iPhone 15 USB-C: What You Need to Know

The launch of Apple’s new iPhone 15 marks a significant shift from Apple’s long-trusted Lightning connector to the globally supported USB-C. The use of USB-C with the iPhone 15 provides users with a whole range of benefits.

Compatibility

USB-C is a universally compatible connector working with almost all peripheral devices (phones, tablets, laptops etc.), whereas Apple’s Lightning connectivity was exclusive to only Apple products, meaning Apple iPhones up until now, could only be charged through a Lightning cable.

Battery powered devices containing a USB-C port can all be charged through one single type of cable, meaning iPhone 15 users can now take full advantage of truly universal charging and being able to seamlessly use the same USB-C charger to charge all of your electronic devices.

Data transfer speeds

When it comes to data transfer speeds, iPhone 15’s USB-C can adopt the latest USB4 or Thunderbolt protocol (like the latest iPad Pro), while Lightning only supports USB 2.0, giving USB-C the upper hand. The new USB-C port on the iPhone 15 Pro is capable of 10 Gbps per second versus the current 480 Mbps speed that a Lightning port is capable of.

Therefore, using the iPhone 15’s USB-C will allow you to transfer data up to 20X faster than using a Lightning cable – perfect for iPhone content creators and photographers/videographers who transfer large files from their phones to their computers.

Faster charging speeds

As well as faster data transfer speeds, adopting USB-C also boasts faster charging capabilities when compared to Apple’s Lightning connector. USB-C, coupled with PD Power Delivery allows latest and future iPhones to be compatible with USB-C PD chargers, opening the door to access the power delivered from chargers like the HyperJuice GaN 140W USB-C Charger or Targus’ 100W GaN Wall Charger

Similar to iPads, as phones continue to be equipped with faster processors and bigger batteries, more charging power will be required. With Apple’s Lightning connector limited to approximately 20 W of charging power, adopting USB-C PD will pave the way for power up to 100 W with PD3.0 and even 240 W with PD3.1.

One futureproofed, universal design, minimising cables

Whilst USB-C itself is only a connector, its designed with the future in mind. With the ability to be adapted to carry power, data, sound and video, it is the connector of choice in modern electronics. With the iPhone 15 now leveraging a USB-C connector, a single cable can be shared amongst all your devices, minimising duplication and clutter, making it a more eco conscious decision.

USB-C also contributes to a greener future as using and sharing connectivity promotes a circular economy and one in which encourages sustainable consumption. The previous use of different kinds of connectors created a huge pile of e-waste. With half a billion chargers for portable devices shipped into Europe each year, generating 11,000 to 13,000 tonnes of waste, a single charger and universally compatible cables for mobile phones and other electronic devices will benefit everyone. Elongating the lifecycle and flexibility of chargers and wider usability of cables greatly helps minimise electrical waste.

Why choose Targus or Hyper?

Although the benefits of Apple’s iPhone 15 moving across to USB-C greatly outweigh the negatives, Apple’s Lightning connector did offer a certain amount of protection to the consumer, as all manufacturers must adhere to certain standards to ensure certain data speeds and power are met. Whereas because USB-C is a universal connector, there are a huge range of “cheaper options” available to purchase, where careful considerations to power or the speed that the cable is capable of, haven’t been made by the manufacturer. Consumers can then be left under-utilising their new iPhone and at worst, causing damage to the device, due to use of poor-quality components within the cable.

Targus and Hyper are synonymous with quality, utilising high-quality components that pass the strictest of compliance protocols across the world, providing you with guaranteed power and speed to your devices whilst also protecting them and helping to lengthen their longevity.  

Picking the right charger:

A charger is no longer provided by Apple – the new iPhone 15 only comes with a USB-C cable. Therefore most consumers will plug their new device into any available USB-C port, without considering whether or not it’s actually capable of properly charging their device.

Regardless of whether you need an iPhone 15 charger or you are charging something else, it’s important to understand the power required on the device, rating on cables and delivery on chargers. In general, if more power is delivered to your device, it will allow it to charge faster, but only if the device is designed to accept that level of power.

For example, if your new iPhone 15 with USB-C is designed to fast charge at 20 W, there’s no need to use a 140 W charger because the iPhone will restrict the power drawn to 20 W. Additionally, if your laptop is designed to fast charge at 140 W, power will only trickle into the laptop when using a 35 W PD charger. Therefore, ensuring that you’re picking the right charger for your device, is as important as picking the device itself.

Picking the right cable:

The importance of a good cable is often overlooked by many, with a lot of consumers choosing to purchase a cheaper cable option to use alongside their expensive device. Similar to chargers, you need to ensure that your iPhone 15 USB-C matches the power requirements on your device and power delivered by your charger.

For example, if your MacBook requires 96 W of power and you correctly pair it with a 100 W charger, but then purchase a cheap cable that is only able to sustain 60 W, the amount power that will be delivered through to the MacBook will be limited to 60 W.

In addition, if you intend to use cables to connect your devices to other peripherals that are data speed critical (e.g. external hard drives and external monitors), then your cables data speed capabilities need to also be considered. Many charging cables only have the ability to deliver 480 Mbps, which is 20X slower than the maximum speed an iPhone 15 is capable of transferring (10 Gbps).

Hyper and Targus’ selection of Thunderbolt and HighSpeed USB cables have been specifically designed to sustain high power and data speed, so provide consumers with exactly what they need to effectively charge their devices.

Products to consider for your new iPhone 15:

• If you need to charge an iPhone 15 Pro, a MacBook Pro, and an iPad Pro, we would recommend the HyperJuice GaN 140W USB-C Charger
• If you need to charge an iPhone 15, a MacBook Air and an iPad Air, we would recommend Targus’ 100W GaN Wall Charger
• If you need to charge a MacBook and an iPhone 15, we would recommend Targus’ 65W GaN Wall Charger
• For iPhone 15 USB-C cables that can be used for both charging and data transfer, we would recommend Targus’ USB-C To USB-C, 10Gbps, 1m cable