Toni Hobrecht
Apple needs to transition its iPhones to USB-C sooner rather than later, although it remains to be seen when the change actually happens. Well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is confident that the port switch will happen in the second half of 2023. And thus should coincide with the launch of the iPhone 15 series.
Apple iPhone 15 Pro rendering
Kuo believes Apple will include USB-C ports throughout the iPhone 15 series. In his opinion, however, only the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max get the USB 3.2 standard or at least Thunderbolt 3 and thus the full transfer rates. Up to 40 Gbit/s go through the line. The iPhone 15 and 15 Max, like the current iPhone 14 models with Lightning ports, remain at USB 2.0 speeds of up to 480 Mbit/s.
Apple has clearly differentiated its basic and pro models in terms of features and performance for many years. Limiting a high-speed USB-C port to the Pro models therefore sounds like a logical step for Cupertino. Kuo also speculates that Apple could give the 15 Pro series solid-state volume buttons. The iPhone 15 Pro Max may also get a periscope zoom camera with up to 6x magnification.
