Apple reveals more details about the new iPhone 15 USB-C port

When Apple revealed the brand new iPhone 15 series earlier this week, there was a key difference to the iPhones that had come before: a USB-C port instead of Lightning. Now, we know a little bit more about the spec of this port.

As per an Apple support document (via MacRumors), the USB-C port on all iPhone 15 models is going to output up to 4.5W of power – that means there’s enough juice to charge up an Apple Watch, an AirPods case, or other small gadgets.

The Lightning port on previous iPhones offered a measly 0.3W, as 9to5Mac points out, which means there are a lot more possibilities for accessories. An external, portable, USB-powered hard drive could theoretically be connected over the port, for instance.

Another key bit of information revealed in the document is that the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are going to support USB 3.2 Gen 2 for data transfer speeds up to 10 Gbps. As the USB-C cable included with these phones only supports USB 2 speeds, you’ll need to get another one to maximize data transfer rates.

Spec gaps

As had been previously reported, the document also confirms that all iPhone 15 models support DisplayPort output for up to 4K HDR screen mirroring on an external display. However, there’s not the extended display mode found on some iPads.

With preorders now being processed and the phones going on sale in stores on September 22, these nuggets of information fill in some of the remaining spec gaps. Only yesterday we got confirmation of the battery capacities of all four iPhone 15 models.

The switch to USB-C is undoubtedly one of the biggest changes to hit the iPhone series since it made its debut all the way back in 2007. If you’re wondering how it’ll affect Apple’s smartphones going forward, we’ve written up everything you need to know.

TechRadar was on the ground as Apple unveiled the iPhone 15 range, and we’ve published our early, hands-on impressions of the handsets already: check out our iPhone 15 review, iPhone 15 Plus review, iPhone 15 Pro review, and iPhone 15 Pro Max review.

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