Here's How Fast USB-C Ports Are on iPads and Macs Ahead of iPhone 15
It's nearly September, meaning that new iPhones are just around the corner. All four upcoming iPhone 15 models are widely expected to be equipped with a USB-C port instead of Lightning, but there may be speed differences across the lineup.
In November 2022, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the USB-C port on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max would support at least the USB 3.2 or Thunderbolt 3 specifications for data transfer speeds up to 20 or 40 Gbps. Kuo said the USB-C port on the lower-end iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus models would remain limited to USB 2.0 speeds of up to 480 Mbps, which is the same speed as Lightning on existing iPhones.
All current-generation iPad and Mac models already have USB-C ports with varying speeds:
| Device |
USB-C Specification |
All current Mac models |
Thunderbolt (Up to 40 Gbps) |
iPad Pro (2021 and 2022) |
Thunderbolt (Up to 40 Gbps) |
iPad Pro (2018 and 2020) |
USB 3.1 Gen 2 (Up to 10 Gbps) |
iPad Air (2022) |
USB 3.1 Gen 2 (Up to 10 Gbps) |
iPad Air (2020) |
USB 3.1 Gen 1 (Up to 5 Gbps) |
iPad mini (2021) |
USB 3.1 Gen 1 (Up to 5 Gbps) |
iPad (2022) |
USB 2.0 (Up to 480 Mbps) |
The rumored speeds for the iPhone 15 lineup:
| Device |
USB-C Specification |
iPhone 15 Pro Max |
USB 3.2 or Thunderbolt (Up to 20 or 40 Gbps) |
iPhone 15 Pro |
USB 3.2 or Thunderbolt (Up to 20 or 40 Gbps) |
iPhone 15 Plus |
USB 2.0 (Up to 480 Mbps) |
iPhone 15 |
USB 2.0 (Up to 480 Mbps) |
iPhones with Lightning |
USB 2.0 (Up to 480 Mbps) |
Higher speeds allow for faster data transfer over a USB-C or Thunderbolt cable, such as when exporting photos from an iPhone to a Mac.
Rumors suggest that Apple will include a new braided USB-C cable with all iPhone 15 models, but the cable might remain limited to USB 2.0 speeds. This means that customers purchasing an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max would need to purchase a higher-spec cable separately to take advantage of the faster speeds that are rumored.
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 15 series at an event that is rumored to be planned for Tuesday, September 12. Apple has yet to officially announce the event, but invites will likely go out in the next week or two.
Popular Stories
Update 10:06 a.m.: iOS 26 is rolling out now, though it may take a bit for all users to see it, so keep checking!
Today's the day! Apple is about to release iOS 26, which will deliver the biggest redesign since iOS 7 and bring a range of new features and improvements to iPhones worldwide. It's Apple's biggest software update of the year, and Apple announced at last week's iPhone event that...
Apple's annual September event is now in the rearview mirror, with the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone Air, Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple Watch SE 3, and AirPods Pro 3 set to launch this Friday, September 19.
As always, there is more to come. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple plans to release many products in the...
In the iOS 26 release notes, Apple is warning iPhone users that installing the new software might have a temporary impact on battery life, which is normal.
A new support document explains that major iOS updates require background setup like indexing data and files for search, downloading new assets, and updating apps.
Further, Apple says that new features could require more resources,...
The latest iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air models are equipped with Apple's all-new N1 chip for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread connectivity. However, the chip has a Wi-Fi 7 bandwidth limitation.
According to FCC documents reviewed by MacRumors, the N1 chip in all of the new iPhone models supports up to 160 MHz channel bandwidth for Wi-Fi 7, short of the...
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 lineup and ultra-thin iPhone Air in stores on Friday, September 19, and the company has already shown off the new devices at its fall event, which ran with the the tagline "Awe dropping."
The iPhone 17 series brings a host of new features and enhancements. Here's a rundown of the biggest upgrades and changes:
iPhone 17
Display Changes
The iPhone...
iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air pre-orders began on Friday in the U.S. and many other countries. iPhone 17 Pro Max delivery estimates quickly slipped beyond the Friday, September 19 launch day for those who had yet to place an order, and now the rest of the new models have started to follow suit.
As of shortly after 11:30 a.m. Pacific Time today, select iPhone 17, ...
T-Mobile President Jon Freier today shared real-world photos of Apple's boxes for the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 models, which launch on Friday.
Image Credit: Jon Freier
Apple has typically included iPhone box renders in its product environmental reports, but it did not do so for the latest models. However, Apple's iPhone Upgrade Program page does offer some images of the boxes, ...
Apple today released updated firmware for the AirPods Pro 2 and the AirPods 4, introducing support for the new AirPods features that are included in iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe.
The firmware has a build number of 8A356, and it replaces the current 7E93 firmware.
With Apple's new software updates, the AirPods Pro 2 and the AirPods 4 support better audio quality for phone calls and...
