A new leak suggests that Apple iPhone 15 family, from the base model to the rumours iPhone 15 Ultra all devices will use USB-C instead of Apple’s Lightning connector – with one major difference between the high-end and low-end models.
USB-C ports coming to the iPhone have long been rumored and an expected change that could be mandatory Laws of the European Union will enter into force in the near future, by 2024.
But with an additional update, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Ultra will use a full Thunderbolt 4 port, which has much more bandwidth for faster data transfer and intensive graphics output.
The leak comes from a subscription-based newsletter hosted by the leaked Twitter ApplePro leaks (opens in a new tab)a source with a relatively decent track record of upcoming phone advice.
The leaker correctly suggests that recording high-definition video, even using Apple’s efficient ProRES format, creates files that are too large to transfer over an outdated connection like Lightning. Transferring a 15-minute 4K video file from your iPhone to your laptop will take about 40 minutes.
Apple hasn’t significantly updated Lightning since its introduction, and now that phones need more bandwidth for the huge video files they create, it makes sense for Apple to use something better — especially since the same method is used on iPad Pro and air models.
A wider split
In addition to the new data connection, the leak also says that Apple will continue this year’s pattern of using the latest Bionic chips only on iPhone Pro-level and better.
The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Ultra are rumored to get the A17 Bionic chipset. It is believed that Apple feels confident in its position as the leader in chip performance and will instead focus on energy efficiency.
The new chips are expected to be 20% more energy efficient than the current A16 Bionic.
Finally, all new iPhones are expected to get the Dynamic Island hole punch feature, which seems like a necessary step if Apple hopes to see Dynamic Island survive as an interface concept.
If only the top half of iPhone buyers, in terms of wallet size, can use Dynamic Island, then it’s essentially an island on its own, and fewer third-party developers will support it.
There’s no word on whether the less expensive iPhones will get the LPTO features that give the iPhone 14 Pro an always-on display. Other recent rumors also suggest that every iPhone will get a Dynamic Island, but Apple won’t be able to source enough LPTO-capable panels to include Always-On Display features in every iPhone 15 model.
Analysis: USB-C is a lot more exciting than it sounds
We’ve been waiting for Apple to adopt USB-C on the iPhone for some time, especially after the European Union ruled against the company’s own port.
Of course, we like the universal standard, but the opening of the iPhone to USB-C will also give a boost to the accessory market again, and this time in a much more reliable way.
There are already plenty of proven USB-C accessories on the market because every major smartphone and tablet manufacturer and even Apple’s own iPad Pro tablet use USB-C.
If Apple installs USB-C on the iPhone, it won’t be reinventing the wheel from the old 30-pin connection to a new tiny port like the transition from the original iPod connector to Apple’s Lightning.
This will be Apple finally allowing its devices to join the mature community with the amazing potential for what USB-C and especially Thunderbolt can enable.