The iPhone 15 models that were recently presented all have a USB-C connection for the first time. Apple is saying goodbye to the Lightning port. In this article you can read what you really benefit from an iPhone with a USB-C connection.
This is what you really get from an iPhone with a USB-C connection
With the iPhone 15, Apple is saying goodbye to the Lightning connection a little more. Only the Airpods 3 and Airpods Max still have that connection, because the Airpods Pro 2 and even the wired EarPods are also being converted to USB-C. An iPhone with USB-C brings a number of advantages, not all of which are equally useful.
The USB-C port of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus supports the standard USB 2.0. Those of the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max support the standard USB 3. This only affects data transfer. The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max transfer data at a speed of up to 10 Gbit/s (which indicates USB 3.2 Gen 1×2). The iPhone 15 (Plus) does this with a speed of up to 480 Mbit/s, which is just as fast as its predecessor.
Data transfer and charging
A higher speed is actually only an advantage if you make a lot of high-resolution videos. For most users, 480 Mbit/s is sufficient. Even if you want to transfer 1 GB of photos (in HEIF format that is at least 500 photos in standard mode) it takes less than 17 seconds.
It’s different when charging. Apple says that both the regular iPhone 15 and Pro models will charge their batteries to 50 percent in about 30 minutes with Apple’s 20W charger. That is equal to the charging speed of their predecessors. Another charger could make a difference. Theoretically, a maximum of 100 W is possible, or five times the power of Apple’s standard charger.
Charge Apple Watch and AirPods
Another advantage is that you can charge other USB-C devices via the USB-C connection on your iPhone, such as the Airpods Pro 2 and the Apple Watch. This is called ‘reverse charging’. It is still unclear whether you can also charge earphones from other brands this way, but in principle it should be possible.
‘Reverse charging’ has been around for some time on Android devices. There are even devices that allow you to charge earphones wirelessly directly on the smartphone via the Qi standard. That could also be a logical step for Apple: charge Apple Watch and AirPods directly on the iPhone via MagSafe.
View presentations on a monitor
Thanks to the USB-C connection, the iPhone 15 can now in theory be connected to a screen (provided DisplayPort is supported). Previously, this was only possible with additional adapters, such as the Lightning Digital AV Adapter and the Lightning-to-VGA Adapter from Apple. From now on, all you need is a USB-C cable and a screen with a USB-C port. For the average user, this is not really an important advantage in practice, but if you often want to display presentations on a monitor, for example, it is useful.
One cable for all your Apple devices
If you have an iPhone, chances are you also have a MacBook or an iPad – or both. The iPad 10 received a USB-C connection a year ago and MacBooks have had USB-C connections for years. Only for your iPhone you always had to take an extra Lightning cable with you. That is probably the biggest advantage of an iPhone with a USB-C connection.
In the future, you will only have to take one cable with you, because it will fit your iPhone, your iPad, your Mac and your AirPods Pro 2 (we will ignore the Apple Watch for the moment). But it will take some time before that happens. In the near future you will probably still have other Apple devices with a Lightning connection, and it is smart to also put this cable in your bag.
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