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speed that Lightning offered, so the ‌iPhone Air‌ and ‌iPhone 17‌ models are still limited to the speeds of the now-outdated Lightning technology.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

iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Thursday January 15, 2026 10:56 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another eight months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models, as of January 2026: The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras Under-screen Face ID...
2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Adjusts Trade-In Values for iPhones, Macs, and More

Thursday January 15, 2026 11:19 am PST by
Apple today updated its trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models. Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website, or at an Apple Store. The charts below provide an overview of Apple's current and previous trade-in values in the United States, according to the company's website. Most of the values declined slightly, but some of the Mac values increased. iPhone ...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

New Leak Reveals iPhone 18 Pro Display Sizes, Under-Screen Face ID, and More

Wednesday January 14, 2026 7:09 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro models are still around eight months away, a leaker has shared some alleged details about the devices. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo this week, the account Digital Chat Station said the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will have the same 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes as the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Consistent with previous...
Verizon New

Verizon Offering $20 Credit After Major Outage, Here's How to Get It

Thursday January 15, 2026 7:37 am PST by
Verizon today announced it will be offering customers a $20 account credit after a major outage on Wednesday, and action is required to receive it. The carrier said affected customers can accept the credit by logging into the My Verizon app, but it might take some time before this option shows up in the app. Affected customers will receive a text message when the credit is available. On...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

These 5 Apple Products Will Reportedly Be Upgraded With OLED Displays

Friday January 16, 2026 7:07 pm PST by
Apple plans to upgrade the iPad mini, MacBook Pro, iPad Air, iMac, and MacBook Air with OLED displays between 2026 and 2028, according to DigiTimes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that the iPad mini and MacBook Pro will receive an OLED display as early as this year, but he does not expect the MacBook Air to adopt the technology until 2028 at the earliest. A new iPad Air is...

Top Rated Comments

vertsix Avatar
19 weeks ago
Technology from April 2000 by the way.
Score: 51 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tylerthomas28 Avatar
19 weeks ago
Unacceptable for a device of that price in 2025
Score: 47 Votes (Like | Disagree)
OliOliOliOli Avatar
19 weeks ago
You remember when the Keynote was fun?
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ghostface147 Avatar
19 weeks 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)
MacMediaNet Avatar
19 weeks ago
USB 2 in 2025? Such a shame for that price...
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
filchermcurr Avatar
19 weeks 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)