lineup, Apple engineers replaced the Lightning-USB port with the more common USB-C. The new cables lack the microchips used in Lightning-USB cables. Here, users faced a dilemma: can existing USB-C cables from Android devices be used for charging iPhone 15 and data transfer? After all, the original cable might get lost or damaged due to careless use.

What Does Apple Say?

User doubts are understandable. On one hand, sellers claim that the Type-C in iPhone 15 has a smaller gap between contacts than in Android smartphones – which could lead to device overheating. On the other hand, users have personal experiences charging their iPhones and iPads even with a cable from the DualSense gamepad – and everything is fine. Whom to believe?

Let’s not delve into conspiracy theories. Let’s turn to the document on apple.com. Undoubtedly, Apple’s official support recommends using branded cables, but the document does not mention a prohibition on third-party chargers for iPhone 15.

The authoritative online publication Arstechnica, specializing in expert analysis of technological trends, confirms this information. Apple indeed did not restrict the capabilities of the USB-C interface for non-original cables. The new iPhone 15 is fully compatible with any Type-C cables.

By the way, for fast charging of all iPhone 15 models, the adapter must have a power of at least 18W and support the Power Delivery (PD) protocol. And for fast data transfer at speeds up to 10 Gbps, currently supported only by iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, the cable must comply with the USB 3 standard and above.

Compilation of the Best USB-C Cables for iPhone 15

So, the main thing is to follow one simple rule: do not buy poor-quality cords. Their only advantage – low price – can result in significant problems: the smartphone may malfunction, damage the battery, burn, and even cause irreparable harm to health.

The problem is that it’s almost impossible to visually determine the reliability of the cable. Therefore, we recommend buying original Apple cables or those from reputable third-party manufacturers.

In the iSpace catalog, only reliable brands and high-quality accessories are available, which Apple itself recommends using: Anker, Satechi, Ugreen, Native Union, Ubear, VLP.