Industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says the USB-C ports on the iPhone 15 lineup could be rated differently. The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Ultra will get one that operates at USB 3.2/Thunderbolt 3.0 speeds, whereas the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will be restricted to USB 2.0.
Initial rumours suggested only Apple’s top-of-the-line iPhone 15 Ultra (aka iPhone 15 Pro Max) would get a USB Type-C port. Subsequent reports debunked that speculation and said the entire iPhone 15 line would get it and transition to a portless form factor afterwards. Ming-Chi Kuo now has new information about the iPhone 15’s USB-C ports. While all iPhone 15 models will get the new connector, their speeds could vary.
The high-end iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Ultra’s USB Type-C port will reportedly operate between USB 3.2 (20 Gbps) or Thunderbolt 3 (40 Gbps). On the other hand, the vanilla iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will be relegated to USB 2.0 (480 Mb/s), putting it on par with the existing Lightning port. This move will likely ruffle many feathers among fans and enthusiasts alike because there is no reason for Apple to throttle USB ports.
The above leak makes it abundantly clear Apple wants to drive a larger wedge between its Pro and non-Pro iPhones. Thankfully, the iPhone 15 lineup will finally ditch the unsightly notch. However, Apple plans to add a second camera sensor to the iPhone 15 Ultra’s Dynamic Island. Then again, the flagship iPhone will need all the USB lanes it can get because it will supposedly be the first of its kind to support 8K video recording. That, plus its rumoured TSMC N3E-based A17 Bionic SoC and periscope telephoto lens, should sufficiently set it apart from its lower-end counterparts.
Anil Ganti – Senior Tech Writer – 1151 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2019
I’ve been an avid PC gamer since the age of 8. My passion for gaming eventually pushed me towards general tech, and I got my first writing gig at the age of 19. I have a degree in mechanical engineering and have worked in the manufacturing industry and a few other publications like Wccftech before joining Notebookcheck in November 2019. I cover a variety of topics including smartphones, gaming, and computer hardware.
Anil Ganti, 2022-11-17 (Update: 2022-11-17)