Only iPhone 15 Pro Models Will Get High-Speed USB-C Upgrade: Analyst Kuo

Apple iPhone 14 lineup was recently announced worldwide. However, the rumor mill is already buzzing about the next-gen iPhone 15 series. Popular analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has thrown some light on the iPhone 15 Pro models, which might get an upgrade in wired transfer speeds with USB-C ports. But the same speed might not appear for the base iPhone 15 models.

Kuo predicts that the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus will also feature USB-C ports. But the Pro variants might get improved transfer speeds that will set them apart. The base iPhone 15 models might feature USB 2.0 speeds similar to the current speeds on the Lightning port.

iPhone 15 Pro to Get Upgraded USB-C Speeds

Rumors of Apple shifting to USB-C ports have been doing rounds for a while now. The newly launched iPhone 14 series could be the last to launch with the Lightning cable. Soon most of Apple's products and accessories will support USB-C ports to adhere to rules laid down by the EU and several other countries to reduce e-waste.

Noted analyst Kuo took to Twitter to share his predictions for the upcoming iPhone 15 series. Kuo quotes his latest survey as the source of information and he's well known for getting information from supply chains.

His tweets mention that the next-gen iPhone 15 series will feature the USB-C port. He suggests that the change from the Lightning port to the USB-C port could further improve the iPhone charging speed as well as transfer speeds.

More importantly, Kuo states that only the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max "will support at least USB 3.2 or Thunderbolt 3." This would give Pro model users 40 Gbps speeds for data transfers, which would make it easier to transfer ProRes videos and raw photos from iPhones.

Apple's Switch to USB-C: Much Needed

The European Union has been stressing mandating USB-C ports for all new smartphones and accessories in a bid to reduce e-waste. If any device has a charging port, it needs to support a USB-C port - the EU has mandated, forcing Apple to comply. This mandate won't go into effect until 2024, giving Apple time to make the switch.

Moreover, the EU isn't the only body urging tech companies to make the switch. India is also adopting the USB-C port as a standard common port for all smart devices. Apple was also heavily fined in Brazil and iPhone sales were stopped as chargers weren't shipped with the box. All these mandates might force Apple to bring in the USB-C port as a wider and universal charging method.

\At the same time, Apple is finding ways to highlight the Pro models. When the iPhone 14 series launched, only the iPhone 14 Pro variants got the latest chipset whereas the mainline models continued with the older one. Since Apple is finding ways to differentiate the Pro models, faster speeds with USB-C ports can be another way to make them stand out.