Does the USB-C specification allow that? Can such devices get USB-C certification?
OTOH, I haven't seen any USB certifications on Apple USB cables or devices, so most likely Apple doesn't care.
OTOH, I haven't seen any USB certifications on Apple USB cables or devices, so most likely Apple doesn't care.
This actually replaced the analog audio mode (good riddance- whoever thought adding analog audio into a port that also does digital audio was a good idea?)
Basically, it's only supposed to be used for USB-C-to-3.5mm adapters, and it was only implemented by some smartphones. It's not a reliable way to get audio out of a USB-C port, and because it's using the internal DAC the audio quality isn't going to be good anyways.
The proper solution is to use a USB DAC. This provides the same user experience but it actually works with all USB-C devices. Considering the official Apple USB DAC is available for $9, the Audio Alt Mode really doesn't have a reason to exist.
The ability to make this tradeoff should be up to the user.
Unless I'm misunderstanding the mode, there could be uses to get audio out of a USB port that don't involve phones...