iPhone 16 USB-C Still Limited to USB 2, No Change for 16 Pro Either

Apple began transitioning to USB-C instead of Lightning with the launch of the iPhone 15 lineup, and USB-C is also used for charging for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro models. Apple did not improve connectivity speeds with the USB-C port in any of the new models, maintaining the status quo.

iphone 16 design
The ‌iPhone 16‌ and ‌iPhone 16‌ Plus continue to have USB 2 transfer speeds of up to 480Mb/s, while the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ Max feature USB 3 transfer speeds up to 10Gb/s. 480Mb/s is the same transfer speed that the Lightning port supported.

During today's event, Apple mentioned faster USB 3 speeds when discussing the A18 Pro, which implied that it would be faster than the A17 Pro. It looks like Apple instead was comparing the A18 Pro to the A18 in that instance, ultimately highlighting a feature that was already present in the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro models.

Despite the confusing wording, technical specifications for the new ‌iPhone 16‌ models suggest Apple has not made changes to any USB-C transfer speeds. Note that taking advantage of the 10Gb/s transfer speeds in the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ Max requires an appropriate 10Gb/s USB-C cable.

Apple's iPad Pro models, which also have a USB-C port, support Thunderbolt transfer speeds of up to 40Gb/s.

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Top Rated Comments

karranz Avatar
12 months ago
the worst thing that Covid left us are the prerecorded keynotes, each prerecorded video is even more boring the last one.
Score: 59 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ItchyRat2160 Avatar
12 months ago
Why are they being such *******s about the USB port speeds!? There's no excuse at this point in 2024 for implementing USB 2 in a new, supposedly "market-leading" device. It just stinks of deliberately holding back features in order to iteratively drip-feed them over the next 10 years, instead of actually giving us a modern device. See also: Front Camera.
Score: 43 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jmausmuc Avatar
12 months ago
And still 60hz. The iPhone 16 feels ancient in many ways.
Score: 43 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MrGimper Avatar
12 months ago
After these prerecorded events I always go back and watch Steve and the iPhone 4 event to remind myself of when someone who wasn't just interested in money ran the joint.
Score: 41 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jmausmuc Avatar
12 months ago

the worst thing that Covid left us are the prerecorded keynotes, each prerecorded video is even more boring the last one.
100% - really disappointing they kept those.
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
antiprotest Avatar
12 months ago
Just Apple being Apple. Hilarious.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)