iPhone 15 USB-C Port May Support Thunderbolt / USB4 High Speed Data Transmission

The USB-C port on the iPhone 15 may support Thunderbolt / USB4 high speed 40Gbps data transmission, according to a new report from ChargerLab.

The site has spotted a mysterious IC on leaked images that purport to show the USB-C port component for Apple's next generation iPhone. It's believed this IC is a Retimer chip for Thunderbolt support.

In addition to the revelation of the iPhone 15's port design, a mysterious IC is faintly visible behind the USB-C female socket. Upon magnification, it becomes apparent that this IC is a Retimer chip. This suggests that multiple models within the iPhone 15 series will support Thunderbolt/USB4's high-speed 40Gbps data transmission. The Retimer chip primarily serves to reconstruct signals and reduce signal jitter. This chip, commonly found in ChargerLAB's disassembled Thunderbolt/USB4 high-speed devices, improves signal transmission stability for high-bandwidth data ports, enabling longer transmission distances.




Notably, the Retimer chip is present on the USB-C port components for all three leaked variants. This indicates that at least three of the iPhone 15 models could feature Thunderbolt support. Faster data transmission will be huge benefit to photographers and videographers, allowing them to offload photos and footage much faster than currently possible with Lightning.

Apple is expected to unveil its new iPhone models at a September 12th special event. Please download the iClarified app or follow iClarified on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and RSS for more updates.