The new iPhone 15 series is here along with the next-gen Watch and Watch Ultra. We have covered the Apple Event 2023 in detail if you want a recap with some key insights. Apple has finally added USB-C or USB Type C to iPhones which means faster data transfer speeds. Right? Not exactly. There is a catch.
Which USB-C on Which iPhone Models
Apple introduced four iPhone models namely iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, and 15 Pro Max. The good news is that they all get USB-C or Type-C ports.
The bad news is that while the Pro models get USB-C 3.0 ports, iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus get USB-C 2.0 ports only. So what’s the difference and how do they affect you as a user? Good question, reader. Allow us to explain.
USB-C 2.0 vs 3.0
USB-C, or Type C as it is also known, is a standard that has been adopted by all brands across different sectors for obvious reasons. However, they come in different versions.
Apple’s iPhone 15 series will feature both 2.0 and 3.0 versions. Here is how they differ:
- USB 2.0 offers 480 Mbps or 60 MB/s
- USB 3.0: 5 Gbps or 640 MB/s
Apart from these two, there are also 3.1 and 3.1 gen 2.
- USB 3.1 Gen 1: 5 Gbps or 640 MB/s
- USB 3.1 Gen 2: 10 Gbps or 1.25 GB/s
What you should know is that iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will come with USB-C 2.0 while iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will come with 3.1 Gen 2. Another major difference is that 3.0/3.1 versions are backward compatible so if you are using a pen drive or cable that supports 2.0 and are using it with iPhone 15 Pro models, they will still work.
What You Need to Get 10 Gbps Speeds on Pro Models
Apple has decided to ship all iPhone 15 models with USB-C 2.0 cable which will severely hamper transfer speeds. So you will need to buy or use an existing Type C 3.0 cable to unlock high-speed data transfers. Yes, that’s an additional cost on your end but it is what it is.
iPhone With USB-C
To summarize, iPhone 15 and 15+ comes with USB-C 2.0 version which offers up to 480 Mbps data transfer speeds. No need to upgrade the cable that comes in the box.
iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max come with USBC 3.1 Gen 2, however, the box still comes with the 2.0 cable. So you need to buy new cables.
