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Ming-Chi Kuo: iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro to have notably different USB-C transfer speeds

Updated: Mar 10, 2023, 3:39 AM

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Ming-Chi Kuo: iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro could have notably different USB-C transfer speeds

*Header image: iPhone 14 Pro

You may have heard so far that the iPhone 15 series is expected to abandon the Lightning port and switch to USB-C. It seems it may really be happening, and probably not only in Europe. Now, reputable industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is giving us some more juicy info on that. Not only is he saying all iPhone 15 phones will come with USB-C, but also, he claims that the non-Pro and Pro models are going to have some differences in their USB-C ports.

The regular iPhone 15 and the iPhone 15 Pro might have different USB-C transfer speeds

Apple has been aiming at differentiating the non-Pro iPhones from the Pro models for a few years, and with the iPhone 14, it's been really making an effort on that front (you know, two different chipsets within the same iPhone lineup are now a thing). Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who is quite accurate when it comes to predictions about iPhones, has now posted on Twitter he expects differences in the USB-C ports of the iPhone 15 and the iPhone 15 Pro.

In fact, he expects the wired transfer speeds on the Pro-branded iPhones to be higher than the ones on the regular iPhone 15 models. He now corroborates that the Lightning port is going to be a thing of the past for all four iPhone 15 models, and that the high-end models will have a high-speed wired transfer.

(4/7)
2H23 new high-end iPhones' wired transfer speed will likely improve markedly, benefiting the growth of the high-speed transfer IC design industry. Apple's existing suppliers (e.g., Parade, Asmedia, Genesys Logic, Renesas, etc.) are expected to be leading beneficiaries.
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) November 17, 2022

But how much faster the wired transfer on a Pro iPhone 15 is expected to be? The regular iPhone 15 and 15 Plus are said to support USB 2.0, with transfer speeds matching those of the Lightning port. Well, Kuo predicts at least USB 3.2 or Thunderbolt 3 for the iPhone 15 Pro models.

Basically what that means is that there will be a significantly improved experience for the wired transfer of data. While USB 2.0 transfer speeds are limited to 480Mb/s, USB 3.2 supports speeds up to 20Gb/s. On the other hand, Thunderbolt 3 supports speeds up to 40Gb/s. We are talking here about data transfer, and as you can see there is a notable difference between these numbers.

If Kuo ends up being correct, there will be one more reason for users to go for the Pro-branded models (or the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max, or Ultra). This will be great especially for users who need to do a lot of wired transfers from their iPhones (for example, videos or lots of photos). However, as with anything iPhone 15-related at the moment, it is hard to be 100% sure if this will end up happening.

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Izzy, a tech enthusiast and a key part of the PhoneArena team, specializes in delivering the latest mobile tech news and finding the best tech deals. Her interests extend to cybersecurity, phone design innovations, and camera capabilities. Outside her professional life, Izzy, a literature master's degree holder, enjoys reading, painting, and learning languages. She's also a personal growth advocate, believing in the power of experience and gratitude. Whether it's walking her Chihuahua or singing her heart out, Izzy embraces life with passion and curiosity.