iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Limited to USB 2 - MacRumors
Skip to Content

iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Limited to USB 2

The new iPhone Air is limited to USB 2 transfer speeds and it does not support faster USB 3 transfer speeds like the iPhone 17 Pro models. Apple also didn't update the USB port that it's using for the iPhone 17, so USB 3 continues to be a Pro-only feature.

iphone air all colors
With USB 2 support, the ‌iPhone Air‌ and the ‌iPhone 17‌ support transfer speeds of up to 480Mb/s. The ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ and Pro Max support transfer speeds of up to 10Gb/s, like the iPhone 16 Pro models.

480Mb/s is the same transfer speed that Lightning offered, so the ‌iPhone Air‌ and ‌iPhone 17‌ models are still limited to the speeds of the now-outdated Lightning technology.

Apple did not make any changes to USB-C transfer speeds this year, and it is a bit of a disappointment to see the $999 ‌iPhone Air‌ limited to USB 2.

Related Roundups: iPhone 17, iPhone Air
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

5 Reasons to Buy the iPhone 17 Now Feature

5 Reasons to Buy the iPhone 17 Now Instead of Waiting for iPhone 18

Monday August 24, 2026 3:05 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro models and its first foldable are less than a month away from being unveiled. That may sound like a reason to sit tight if you're looking to upgrade from an iPhone 16 or older series, but between looming price hikes and Apple's new split-launch calendar, there's a decent case for grabbing an iPhone 17 series model right now. Here are five reasons in favor of putting your...
iphone 17 models

iPhone 17 Prices Could Rise as Soon as Monday, Rumor Claims

Saturday August 8, 2026 2:54 am PDT by
Apple could raise iPhone 17 prices as soon as Monday, August 10, according to a new rumor, well before the wider round of increases expected with next month's iPhone 18 Pro launch. Weibo leaker "Fixed Focus Digital" said in a post yesterday that rumors are circulating about an iPhone 17 price change taking effect on August 10. The leaker was noncommittal about whether prices will actually...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

Apple Could Raise iPhone 17 Prices When iPhone 18 Pro Debuts

Monday August 10, 2026 8:52 am PDT by
Apple may raise prices on iPhone models in its existing lineup when the new iPhone 18 Pro models launch, according to research firm TrendForce. The analytics firm suggests that Apple could revisit pricing for then-older iPhones in the iPhone 17 series and bring them up at the same time as the new generation arrives, as a way to partially offset rising memory costs. TrendForce estimates...

Top Rated Comments

vertsix Avatar
13 months ago
Technology from April 2000 by the way.
Score: 51 Votes (Like | Disagree)
13 months ago
Unacceptable for a device of that price in 2025
Score: 47 Votes (Like | Disagree)
OliOliOliOli Avatar
13 months ago
You remember when the Keynote was fun?
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ghostface147 Avatar
13 months ago

Who transfers files to the Mac? Only YouTubers I guess, that buys the Pro phone anyway
I do. Photos. I manage all photos on my Mac.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
13 months ago
USB 2 in 2025? Such a shame for that price...
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
13 months ago

Who transfers files to the Mac? Only YouTubers I guess, that buys the Pro phone anyway
People who prefer encrypted local backups. People who have local media libraries. People who prefer to use actual computers to edit photos and videos. There are plenty of reasons non-YouTube people still transfer files.

Not everybody has the same workflow, requirements, knowledge, or budget. Some people may not be a "professional" and this phone is Good Enough(tm), but they still want to edit their photos and videos. Some people may not be able to afford to pay rent on Apple servers to store terabytes of data. Some people may worry about the privacy implications of trusting servers outside of their control with their static data. Everybody is different with different priorities. It's annoying to dismiss people because they don't do things the way you think they should be done. (Not specifically directed at you but all of the people in this thread who are dismissive of those who might want to do the seemingly inconceivable and plug a phone into a computer.)
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)