USB

It’s almost September, which means the unveiling of the iPhone 15 is just a couple of weeks away. Among the usual new colors and camera upgrades, all reports say the new iPhone will mark the end of Lightning, as Apple switches to USB-C like the iPad and Mac. So what will the new port mean for new iPhone users? Here’s everything we know so far.

Yes, Apple will reportedly move the entire iPhone 15 lineup to USB-C. However, the implementation might not be the same throughout the lineup–the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max may support faster data transfer and charging speeds while the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus could be slower.

No, you’ll need a new USB-C-to-USB-C cable to charge the iPhone 15.

Apple will supply a USB-C-to-USB-C cable in the box. According to rumors it will be a thicker braided cable that’s longer (1.5 meters) and colorized to match the iPhone’s color.

It depends. Apple began using a USB-C-to-Lightning cable with the iPhone 12, the same model that also dropped the charger. So if you’re upgrading from an iPhone 12 or later, you likely bought your own 20W or higher USB-C charger. If you have one of the old 5W chargers with a USB-A port, you’ll need to buy a new one.

The iPhone 15 Pro’s charging port will reportedly deliver faster speeds.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

We think so. While the iPhone 14 Pro supports 25W and the iPhone 14 supports 20W charging, the iPhone 15 Pro models are also expected to support fast charging up to 35W, which should bring a noticeable bump in charging speeds. You’ll need to use a charger that supports at least 35W to get the fastest charging, like the one that comes with a MacBook.

Here’s where things aren’t as clear. According to rumors, Apple will offer different speeds for the iPhone 15, with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus capped at 480Mbps and the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max getting Thunderbolt speeds up to 40Gbbps, like the iPad Pro.

Probably. With the iPad Pro, Apple supplies a USB-C charging cable and sells Thunderbolt cables separately starting at $29. Even though the iPhone 15 Pro is expected to increase in price, it’s unlikely that Apple will supply anything other than a standard charging cable.

We’re not sure. Apple will presumably offer the iPhone 13/13 mini and iPhone 14/14Plus at reduced prices, and some reports claim Apple will also add USB-C to those models.

The iPhone 15 will be announced at Apple’s “Wonderlust” event on September 12.

Michael Simon has been covering Apple since the iPod was the iWalk. His obsession with technology goes back to his first PC—the IBM Thinkpad with the lift-up keyboard for swapping out the drive. He's still waiting for that to come back in style tbh.