It took the iPhone an eternity to strike Lightning in favor of the common USB-C port. Now that it’s right here on all fashions, together with the low-end 16e, many customers nonetheless restrict its use to charging, overlooking the slew of different benefits it affords over Lightning. In case you’ve acquired an iPhone 15 or 16 mannequin, you possibly can increase the USB-C port’s performance past battery fill-ups, and we’ve acquired a couple of concepts to share.
1. Cost one other machine
Rival firms, like Samsung, have lengthy supported reverse wi-fi charging, letting customers flip their smartphones into transportable Qi pads. Nonetheless, it’s not all that sensible, forcing customers to flip over their telephones and rendering each unusable. With the iPhone 15 and newer fashions, Apple launched its personal model that works through the USB-C port.
Your iPhone can now ship as much as 4.5W of energy, letting you cost your AirPods, Apple Watch, or perhaps a pal’s Android cellphone. To take action, merely plug your USB-C cable into the iPhone and the opposite finish into the USB-C port on the opposite machine.
2. Improve your storage
Even with 128 GB as the usual, we’ve most likely all come throughout the iPhone’s full storage alert. Whereas information saved in iCloud can simply be offloaded from the native reminiscence, not all customers belief cloud storage. Luckily, the iPhone 15 and 16 help a variety of exterior storage units, together with USB sticks and exhausting drives. This makes it straightforward to unlock house by shifting giant information to a separate drive. To get began, join a suitable flash drive to your iPhone utilizing its USB-C port. You possibly can then view, handle, and switch information utilizing the built-in Information app.
One of many strong choices out there may be this tiny Samsung Sort-C Flash Drive, which helps common file transfers and real-time ProRes video storage. As a Professional unique, these with the highest-end iPhone 15 and 16 fashions can immediately document ProRes video to a suitable exterior storage machine. Given the appreciable dimension of uncooked footage, with the ability to write the info immediately onto a separate machine may also help you shoot for longer durations and keep away from filling up your iPhone’s reminiscence.
Your iPhone’s USB-C cable can do extra than simply cost your iPhone.
Foundry
3. Join a keyboard
Whereas iPads and Macs are higher suited to long-form typing, iPhones—particularly the near-7-inch Plus and Professional Max fashions—can nonetheless deal with productiveness duties successfully. To take advantage of the comparatively small display screen, although, it’s possible you’ll wish to pair it with a devoted keyboard. Luckily, iOS natively helps this via the USB-C port.
Most traditional keyboards ought to work along with your iPhone simply superb. Or if you wish to at all times have a keyboard with you, you possibly can go for a Clicks case, which connects to your USB-C port so it’s at all times prepared for a textual content or e mail.
4. Amplify your microphone
Within the period of TikTok, everyone seems to be a content material creator, so a high-quality microphone is a necessary instrument. Luckily, your iPhone’s USB-C port can help a variety of them, letting you pair your footage with crystal-clear high-quality audio. One dependable possibility is the Rode Wi-fi Micro, which makes use of your iPhone’s port whereas sustaining the comfort of wi-fi recording.
5. Add an SD card
Photographers and videographers love the helpful SD card slots on board the most recent MacBook Professional and Mac Studio, however that comfort doesn’t prolong to the machine that does most of your capturing. Luckily, that may be simply remedied with a wired SD card reader. Whereas newer cameras usually help wi-fi picture transfers through their respective companion apps, the method tends to be slower than the wired different. Apple’s USB-C to SD Card Reader connects to your iPhone via its charging port and will work with all related SD playing cards. You can even use this similar dongle along with your Mac or iPad when modifying on a bigger display screen.
With the fitting cable, you possibly can join your iPhone to any show.
Willis Lai / Foundry
6. Hook up an exterior show
In case you’re staying at a lodge that blocks wi-fi media casting, you could possibly mirror your iPhone’s display screen to the TV utilizing a wired resolution. Apple’s USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter transforms your iPhone’s charging port into an HDMI connector, permitting you to look at 4K content material on larger shows utilizing an everyday HDMI cable.
7. Plug in a sport controller
Due to the A17 and A18 chips, the newest Professional-tier iPhones can run some AAA video games. Notably, although, these titles sometimes want a controller, as contact controls don’t at all times supply one of the best gameplay in the event that they’re out there in any respect. Whereas Sony’s DualSense controller helps Bluetooth pairing, choosing the wired mode utilizing the iPhone’s USB-C port can reduce latency and improve general efficiency.
8. Connect with ethernet
Talking of gaming, the iPhone 15 and 16 fashions totally help ethernet dongles, permitting for quicker obtain and add speeds. Whereas Wi-Fi and 5G are enough for many customers, Ethernet can turn out to be useful when in search of an much more reliable connection. Belkin’s USB-C to Ethernet Adapter is without doubt one of the strong choices that’s assured to get the job achieved.
9. Do all of it
The most important detriment of the iPhone is that there’s only one port, however a USB hub may give you rather more. We suggest the Plugable 7-in-1 USB-C Hub Multiport Adapter, which can carry a headphone jack, USB-C charging, HDMI, an SD card reader, ethernet, and even a few USB-A ports for good measure. It’s not precisely small, but when you could use a number of ports directly, there’s no substitute.
Your iPhone’s USB-C port is a multi-purpose connector for shows, exhausting drives, and different equipment.
Connor Jewiss / Foundry
One port, many prospects
Whereas a few of these functionalities had been beforehand doable with Lightning iPhones, the shift to USB-C has drastically expanded the port’s capabilities. Now you can carry out a variety of desktop-class duties proper out of your smartphone, because of tethered equipment.
Maybe one of the best half is that the majority USB-C equipment you’ve been utilizing along with your iPad or Mac ought to work along with your iPhone 15 or 16—eliminating the necessity for Lightning-to-USB-C dongles. Whether or not Apple will introduce new USB-C upgrades with the iPhone 17 stays to be seen.