On the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, Apple lastly removed the Lightning port and changed it with USB-C. This opens up an entire 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 units. Right here’s what you are able to do along 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. Nevertheless, it started adopting USB-C throughout Mac and iPad fashions since 2015 as a option to modernize PC connectivity. USB-C is flexible, carrying energy and knowledge with the identical connector. And USB-4 / Thunderbolt affords even increased knowledge switch speeds.
On the identical time, USB-C was turning into more and more well-liked on the Android facet 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 scale back e-waste by imposing USB-C because the common connector for telephones. That may imply Apple would no less than need to make a particular mannequin of iPhone for the European market. That brings its personal problems. As an alternative, Apple selected to simply undertake USB-C throughout the board … and aside from the frustration of shoppers having to alter out all their current now-defunct Lightning cables, that brings a whole lot of advantages …
Common USB-C Charging
Now that you’ve got an iPhone 15, you might be most likely near with the ability to use the identical single cable to cost all your units. 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 certainly one of their USB-C ports too. The most recent-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 may also 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. In contrast to Lightning, USB-C shouldn’t be proprietary. To cost your Apple gear, you need to use any USB-C charging cable or accent in the marketplace. That features cheaper USB-C cables, and USB-C cables of various types and lengths. Anker has a really handy twin 47 watt USB-C energy adapter, for instance.
To cost your iPhone at full pace, you need to use a 20-watt or 30-watt energy adapter. You possibly can safely use a better wattage energy adapter just like the one which comes along with your MacBook; the telephone will mechanically handle the facility. Study extra about fast-charging iPhone 15 right here.
Cost different units along with your iPhone 15 battery
One other cool angle of the USB-C charging story is that you could now use the iPhone to cost different equipment. The iPhone 15 can settle for as much as 27 watts via the USB-C port, however itself can even output about 4.5 watts. (Lightning may solely handle a measly 0.3watts.)
This implies you possibly can really use your spare iPhone battery to energy and cost related equipment. In case your AirPods are working low, in a pinch, you possibly can plug them into your telephone and your telephone will prime up the juice in your AirPods case. You might even prime up the battery of one other individual’s iPhone — however simply bear in mind it should take some time.
Simply hook up with exterior shows
With Lightning, you could possibly solely hook up with exterior shows through a clunky dongle. With USB-C on iPhone 15, you possibly can output to a display screen straight. Use a USB-C to HDMI cable and present your iPhone display screen on a 4K TV or monitor, with display screen mirroring. In case you are watching a film in a video streaming service app, the movie will mechanically 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 telephone straight right into a projector.
One of many use circumstances Apple is pushing is positioning iPhone as a conveyable 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 sport controller, join your telephone to a TV, and begin gaming. The Apple USB-C Digital AV adapter is an effective selection for this use case, because it permits for HDMI, energy output for steady charging and passthrough USB-C in a single handy dongle.
Increase your native storage with moveable USB-C exhausting drives and SD playing cards
Join a USB-C exhausting drive or SD card reader and browse information straight utilizing the Information app on iPhone. In case you go on vacation and take a devoted digicam with you, you possibly can import photographs straight from the SD card into your iPhone’s picture library. Then, empty the SD card and maintain capturing whilst you edit and add the photographs you’ve taken in your telephone’s huge touchscreen.
The iPhone 15 Professional Digital camera app lets you document ProRes 4K at 60 FPS video on to USB-3 storage. ProRes is uncompressed and the file sizes are big, consuming gigabytes per minute of recording. However pairing your iPhone with a 1 TB moveable SSD, you possibly can document for some time earlier than working out of house. This requires a USB-3 cable (not merely cost cable) to reap the benefits of the quick 10Gbps switch speeds attainable via the iPhone 15 Professional’s port.
Join {hardware} keyboards and wired web
Generally, wi-fi doesn’t reduce it — and also you simply have to plug in. USB-C on iPhone helps nearly any fundamental accent you possibly can consider, with out the necessity for particular drivers or further configuration. It’s all plug and play. Which means you possibly can join a {hardware} keyboard will simply work.
Or in case you are podcasting on the highway, you possibly can document utilizing a mini USB-C microphone. One other chance is wired web, utilizing a USB-C to Ethernet adapter. And when you have a MIDI keyboard, you may make a music on the go along with an app like GarageBand.
Wired headphones that work along with your telephone 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 for those who nonetheless choose to plug in with a wire, utilizing wired headphones with iPhone has been an inconvenient affair. Lightning earbuds labored along with your telephone, however nothing else.
Now, it’s all a lot easier. 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 possibly can lastly use the identical wired headphones throughout your telephone, iPad and Mac. An growing variety of high-end headphones and audio system additionally depend on USB-C connectivity today.
Join multi-port hubs
USB-C may be very versatile and permits for knowledge and energy to journey over the identical port. This implies you possibly can 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 connect with exterior shows, hook up with energy, plug in USB equipment and an exterior show all on the identical time.
The one factor you’ve to bear in mind is that the iPhone can output energy to the hub at 4.5 watts. iPad and Mac can provide a lot increased bus-powered wattage, so in case you are utilizing them with the iPhone, you might have to additionally plug in an exterior energy supply.
A few of these capabilities have been beforehand attainable with Lightning however necessitated giant, clunky, and particular goal adapters for every use case. USB-C is standards-based which implies something you purchase can even work with different units too. You don’t want to hold a particular Lightning SD card reader anymore; the identical USB-C peripheral will work simply as properly along with your iPhone, iPad, Mac and any Home windows PC or Android units within the household as properly. The common connector life is lastly right here.
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