The iPhone 16 series technical specifications suggest that Apple might not be improving USB C transfer speeds.
It appears that Apple was comparing the USB transfer speeds between A18 and A18 Pro chipsets
Photo Credit: Apple
iPhone 16 series was launched at Apple's “It's Glowtime” event with much fanfare on Monday. During the event, the company showcased several hardware and software upgrades the new generation of iPhone devices come with. However, it appears the company's wordings of “faster USB 3 speeds” might have been taken out of context, and the tech giant is not really offering improved transfer speed with the new lineup of iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
The Cupertino-based tech giant stated while listing the numerous upgrades for the iPhone 16 Pro models that the new generation of Apple smartphones will get “faster USB 3 speeds”. However, as a MacRumors report pointed out, this might be confusing phrasing by the company.
Taking a look at the technical specifications of the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro models here and here reveals that the USB 2 and USB 3 transfer speeds for the base and Pro models are 480 Mbps and 10 Gbps, respectively. Interestingly, the same speeds were available in the iPhone 15 Pro and non-Pro models. If that is the case, then there is no real improvement in the transfer speeds.
It appears what Apple actually wanted to communicate was that the iPhone 16 Pro models, powered by the A18 Pro chipset, offer faster data transfer speeds compared to the non-Pro models, which are powered by the A18 SoC.
The claim would, however, stand true if the tech giant was comparing the iPhone 16 Pro's transfer speed with the iPhone 14 Pro, which was the last generation with the Lightning cable.
However, for those looking to get 10 Gbps transfer speeds with the iPhone 16 Pro models, users will require the appropriate USB-C cable, which has to be purchased separately. Notably, USB 3 is the third generation of the Universal Serial Bus standard which offers faster data transfer speeds compared to the previous versions.
The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max also have a larger display with a 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR OLED screen, respectively. The display also gets a 120Hz refresh rate (ProMotion) and up to 2,000 units of peak brightness.
For details of the latest launches and news from Samsung, Xiaomi, Realme, OnePlus, Oppo and other companies at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, visit our MWC 2025 hub.