USB-C on iPhone 15: Only the iPhone 15 Pro models will get fast USB-C data transfers

One of the nuggets changes that users will see in next year’s iPhone 15 lineup is Apple switching from Lightning to USB-C ports for charging. Ming-Chi Kuo, a renowned Apple analyst is now reporting that this will lead to a significant boost in wired transfer speeds for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Apple has confirmed that it plans to comply with the new USB-C regulations. But it did not specify whether the iPhone 15 will be the first model to make the switch. Given that the European Union recently voted to pass a resolution for tech companies to use Type-C ports for charging, and that India is all set to adopt the same standard, it is expected that Apple too will be making the switch soon. Kuo also says that Apple’s plans to switch to USB-C are moving ahead as expected, based on his latest supply chain surveys. However, while the entire lineup, the iPhone 15, iPhone Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max, will make the switch to USB-C, only the two high-end devices will see an improvement in transfer speeds. Kuo says that the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will have the same USB 2.0 transfer speeds that we get to see from Lightning Port. This means data transfer speeds will be capped at 480 Mbps.   Kuo also said. “This spec upgrade and the new trend will drive Apple ecosystem’s demand for high-speed transfer chips and competitors’ imitation (almost all Android phones currently only support USB 2.0), and it’s also conducive to the growth of the high-speed transfer IC design industry.” This is in accordance with Apple’s strategy to keep some major differences between the Pro and non-Pro models. Kuo also reports that the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will feature “at least USB-C 3.2 or Thunderbolt 3” data transfer speeds. USB-C 3.2 could improve data transfer speeds to as high as 20 Gbps, while Thunderbolt 3 would boost that even further to 40 Gbps.