The Lightning connector has already passed away in the new generation of the iPhone 15 and 15 Pro. More and more products have adopted the standard connection, while Apple’s proprietary connection has been losing ground. Now iPhones, iPads and iPhones already have USB type C. However, although it is the same on the outside, on the inside, the connector is not the same. Not all USB type C are the same, and one of the factors that differentiate them is the maximum speed they support. So in this post we are going to review all the products that already have reversible USB, and the maximum speeds they support.
A USB type C port is not the same as a Thunderbolt port. Likewise, USB2 speed is not the same as USB3 speed. Currently, on iPhones, iPads and Macs, although they all have USB-C (the external shape of the connector), not all of them are the same. So let’s start by breaking down these terms.
What each term means
- USB type C: The connection system at the physical level. It is a standard that, with the same type of cable, we can connect the devices. For its part, the Lightning connector was a proprietary Apple connector.
- Thunderbolt: It is a standard data transfer system. This can be applied to different types of physical connectors. Now that USB-C has been defined as a standard, the Thunderbolt system mounts to the physical USB-C connection.
Therefore, at this point, there is a difference between what USB-C and Thunderbolt are. Not all USB Type C ports have Thunderbolt support. Likewise, the Thunderbolt system does not only apply to USB type C connectors. Proof of this are the different Apple devices, which, depending on the model and generation, can mount one of the two systems, or both. .
What speeds does each type of port reach?
The differences in these connection systems are based on the maximum speed they are capable of supporting. This speed, however, does not only determine how fast data can be transferred. But also, the ability of these ports to connect with different peripherals.
If we have a Thunderbolt port, thanks to the power they are capable of supporting, they support much faster external memories, fast charging, and even connection with external monitors, using a USB type C cable that supports these speeds.
- USB2: It is the USB 2.0 speed. It is the oldest standard, and the slowest compared to the systems that have succeeded it. Supports transfer rates up to 480Mbit/s (or 60Mb/second). These speeds are the maximum that can be achieved.
- USB3: It is the USB 3.0 speed. It is a much more recent standard, and therefore, much faster. Reach the 4.8Gbit/s (or 600 Mb/ second). This speed is 10 times faster than the USB2 standard.
- USB 3.1: The second generation of USB3. Supports speeds up to 10Gb/per second.
- Thunderbolt 3: This is the fastest standard, supporting speeds of up to 40Gb/per second of data transfer.
- Thunderbolt 4: It is the new version of Thunderbolt 3. Although the transfer speeds are maintained, we have more room to connect more accessories simultaneously.
Once we have seen the maximum speeds that each system reaches, we are going to see which Apple devices have USB type C, along with the maximum speeds that they are capable of achieving.
Apple devices have USB-C and Thunderbolt
Next we are going to see the Apple products that have a USB type C connection, Thunderbolt, or both:
- iPhone 15: USB type C. USB2 speed
- iPhone 15 Plus: USB Type C. USB2 Speed
- iPhone 15 Pro: USB Type C. USB3 Speed
- iPhone 15 Pro Max: USB Type C. USB3 Speed
- 12.9-inch iPad Pro: USB Type C. Thunderbolt4 speed
- 11-inch iPad Pro: USB Type C. Thunderbolt4 speed.
- iPad Air: USB type C. USB 3.1 speed
- iPad 10th generation: USB Type C. USB2 speed
- iPad mini: USB type. USB 3.1 speed up to 5Gb/second
- 13-inch MacBook Pro: USB Type C. Thunderbolt 3 speed
- 14-inch MacBook Pro: USB Type C. Thunderbolt 4 speed
- 16-inch MacBook Pro: USB Type C. Thunderbolt 4 speed
- 13-inch MacBook Air M2: USB Type C. Thunderbolt 3 speed
- 15-inch MacBook Air M2: USB Type C. Thunderbolt 3 speed
- 13-inch MacBook Air M1: USB Type C. Thunderbolt 3 speed
- 24-inch iMac: USB Type C. Thunderbolt 3 speed.
- iMac 24-inch top configuration: USB Type C. Two Thunderbolt 3 ports and two USB3 ports
- Mac mini: USB type C. Thunderbolt 4 speed
- Mac Studio: USB Type C. Thunderbolt 4 Speed