After years and years of waiting, Apple finally did it: the iPhone 15 generation has become the first to adopt USB-C and definitively abandon Lightning. Now, USB-C has opened up a new world of possibilities for the iPhone by allowing the connection of new peripherals and accessories. But what exactly can you do with the iPhone 15 and its new port?
We already knew that the folks in Cupertino weren’t very keen on changing ports. Their commitment to Lightning was strong, despite its many shortcomings. However, Apple continued to maintain it in most of their devices, until a few years ago.
The first time we saw USB-C within the Apple ecosystem was in the MacBooks. It’s a very versatile connection that allows both charging a battery and transferring data at high speed. Lightning, on the other hand, was already outdated. Luckily, those times are now behind us. It’s time to make the most of everything USB-C can offer us on the iPhone.
Connect your iPhone to an external screen
Before, Lightning only allowed you to connect your iPhone to an external screen through an adapter. Thanks to USB-C, we will no longer be obligated to do that. Just by using a USB-C to HDMI cable, we can now display the content of our iPhone on any monitor or television.
Imagine you’re watching a movie from your iPhone. To view it on a screen, you just have to use that cable. Giving presentations, displaying photos… With USB-C, our connectivity problems are minimized. If you wanted to, you could even use your iPhone as a gaming console.
Use wired connection, a keyboard, or whatever you can think of
Do you have a weak WiFi connection? Have you considered connecting via cable? You might not have thought about it, but you can do that. Now, the iPhone supports all sorts of basic accessories you can think of, so you can not only connect via Ethernet cable but also use keyboards, mice, microphones, and more. USB-C enables us to enhance our iPhone and turn it into an even more capable and useful tool.
Expand storage with an external hard drive
Connecting an external hard drive to an iPhone has become easier than ever. Although getting more cloud storage is an option, some people prefer storing all their files on an external drive. And as you’ll see now, it’s quite useful.
One of the new features of the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max is the ability to record ProRes 4K video at 60 FPS and store it directly on an external hard drive. ProRes is an uncompressed format that can take up a lot of space on our device. With the use of external SSD drives, we wouldn’t have that issue anymore. The high transfer speeds of the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max make this possible.
