For one, USB C is present on all iPhone 15 models, but only the Pro variants actually make use of it and unlock USB 3 speeds. Secondly, even the expensive Pro models don’t come with a USB 3 cable in the box — you need to shell out extra for that!
But of course, we have to ask the question — will all USB 3 cables work the same? Are there some hidden shenanigans?
So, we bought the $70 Apple Thunderbolt 4 (1 m) cable and a $15 USB 3 cable from Amazon. Is there any difference?
Apple Thunderbolt cable, $15 USB 3 cable, stock iPhone 15 cable (Image credit – PhoneArena)
As you can see, a USB 3 cable is quite chunky, especially compared to the stock iPhone 15 cable. Some have argued that this is one reason why Apple didn’t include them in the box with the Pros — that average users would prefer a thinner and lighter cable over that thick beast.
External SSD test
Hooking iPhone 15 Pro to external SSD (Image credit – PhoneArena)
The “cleanest” way to test USB speeds is to just use an external drive. Copying files to a computer (we will do that later) is encumbered by other factors, like the computer disk’s write speeds, other tasks in the background, controller throughput, insert more tech talk here.
For the purpose of this test, we recorded a 2 minute 4K ProRes video, which amounted to about 9.86 GB — just short of the 10 GB size we were aiming for.
| Cable used | File transfer time |
|---|---|
| Stock USB 3 cable that came with the SSD | 27 seconds |
| Apple Thunderbolt 4 cable – $70 | 27 seconds |
| Amazon USB 3 cable – $15 | 27 seconds |
| iPhone cable from the box | 4 minutes 5 seconds |
MacBook test
Transferring files to MacBook (Image credit – PhoneArena)
Of course, we also wanted to see how the cables affect computer transfers. Are you better off using AirDrop, or should you invest in a USB 3 cable? Here’s how fast the same file copied over to a MacBook Pro, with different cables:
| Cable used | File transfer time |
|---|---|
| Apple Thunderbolt 4 cable – $70 | 1 minute 6 seconds |
| Amazon USB 3 cable – $15 | 1 minute 9 seconds |
| iPhone cable from the box | 4 minutes 38 seconds |
So, again, as you can see — as long as you have any sort of USB 3 cable, you are good. No need to invest $70 in 1 meter (3.3 ft) of Apple wire — even if that Thunderbolt cable is quite pretty in its braided glory.
Conclusion
So, do you need a USB 3 cable? If you haven’t really felt the issues with Lightning and its slow speeds in the past, you are probably fine off without thinking too much about it. But we assume you had fun with the general knowledge conveyed in this article. Now, turning those numbers into a conversation starter — that’s not something we can help with.
So, just make sure the cable is good and durable, and plug and play!
