The switch to USB-C from Lightning will unlock a few benefits for iPhone 15 adopters, besides the convenience of being able to charge their handsets with an industry standard cable.
The latest perk to be discovered and confirmed by Apple is the ability to connect the iPhone 15 to an external 4K monitor via the new USB-C port.
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In a new support document Apple reveals “iPhone uses the DisplayPort protocol to support connections to USB-C displays at up to 4K resolution and 60Hz.” Furthermore, as well as that 4K 60Hz video, you’ll be able to access HDR content too.
The support document says: “iPhone also supports high-dynamic-range USB-C displays. You can switch between SDR and HDR modes by going to Settings > Display & Brightness and selecting your connected display. iPhone matches the frame rate and dynamic range of currently playing content when you turn on Allow Display Mode Changes.”
Apple goes on to say you can use the cable bundled with the phone in order to connect to the displays as well as a Thunderbolt 4 cable. However, as long as the cable supports USB-C 3.1 or higher, you’ll be grand. And, depending on the display you use, you’ll be able to charge the phone while it’s connected to the display.
Elsewhere, the popular tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee also discovered that using a USB-C to Lightning cable can acutally apply some charge to the older iPhone too, which is an excellent bonus if you’ have pals who’re upgrading to the new model while you’re sticking with a Lightning-based phone!
The switch to USB-C for iPhone 15 Pro unlocks faster data transfer speeds than Lightning. The new protocol includes 10Gbps speeds, which is ideal for transferring video to your MacBook for editing. Overall the transfer spoeeds are up to 20-times faster.
In the future it could enable faster charging speeds than the current 20W maximum speeds, but Apple is yet to confirm. It also enables a greater number off accessories and peripherals to be connected, while the key benefit for most peopke is probably the ability to use a single cable to charge the iPhone, some iPad models and the more recent MacBook models. Apple is also upgrading its AirPods range to support USB-C charging.
So, while the key benefit appears to be to make it less necessary to carry a bundle of different charging cables with you, there are new benefits being discovered.
