It’s no secret at this point that the iPhone 15 series is widely expected to feature a USB-C connector instead of Lightning. Apple isn’t necessarily looking to replace the port at this point in iPhone’s history. But the European Union’s new laws will force the iPhone maker to abandon Lightning. Therefore, with reports saying Apple will conduct earlier than usual iPhone 15 production runs, it’s not surprising to get our first look at the iPhone 15 Pro’s USB-C connector in mid-February.
The following image comes from MacRumors. The blog received it from a leaker who goes by the name Unknownz21 on Twitter.
As with any other leak involving iPhones, there’s no way to verify the image at this point. We are looking at the bottom side of a device that could be the iPhone. The screws flanking the USB-C port and the speakers on either side of those screws do look familiar. That’s what you see when inspecting the bottom of any current iPhone.
The difference is, of course, that current iPhones all feature Lightning connectors.
All of Apple’s new iPads also feature USB-C connectors on the bottom, so an iPhone 15 Pro image like the one above is easy to fake.
That said, the image does show another rumored iPhone 15 design detail. The screen edges appear to be curvy rather than flat. Apple is also widely expected to change the iPhone design this year.
Apple re-introduced the flat sides with the iPhone 12 after using a similar design in the iPhone 4. All iPhone 13 and 14 models then used the same overall iPhone 12 design. The iPhone 15 should feature edges that are more curved, which should make it easier to handle.
Finally, if that’s an iPhone 15 Pro in the image above, then we might be looking at a different metal. Instead of stainless steel, Apple might use titanium on the iPhone 15 Pro models.
We’ll point out that all iPhone 15 models should offer USB-C connectivity. But only the Pros will feature higher transfer speeds. The base iPhone 15 and Plus will stay on the current USB speeds that are available on Lightning. The leaker who shared the image did say that Apple will transition to an E85 Port Controller from the E75 Lightning Controller for the USB-C connector.
