iPhone 15 Series to Feature Thunderbolt, USB 4 Support for Faster Data Transmission Speeds: Report

Apple's upcoming iPhone 15 series of smartphones could feature data transfer speeds of up to 40Gbps over the rumoured USB Type-C port.

Written by David Delima, Edited by Siddharth Suvarna | Updated: 17 August 2023 15:30 IST

iPhone 15 Series to Feature Thunderbolt, USB 4 Support for Faster Data Transmission Speeds: Report

Apple is yet to announce plans to launch the successors to the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus

Highlights

iPhone 15 series is expected to make its debut in September
The upcoming smartphone series is tipped to feature a USB Type-C port
iPhone 15 series' new port could offer faster data transmission speeds

iPhone 15 series — expected to debut in September at Apple's next launch event — will reportedly be equipped with a new chip that will enable data transmission at a faster rate than existing iPhone models. The Cupertino company's upcoming smartphones are likely to drop the proprietary Lightning port in favour of the widely used USB Type-C port. By switching to the modern connector, future iPhone models could offer not only faster charging rates but also rapid data transmission speeds.

Tipster "fix Apple" recently shared images of the charging connector (CC) flex cable for four smartphones — the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max. In another post on X (formerly known as Twitter) the account also shared the iPhone 15 series CC flex cable and the integrated circuit (IC) and power supply management chip. A new report now claims that the chip on the images for all handsets could improve the performance of the port compared to older models.

iPhone 15 Pro max iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Plus iPhone 15 c.c flex cable pic.twitter.com/bamm85Ial3
— fix Apple 🍏 (@lipilipsi) August 8, 2023

According to a ChargerLAB report, magnifying the images shared by the X user indicate the presence of an IC located behind the USB Type-C socket, which is a Retimer chip typically found on high-speed data transmission devices that support Thunderbolt and USB 4 for high-speed transfers. If the claims made in the report are accurate, all of Apple's upcoming handsets could support data transfers at up to 40Gbps.

The rumoured Retimer chip might not be the only chip making its way to the iPhone 15 series — a recent report suggests that the company could equip the handsets with an Apple-made 3LD3 chip. According to the tipster, the device could use the chip for transmission encryption that could regulate charging speeds and enhance data transfers on the iPhone 15 lineup.

iPhone 15 Series USB Type-C Connectors, Purported Case Leak Ahead of Debut

Apple hasn't announced a launch date for the iPhone 15 series, but Bloomberg's Mark Gurman states that the company could unveil the handsets on September 12 or September 13. A handset, believed to be the iPhone 15, was recently spotted on the BIS certification website, hinting at an imminent launch in the country. Meanwhile, Bloomberg recently reported that the Cupertino-based iPhone maker has started production of the iPhone 15 series in Tamil Nadu, ahead of its launch in the country.

Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 the best foldable phone you can buy in India right now? We discuss the company's new clamshell-style foldable handset on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Apple iPhone 15

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Big upgrades over the 14
Excellent ergonomics, build quality
Very good all-round performance
Apple ecosystem benefits

Bad
Relatively slow charging
Expensive
Still a 60Hz display

Read detailed Apple iPhone 15 review

Display 6.10-inch

Processor Apple A16 Bionic

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 48-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 6GB

Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB

OS iOS 17

Resolution 1179x2556 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

Apple iPhone 15 Plus

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Display 6.70-inch

Processor Apple A16 Bionic

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 48-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 8GB

Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB

OS iOS 17

Resolution 1290x2796 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

Apple iPhone 15 Pro

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Display 6.10-inch

Processor Apple A17 Pro

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 48-megapixel + 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 8GB

Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

OS iOS 17

Resolution 1179x2556 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Excellent display
USB Type-C
AAA gaming
Excellent all-round performance
Good primary and telephoto camera
Customisable Action Button

Bad
Gets hot quickly when stressed
Slow wired charging
Expensive

Read detailed Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max review

Display 6.70-inch

Processor Apple A17 Pro

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 48-megapixel + 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 8GB

Storage 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

OS iOS 17

Resolution 1290x2796 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

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Further reading: iPhone 15, iPhone 15 specifications, iPhone 15 port, iPhone 15 series, iPhone, Apple

David Delima

Email David Delima

As a writer on technology with Gadgets 360, David Delima is interested in open-source technology, cybersecurity, consumer privacy, and loves to read and write about how the Internet works. David can be contacted via email at DavidD@ndtv.com, on Twitter at @DxDavey, and Mastodon at mstdn.social/@delima. More