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iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Limited to USB 2

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The new iPhone Air is limited to USB 2 transfer speeds and it does not support faster USB 3 transfer speeds like the iPhone 17 Pro models. Apple also didn't update the USB port that it's using for the iPhone 17, so USB 3 continues to be a Pro-only feature.

iphone air all colors
With USB 2 support, the ‌iPhone Air‌ and the ‌iPhone 17‌ support transfer speeds of up to 480Mb/s. The ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ and Pro Max support transfer speeds of up to 10Gb/s, like the iPhone 16 Pro models.

480Mb/s is the same transfer speed that Lightning offered, so the ‌iPhone Air‌ and ‌iPhone 17‌ models are still limited to the speeds of the now-outdated Lightning technology.

Apple did not make any changes to USB-C transfer speeds this year, and it is a bit of a disappointment to see the $999 ‌iPhone Air‌ limited to USB 2.

Related Roundups: iPhone 17, iPhone Air
Buyer's Guide: iPhone 17 (Neutral), iPhone Air (Neutral)
Related Forum: iPhone

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Top Rated Comments

vertsix Avatar
vertsix
9 months ago
Technology from April 2000 by the way.
Score: 51 Votes (Like | Disagree)
T
tylerthomas28
9 months ago
Unacceptable for a device of that price in 2025
Score: 47 Votes (Like | Disagree)
OliOliOliOli Avatar
OliOliOliOli
9 months ago
You remember when the Keynote was fun?
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ghostface147 Avatar
ghostface147
9 months ago

Who transfers files to the Mac? Only YouTubers I guess, that buys the Pro phone anyway
I do. Photos. I manage all photos on my Mac.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
M
MacMediaNet
9 months ago
USB 2 in 2025? Such a shame for that price...
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
F
filchermcurr
9 months ago

Who transfers files to the Mac? Only YouTubers I guess, that buys the Pro phone anyway
People who prefer encrypted local backups. People who have local media libraries. People who prefer to use actual computers to edit photos and videos. There are plenty of reasons non-YouTube people still transfer files.

Not everybody has the same workflow, requirements, knowledge, or budget. Some people may not be a "professional" and this phone is Good Enough(tm), but they still want to edit their photos and videos. Some people may not be able to afford to pay rent on Apple servers to store terabytes of data. Some people may worry about the privacy implications of trusting servers outside of their control with their static data. Everybody is different with different priorities. It's annoying to dismiss people because they don't do things the way you think they should be done. (Not specifically directed at you but all of the people in this thread who are dismissive of those who might want to do the seemingly inconceivable and plug a phone into a computer.)
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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