Following the launch of the iPhone 15 series today, a few readers of our website have reached out to highlight that the devices support USB-C to Ethernet adapters, allowing for a wired internet connection with faster download speeds than Wi-Fi.
Apple confirmed this information in a support document last week, with USB to Ethernet adapters listed as compatible with iPhone 15 models. When an iPhone is connected to an Ethernet cable, an otherwise hidden Ethernet menu appears in the Settings app with IP-related information and various configuration options.
One reader informed us that their iPhone 15 Pro connected to Ethernet achieved a peak download speed of over 800 Mbps in a speed test.
While this is one of the various clever ways that the USB-C port on the iPhone 15 models can be used, it should be known that previous iPhones with the Lightning connector also supported Ethernet with an adapter. Nevertheless, we have decided to highlight this information as a helpful tip since it is getting attention.
All four iPhone 15 models launched today in the U.S. and more than 40 other countries.
Thursday June 12, 2025 8:58 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup.
If you skipped the iPhone...
Thursday June 12, 2025 4:53 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
With iOS 26, Apple has introduced some major changes to the iPhone experience, headlined by the new Liquid Glass redesign that's available across all compatible devices. However, several of the update's features are exclusive to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models, since they rely on Apple Intelligence.
The following features are powered by on-device large language models and machine...
Wednesday June 11, 2025 7:14 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple at WWDC previewed a bunch of new features coming in its updated operating systems, but certain changes will have been met with dismay by third-party developers who already offer apps with equivalent or similar features. In other words, their product has been "sherlocked" by Apple.
When Apple creates an app or a feature that has functionality found in a third-party app, it is referred...
iPadOS 26 allows iPads to function much more like Macs, with a new app windowing system, a swipe-down menu bar at the top of the screen, and more. However, Apple has stopped short of allowing iPads to run macOS, and it has now explained why.
In an interview this week with Swiss tech journalist Rafael Zeier, Apple's software engineering chief Craig Federighi said that iPadOS 26's new Mac-like ...
Wednesday June 11, 2025 4:22 pm PDT by Juli Clover
iOS 26 features a whole new design material that Apple calls Liquid Glass, with a focus on transparency that lets the content on your display shine through the controls. If you're not a fan of the look, or are having trouble with readability, there is a step that you can take to make things more opaque without entirely losing out on the new look.
Apple has multiple Accessibility options that ...
At today's WWDC 2025 keynote event, Apple unveiled a new design that will inform the next decade of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS development, so needless to say, it was a busy day. Apple also unveiled a ton of new features for the iPhone, an overhauled Spotlight interface for the Mac, and a ton of updates that make the iPad more like a Mac than ever before.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel ...
Apple this week announced that iPhone users will soon be able to watch videos right on the CarPlay screen in supported vehicles.
iPhone users will be able to wirelessly stream videos to the CarPlay screen using AirPlay, according to Apple. For safety reasons, video playback will only be available when the vehicle is parked, to prevent distracted driving. The connected iPhone will be able to...
Wednesday June 11, 2025 11:28 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
As we previously reported, iOS 26 enhances Apple Wallet app boarding passes in a few ways. First, the passes now support Live Activities, allowing you to keep track of a flight at a glance on your iPhone's Lock Screen, and in the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 14 Pro and newer. In addition, new shortcuts below the passes provide one-tap access to Apple Maps for airport directions, and to the Find...
MacRumors, I'd love to see some speed tests of iPhone 15 vs. iPhone 15 Pro. According to your article, the non-Pro is exceeding the 480 Mbps speed limit of the USB 2 spec.
> it should be known that previous iPhones with the Lightning connector also supported Ethernet with an adapter.
The interesting thing is that technically previous iPhones supported a lot of different devices with an adapter. Ethernet interfaces, USB thumbdrives, audio interfaces, keyboards, etc. all could theoretically work, using the iPhone to USB camera adapter.
The problem was that nearly every device, even stuff that draws very little power like thumbdrives, would produce a "this device requires too much power" dialog and wouldn't work. So the feature wasn't all that useful. It was an artificial limitation too; the phone would ask the device how much power it needs, then fail to work if it asked for even 100mA. I was able to bypass it by using a small unpowered USB hub I have that "pretended" to be a powered hub, and all my thumbdrives worked just fine with it.
It looks like Apple has corrected this finally with USB-C, allowing a full amp to be drawn from the port without a problem. The old power restriction made no sense, either; lightning could support plenty of current for charging; why couldn't it power a lousy thumbdrive?
