Kuo: iPhone 15 Pro with USB-C to offer major boost in data transfer speeds

One of the headlining changes of next year’s iPhone 15 lineup is expected to be the switching from Lightning to USB-C. Alongside that change, reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is now reporting that this will lead to a significant boost in wired transfer speeds for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

First, Kuo says that Apple’s plans to switch to USB-C are moving ahead as expected, based on his latest supply chain surveys. While the entire lineup, including the iPhone 15, iPhone Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max, will make the switch to USB-C, only the two high-end devices will see an improvement in transfer speeds.

Kuo says that the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will retain the same USB 2.0 transfer speeds as Lightning. This means data transfer speeds will be capped at 480 Mbps. This continues Apple’s strategy of further bifurcating the iPhone lineup between Pro and non-Pro models.

As such, Kuo reports that the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max (or Ultra?) will feature “at least USB-C 3.2 or Thunderbolt 3” data transfer speeds. USB-C 3.2 could improve data transfer speeds to as high as 20 Gbps, while Thunderbolt 3 would boost that even further to 40 Gbps.

Here’s Kuo’s full report:

My latest survey indicates all 2H23 new iPhones will abandon Lightning and change to USB-C, but only two high-end models (15 Pro & 15 Pro Max) will support the wired high-speed transfer, and the two standard ones (15 & 15 15 Plus) still support USB 2.0 same as Lightning.

I predict that 15 Pro & 15 Pro Max will support at least USB 3.2 or Thunderbolt 3. This spec upgrade means the wired transfer and video output user experience will significantly improve.

This spec upgrade and the new trend will drive Apple ecosystem’s demand for high-speed transfer chips and competitors’ imitation (almost all Android phones currently only support USB 2.0), and it’s also conducive to the growth of the high-speed transfer IC design industry.