It’s been widely rumored that Apple will be bundling a fast charging 18W power adapter in the box with its 2018 flagship iPhone handsets. Now comes an claim that third-party fast charger compatibility may be limited to chargers with USB-C Authentication.
Japanese blog Mac Otakara, citing information from suppliers, claims that third-party fast chargers may require USB-C Authentication [PDF] certification, or C-AUTH, to charge the 2018 lineup of iPhones at full speeds. Otherwise, the iPhones may display a warning, and limit charging speeds to a max of 2.5W.
USB-C Authentication protects against non-compliant USB-C charger that may contain malicious embedded hardware or software, so in Apple’s case, this all seems to be an extra layer of security, to protect against hackers or law enforcement agencies breaching iPhone security. Apple is one of over 1,000 member companies of the USB Implementers Forum.
Word to the wise: When buying a fast charger for your new iPhone this fall, you might want to avoid the bargain-basement brands, and stick to the brands included on the USB Implementers Forum list.