Apple rolls out firmware for MagSafe 3 charging cable: The science behind software updates for data cables

Here is why your modern USB cable might need a firmware update to keep it relevant.

MacBook Air with third-generation MagSafe support (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan / Indian Express)

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In 2023, for better or worse, software updates are available for almost every tech product. Apple is known for pushing steady software updates to keep its devices up to date. Recently, in what can be called an anomaly, the iPhone-maker pushed a new firmware for its 3rd gen MagSafe MacBook charging cable.

Apple’s new update is the firmware (version 10M1543). So far there is no information on what the update does to the magnetic charging cable from Apple. Incidentally, the firmware automatically installs on the cable as soon as it is plugged into a MacBook.

The latest development raises the question as to why might a USB cable or charging cable need software updates. Read more to decode what all this means.

For the uninitiated, the 3rd Gen MagSafe cable is used to charge the new MacBook Pros and MacBook Air, which attaches magnetically to the device. Apple reintroduced this feature in 2021 with the launch of the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro.

Also read | Apple MacBook Air 2022 review: The light little heavyweight

To add support for newer devices

Just like Apple pushing a software update to an iPhone or an iPad to make it compatible with the newer version of AirPods, the same can also be done the other way around. This means, Apple could release a software update to the cable, which will make it compatible with the upcoming MacBooks. This ensures that users can use their existing cables to charge newer or upcoming MacBooks.

To enable or disable features

Almost every Apple product now comes with a chip that Apple can access. By updating the firmware on a USB cable, the company can add new features or it can also disable existing features. This includes enabling faster charging to slow down the charging speeds, or pushing a new software profile that can smartly detect the connected device and deliver the exact amount of power that it requires to optimise the power consumption and charging speeds.

To save cost

There are two ways of developing a product, especially when the lineup is as intensive as Apple’. You can create a single product with a great chip and then enable all the features only when it is paired with a specific version of the MacBook. This allows brands to design and develop one product and offer it at various price points by restricting certain features to high-end models.

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Apple Inc