iPhone 15 Finally Adopts USB-C, Expands the Dynamic Island
Apple today unveiled its revamped iPhone lineup, and as expected, the iPhone 15 drops Apple’s proprietary Lightning connector for USB-C and extends the Dynamic Island to the full lineup, alongside the usual processor and camera updates.
The base level iPhone 15 and 15 Plus run the A16 Bionic found in the iPhone 14 Pro, while the Pro models feature Apple’s new A17 Pro chip.
Looks-wise, the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus feature a textured matte finish and new contoured edge. The Pro models have a titanium design and swap the traditional phone-silence switch for a customizable Action Button that you can long-press to do things like start voice memos, launch the camera, or activate dictation.
The Pro models also feature an always-on display, which will facilitate StandBy in iOS 17 to turn the phone into a bedside smart display.
As expected, these iPhones add a USB-C connector. We’ve heard rumors about the demise of Lightning for years, but Apple has never been one to adopt something before it’s ready. The EU forced its hand, however, by requiring all phones, tablets, and cameras to use USB-C for charging before the end of 2024. As Greg Joswiak, Apple's SVP of Marketing, admitted a year ago, "we have no choice” but to embrace USB-C.
In its typical fashion, however, Apple made it sound like the switch to USB-C was a natural progression. It's been "been built into Apple products for years," Kaiann Drance, VP of worldwide product marketing, said today, referring to the USB-C connections on iPads and Macs.
The switch comes 11 years after Lightning replaced the 30-pin connector on the iPhone 5. Top Android phones, of course, have had USB-C for years, something Google made sure to mock in a recent teaser video for its upcoming Pixel 8
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