Apple has finally introduced USB-C in the iPhone 15 Series after being forced by the EU. USB-C not only brings faster charging and data transfer speeds but also some new features that will improve your productivity. Here is all you need to know about USB-C in the iPhone 15 series.
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Now Charge iPhones With Any USB-C Adaptor
If you’ve been a long-time iPhone user, you’d know about the Made-for-iPhone (MFi) certification. It’s a certification program that ensures that third-party accessories for iPhones adhere to Apple’s strict quality, safety, and performance standards. But this also made the supplements costly when compared to a non-MFi-certified cable.
Thankfully, there are no USB-C certifications like MFi for the charging cables in the iPhone 15 series. Any 30W PD-supported charger with a USB-C cable will charge the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max at 27W, and the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus at 20W.
Since your old lighting chargers and cables will no longer work with iPhone 15, we have curated list a of USB-C chargers for your iPhone 15.
Reverse Charging an Accessory With iPhone
The iPhone 15 series supports reverse wired charging (not wireless yet) and can charge a multitude of accessories or even phones. If you have accessories like the new and improved AirPods Pro Gen 2 With MagSafe (USB-C), another iPhone, or even an Android phone for that matter, you can charge them with the iPhone 15 series using a USB-C cable.
If you connect the iPhone 15 with another iPhone 15 using the USB-C cable, then whichever iPhone has less battery will start charging using the other iPhone. Older iPhones with the lightning connector will always accept a charge from the iPhone 15 series if you use the USB-C to Lightning cable.
If you’re connecting the iPhone 15 series with an Android phone, then you can choose which phone to charge by selecting from the Android’s USB settings.
When you connect the iPhone 15 series with say, the new AirPods using a USB-C cable or the Apple Watch using its supplied charging cable, then the iPhone will charge these accessories at about 4.5W. This can give you the juice needed in emergency situations.
Talking about iPhone 15 series accessories, here are some of the best accessories you can get for your new iPhone.
Connect External Storage Drives
With USB-C on the iPhone 15 series, you can also connect external storage devices to the iPhones to view files stored on the external SSD or pen drive. We tested the iPhone 15, 15 Pro, and 15 Pro Max with a Samsung T5 External SSD and it is working fine, accessible from the Files app.
Keep in mind that not all external hard drives or SSDs will work right away and there might be compatibility issues with some of them., However, popular models from known brands like Samsung, WD, Crucial, Toshiba, or SanDisk with USB-C should work with no issue whatsoever.
Another thing you should know is that the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus comes with USB 2.0 which is limited to the speeds of 480 Mbps when transferring files from a Windows PC, Mac, or an external storage device like a SSD. Whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max have the newer USB 3.2 Gen 2 which can go up to 10 Gb/s if you use a USB 3 cable.
But did you know that USB-C cables provided in the box with all iPhone 15 models are USB 2.0 and not the advanced USB 3 or Thunderbolt? Read to find out more about USB 3.0 vs. USB 2.0 differences in the iPhone 15 series.
Using Mouse and Keyboard
If you connect a USB-C mouse or keyboard with your iPhone 15 series, they’ll work as they should. The mouse can be dragged to any location on the iPhone screen and you can click to open something. In the same way, you can also connect a USB-C keyboard to your iPhone to enjoy a much faster typing experience. Useful when you are writing an article or story on Google Docs or Microsoft Word.
We tried connecting various mice and keyboards, ranging from Amazon Basics, and generic brands to the official Apple Magic keyboard accessories, and all of them work well.
Pro Tip: You can also use a USB-C to Multiport adapter to connect a host of other accessories to get the most out of your new iPhone.
Project to a Bigger Screen
One great feature that the iPhone 15 brings to the table by switching to USB-C is the ability to cast your phone’s screen on a bigger display, like a TV. This is especially handy, along with the fact that the charging cable is the universal USB-C.
Keep in mind that the iPhone can do video output only up to 4K 60Hz with a supported display. We tried this feature with our Samsung TV and it was working flawlessly with no jitters whatsoever. So, this can be your go-to method when having your friends over for movie nights or you just want to play games on a bigger screen.
Use a Gaming Controller
With video output and other accessories working fine in the iPhone 15 series, we think this was a no-brainer. You can connect a gaming controller with the latest iPhone using USB-C and get that no-latency gaming experience in the supported games. With the rise in mobile gamers across the globe, this will be greatly appreciated by all.
The announcement of more AAA games coming to the iPhone 15 Pro series later this year makes it worthwhile to use a gaming controller with the iPhones.
USB-C Everywhere
Apple came with all guns blazing and introduced USB-C on the iPhone 15 lineup allowing for countless accessory options. By introducing USB 3.0 on the iPhone 15 Pro series along with the A17 Pro, the route to competitive gaming is also clear.
If you’re wondering about the announcements that were made at this year’s Apple Event, here is everything you need to know about it in 10 minutes.
