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 information switch speeds.
USB-C makes it simple 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 approach to modernize PC connectivity. USB-C is flexible, carrying energy and information with the identical connector. And USB-4 / Thunderbolt affords even increased information switch speeds.
On the identical time, USB-C was turning into more and more well-liked 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 may imply Apple would a minimum of need to make a particular mannequin of iPhone for the European market. That brings its personal problems. As a substitute, Apple selected to simply undertake USB-C throughout the board … and other than the frustration of consumers having to alter out all their current now-defunct Lightning cables, that brings lots of advantages …
Common USB-C Charging
Now that you’ve an iPhone 15, you might be in all probability near having the ability to use the identical single cable to cost your entire gadgets. Virtually all iPads have a USB-C port, and all Macs have been sporting USB-C for a decade. The most recent Macs include Apple’s MagSafe charger, however they can be charged by plugging in to considered 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 just isn’t proprietary. To cost your Apple gear, you should utilize 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 the next wattage energy adapter just like the one which comes together with your MacBook; the telephone will mechanically handle the ability. 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 you could 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 may output about 4.5 watts. (Lightning might solely handle a measly 0.3watts.)
This implies you may truly use your spare iPhone battery to energy and cost linked equipment. In case your AirPods are working low, in a pinch, you may 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 particular person’s iPhone — however simply remember it’ll take some time.
Simply connect with exterior shows
With Lightning, you possibly can solely connect with exterior shows through a clunky dongle. With USB-C on iPhone 15, you may output to a display instantly. Use a USB-C to HDMI cable and present your iPhone display on a 4K TV or monitor, with display mirroring. If you’re watching a film in a video streaming service app, the movie will mechanically fill the TV dimensions with playback controls on the contact display. Simply showcase your picture library or conduct a presentation with Keynote by simply plugging your telephone instantly right into a projector.
One of many use instances Apple is pushing is positioning iPhone as a transportable video games console. Utilizing the ability 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 alternative 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 transportable USB-C laborious drives and SD playing cards
Join a USB-C laborious drive or SD card reader and browse recordsdata instantly utilizing the Recordsdata app on iPhone. When you go on vacation and take a devoted digicam with you, you may import pictures instantly from the SD card into your iPhone’s picture library. Then, empty the SD card and preserve taking pictures when you edit and add the images you’ve taken in your telephone’s massive touchscreen.
The iPhone 15 Professional Digital camera app means that you can report ProRes 4K at 60 FPS video on to USB-3 storage. ProRes is uncompressed and the file sizes are enormous, consuming gigabytes per minute of recording. However pairing your iPhone with a 1 TB transportable SSD, you may report for some time earlier than working 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.
Join {hardware} keyboards and wired web
Typically, wi-fi doesn’t lower it — and also you simply have to plug in. USB-C on iPhone helps nearly any primary accent you may consider, with out the necessity for particular drivers or further configuration. It’s all plug and play. Which means you may join a {hardware} keyboard will simply work.
Or in case you are podcasting on the highway, you may report utilizing a mini USB-C microphone. One other chance is wired web, utilizing a USB-C to Ethernet adapter. And when you’ve got a MIDI keyboard, you can also make a track on the go together with an app like GarageBand.
Wired headphones that work together with your telephone and pc
Since Apple dropped the headphone jack, a lot of the world has moved on to utilizing Bluetooth wi-fi headphones like AirPods. However when you nonetheless desire to plug in with a wire, utilizing wired headphones with iPhone has been an inconvenient affair. Lightning earbuds labored together with your telephone, 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 pc with a USB-C port, so you may lastly use the identical wired headphones throughout your telephone, iPad and Mac. An rising variety of high-end headphones and audio system additionally depend on USB-C connectivity lately.
Join multi-port hubs
USB-C could be very versatile and permits for information and energy to journey over the identical port. This implies you may carry a single dongle, which is a multi-port hub comprising all types 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, connect with energy, plug in USB equipment and an exterior show all on the identical time.
The one factor you will have to remember 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 could have to additionally plug in an exterior energy supply.
A few of these capabilities have been beforehand doable with Lightning however necessitated giant, clunky, and particular objective 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 nicely together with your iPhone, iPad, Mac and any Home windows PC or Android gadgets within the household as nicely. The common connector life is lastly right here.
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