On the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, Apple lastly removed the Lightning port and changed it with USB-C. This opens up a complete new world of comfort of connecting equipment and peripherals. The iPhone 15 Professional and iPhone 15 Professional Max go one step additional, because the USB-C port on the professional fashions helps USB-3 speeds, enabling as much as 10 Gbps knowledge switch speeds.
USB-C makes it straightforward to attach shows, exterior storage, cameras, and cost utilizing the identical cable as all of your different gadgets. Right here’s what you are able to do together with your new iPhone and its shiny new port …
Why did Apple change from Lightning?
Apple was totally invested in Lightning port ecosystem on the iPhone. Nonetheless, it started adopting USB-C throughout Mac and iPad fashions since 2015 as a technique to modernize PC connectivity. USB-C is flexible, carrying energy and knowledge with the identical connector. And USB-4 / Thunderbolt presents even greater knowledge switch speeds.
On the identical time, USB-C was turning into more and more common on the Android aspect of the smartphone market. However Apple caught with Lightning on iPhone, partly as a result of they have been nonetheless stung from the backlash of 30-pin -> Lightning transition that occurred greater than a decade in the past.
The forcing issue for Apple was the EU fee, who’ve handed laws to cut back e-waste by implementing USB-C because the common connector for telephones. That might imply Apple would at the very least must make a particular mannequin of iPhone for the European market. That brings its personal issues. As an alternative, Apple selected to only undertake USB-C throughout the board … and aside from the frustration of consumers having to vary out all their present now-defunct Lightning cables, that brings lots of advantages …
Common USB-C Charging
Now that you’ve got an iPhone 15, you’re most likely near with the ability to use the identical single cable to cost your whole gadgets. Virtually all iPads have a USB-C port, and all Macs have been sporting USB-C for a decade. The latest Macs include Apple’s MagSafe charger, however they can be charged by plugging in to considered one of their USB-C ports too. The newest-generation Apple TV comes with a USB-C distant, and Apple simply launched a brand new AirPods Professional with a USB-C charging case. You too can now purchase simply the USB-C case individually from the Apple Retailer.
Apple sells its personal USB-C cost cables, and the iPhone comes with a pleasant high quality woven cable within the field itself. Not like Lightning, USB-C is just not proprietary. To cost your Apple gear, you should use any USB-C charging cable or accent in the marketplace. That features cheaper USB-C cables, and USB-C cables of various kinds and lengths. Anker has a really handy twin 47 watt USB-C energy adapter, for instance.
To cost your iPhone at full pace, you wish to use a 20-watt or 30-watt energy adapter. You may safely use a better wattage energy adapter just like the one which comes together with your MacBook; the cellphone will robotically handle the facility. Be taught extra about fast-charging iPhone 15 right here.
Cost different gadgets together with your iPhone 15 battery
One other cool angle of the USB-C charging story is that you may now use the iPhone to cost different equipment. The iPhone 15 can settle for as much as 27 watts by the USB-C port, however itself can even output about 4.5 watts. (Lightning might solely handle a measly 0.3watts.)
This implies you’ll be able to truly use your spare iPhone battery to energy and cost linked equipment. In case your AirPods are operating low, in a pinch, you’ll be able to plug them into your cellphone and your cellphone will prime up the juice in your AirPods case. You might even prime up the battery of one other individual’s iPhone — however simply remember it should take some time.
Simply hook up with exterior shows
With Lightning, you possibly can solely hook up with exterior shows by way of a clunky dongle. With USB-C on iPhone 15, you’ll be able to output to a display screen instantly. Use a USB-C to HDMI cable and present your iPhone display screen on a 4K TV or monitor, with display screen mirroring. If you’re watching a film in a video streaming service app, the movie will robotically fill the TV dimensions with playback controls on the contact display screen. Simply exhibit your picture library or conduct a presentation with Keynote by simply plugging your cellphone instantly right into a projector.
One of many use circumstances Apple is pushing is positioning iPhone as a transportable video games console. Utilizing the facility of the A17 Professional chip inside, iPhone 15 Professional can run some top-end video games with excessive graphical constancy. Pair an Xbox or PlayStation recreation controller, join your cellphone to a TV, and begin gaming. The Apple USB-C Digital AV adapter is an efficient alternative for this use case, because it permits for HDMI, energy output for steady charging and passthrough USB-C in a single handy dongle.
Broaden your native storage with moveable USB-C laborious drives and SD playing cards
Join a USB-C laborious drive or SD card reader and browse information instantly utilizing the Information app on iPhone. If you happen to go on vacation and take a devoted digital camera with you, you’ll be able to import photographs instantly from the SD card into your iPhone’s picture library. Then, empty the SD card and maintain taking pictures when you edit and add the photographs you’ve taken in your cellphone’s huge touchscreen.
The iPhone 15 Professional Digicam app means that you can file ProRes 4K at 60 FPS video on to USB-3 storage. ProRes is uncompressed and the file sizes are large, consuming gigabytes per minute of recording. However pairing your iPhone with a 1 TB moveable SSD, you’ll be able to file for some time earlier than operating out of house. This requires a USB-3 cable (not merely cost cable) to benefit from the quick 10Gbps switch speeds doable by the iPhone 15 Professional’s port.
With iOS 18, utilizing exterior storage with iPhone and iPad is even simpler. The Information app can now natively erase and re-format linked drives, so that you don’t want to make sure the drive is already within the appropriate disk format, if beforehand used elsewhere.
Join {hardware} keyboards and wired web
Generally, wi-fi doesn’t lower it — and also you simply must plug in. USB-C on iPhone helps virtually any fundamental accent you’ll be able to consider, with out the necessity for particular drivers or extra configuration. It’s all plug and play. Meaning you’ll be able to join a {hardware} keyboard will simply work.
Or if you’re podcasting on the street, you’ll be able to file utilizing a mini USB-C microphone. One other risk is wired web, utilizing a USB-C to Ethernet adapter. And when you have a MIDI keyboard, you can also make a tune on the go together with an app like GarageBand.
Wired headphones that work together with your cellphone and laptop
Since Apple dropped the headphone jack, a lot of the world has moved on to utilizing Bluetooth wi-fi headphones like AirPods. However if you happen to nonetheless favor to plug in with a wire, utilizing wired headphones with iPhone has been an inconvenient affair. Lightning earbuds labored together with your cellphone, however nothing else.
Now, it’s all a lot less complicated. iPhone 15 works with any USB-C headphones, together with Apple’s new USB-C EarPods. These headphones will work with any laptop with a USB-C port, so you’ll be able to lastly use the identical wired headphones throughout your cellphone, iPad and Mac. An growing variety of high-end headphones and audio system additionally depend on USB-C connectivity nowadays.
Join multi-port hubs
USB-C could be very versatile and permits for knowledge and energy to journey over the identical port. This implies you’ll be able to carry a single dongle, which is a multi-port hub comprising all kinds of IO. These are tremendous handy as iPad and Mac equipment, and now work with the iPhone too.
For instance, this $25 Anker 5-in-1 hub will work with the USB-3 USB-C port on iPhone 15 Professional and allow you to hook up with exterior shows, hook up with energy, plug in USB equipment and an exterior show all on the identical time.
The one factor you have got to remember is that the iPhone can output energy to the hub at 4.5 watts. iPad and Mac can supply a lot greater bus-powered wattage, so if you’re utilizing them with the iPhone, it’s possible you’ll must additionally plug in an exterior energy supply.
A few of these capabilities have been beforehand doable with Lightning however necessitated giant, clunky, and particular goal adapters for every use case. USB-C is standards-based which suggests something you purchase may also work with different gadgets too. You don’t want to hold a particular Lightning SD card reader anymore; the identical USB-C peripheral will work simply as effectively together with your iPhone, iPad, Mac and any Home windows PC or Android gadgets within the household as effectively. The common connector life is lastly right here.
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