What can I connect to my iPhone 15 with USB-C?

With the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, Apple finally ditched the Lightning port and replaced it with USB-C. This opens up a whole new world of convenience for connecting accessories and peripherals. The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max go a step further, with the Pro model’s USB-C port supporting USB-3 speeds, allowing data transfer speeds of up to 10 Gbps.

USB-C lets you easily connect and charge displays, external storage, and cameras using the same cables as all your other devices. Here’s what you can do with your new iPhone and its shiny new ports…

Why did Apple change from Lightning?

Apple has fully invested in the iPhone’s Lightning port ecosystem. However, starting in 2015, we started adopting USB-C across our Mac and iPad models as a way to modernize PC connectivity. USB-C is versatile, transmitting power and data in the same connector. Additionally, USB-4/Thunderbolt offers even faster data transfer speeds.

At the same time, USB-C was gaining popularity on the Android side of the smartphone market. However, Apple stuck with Lightning on the iPhone because the fallout from the 30-pin to Lightning transition over a decade ago was still lingering.

What gave Apple a boost was the European Union Commission, which passed legislation to reduce electronic waste by mandating USB-C as a universal connector on mobile phones. That means Apple will have to make a special model of the iPhone, at least for the European market. That brings its own complications. Instead, Apple has chosen to go all-in with USB-C…and aside from the frustration of customers having to replace all their existing obsolete Lightning cables, that brings a lot of benefits. …

Universal USB-C charging

If you own an iPhone 15, you’ll probably be able to charge all your devices using the same one cable. Almost every iPad has a USB-C port, and every Mac has had one for over a decade. Newer Macs come with Apple’s MagSafe charger, but you can also plug them into any of the USB-C ports for charging. The latest generation of Apple TV comes with a USB-C remote, and Apple just released new AirPods Pro with a USB-C charging case. You can now purchase just the USB-C case separately from the Apple Store.

Apple sells its own USB-C charging cable, and the iPhone ships with a high-quality braided cable in the box itself. Unlike Lightning, USB-C is not proprietary. To charge your Apple gear, you can use any commercially available USB-C charging cable or accessory. This includes inexpensive USB-C cables and USB-C cables that come in a variety of styles and lengths. For example, Anker has a dual 47-watt USB-C power adapter that is very useful.

To charge your iPhone at full speed, you must use a 20-watt or 30-watt power adapter. You can safely use a high-wattage power adapter, like the one that comes with your MacBook. The phone automatically manages power. Learn more about fast charging your iPhone 15.

Charge other devices with iPhone 15 battery

Another interesting thing about USB-C charging is that you can now use your iPhone to charge other accessories. The iPhone 15 can accept up to 27 watts via its USB-C port, but it can also output about 4.5 watts on its own. (Lightning can only handle 0.3 watts.)

This means you can actually use your spare iPhone battery to power and charge connected accessories. If you’re worried about your AirPods running low, just connect your AirPods to your phone and your phone will replenish the juice in his AirPods case. You can also refill the battery on someone else’s iPhone, but be aware that it takes time.

Easily connect to external displays

With Lightning, you could only connect to an external display via a clunky dongle. The iPhone 15’s USB-C allows you to output directly to the screen. Use screen mirroring to display your iPhone’s screen on his 4K TV or monitor using a USB-C to HDMI cable. If you’re watching a movie on a video streaming service app, the movie will automatically resize to your TV using the playback controls on the touch screen. Easily show off your photo library or give a presentation with Keynote by simply connecting your phone directly to the projector.

One use case that Apple is pushing is to position the iPhone as a portable gaming console. Utilizing the power of the built-in A17 Pro chip, the iPhone 15 Pro has high graphical fidelity and can run some top-end games. Pair your Xbox or PlayStation game controller, connect your phone to your TV, and start gaming. The Apple USB-C Digital AV Adapter is well-suited for this use case because it provides HDMI, a power output for continuous charging, and USB-C passthrough in one convenient dongle.

Expand local storage with portable USB-C hard drives and SD cards

Connect your USB-C hard drive or SD card reader and browse your files directly using the Files app on your iPhone. If you take your own camera with you on vacation, you can import photos directly from your SD card to your iPhone’s photo library. Then empty your SD card and continue shooting while you edit and upload your photos on your phone’s large touchscreen.

The iPhone 15 Pro Camera app lets you record 60 FPS ProRes 4K video directly to USB-3 storage. ProRes is uncompressed and has very large file sizes, consuming many gigabytes per minute of recording. However, if you pair your iPhone with a 1TB portable SSD, you can record for a while before running out of space. To take advantage of the fast 10Gbps transfer speeds available through the iPhone 15 Pro’s ports, you’ll need a USB-3 cable (not just a charging cable).

Connect your hardware keyboard and wired internet

In some cases, wireless isn’t an option and all you need to do is connect. The iPhone’s USB-C supports almost every basic accessory you can think of without the need for special drivers or additional configuration. Everything is plug and play. This means that it will work even if you connect a hardware keyboard.

Or, if you’re podcasting on the go, you can record using the mini USB-C microphone. Another possibility is wired internet using a USB-C to Ethernet adapter. If you have a MIDI keyboard, you can use apps like GarageBand to create songs on the go.

Wired headphones for use with mobile phones and computers

Since Apple removed the headphone jack, many people around the world have turned to Bluetooth wireless headphones like AirPods. But if you still want a wired connection, using wired headphones with your iPhone is inconvenient. The Lightning earbuds worked with my phone, but not with anything else.

Now everything is much easier. iPhone 15 works with any USB-C headphones, including Apple’s new USB-C EarPods. These headphones work with any computer with a USB-C port, so you can finally use the same wired headphones on your phone, iPad, and Mac. These days, more and more high-end headphones and speakers rely on USB-C connectivity.

Connect a multiport hub

USB-C is extremely flexible, allowing data and power to be sent through the same port. This means you can carry around a single dongle that is a multi-port hub with all kinds of IO. These are great accessories for iPads and Macs, and now they’re available for iPhones too.

For example, this $25 Anker 5-in-1 hub works with the iPhone 15 Pro’s USB-3 USB-C ports to connect to an external display, connect to power, and connect USB accessories and external displays. Can be done at the same time. It’s the same time.

The only thing to keep in mind is that the iPhone can output power to the hub at 4.5 watts. iPads and Macs can provide higher wattage bus power, so you may also need to connect an external power source when used with an iPhone.

Some of these features were previously possible with Lightning, but required large, bulky, specialized adapters for each use case. USB-C is standards-based, so anything you buy will work with other devices. No more carrying around a special Lightning SD card reader. The same USB-C peripherals work equally well on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, and any Windows PC or Android device in your family. The lifespan of the universal connector has finally come.