The latest iPhone 15 Pro rumor puts it one step closer to being an iPad

We’ve heard from multiple sources that every model in Apple’s upcoming iPhone 15 line will use USB-C charging ports instead of Lightning ports, but the latest intelligence suggests that the iPhone 15 Pro (and presumably the iPhone 15 Ultra) will have two important port-related advantages over its vanilla sibling.

For starters, the iPhone 15 Pro will reportedly support Thunderbolt 3 data transfer speeds in addition to USB-C 3.2 data transfer speeds, where the standard iPhone 15 will only support the latter. Thunderbolt 3 speeds can reach 40Gbps, where USB-C 3.2 speeds top out at 20Gbps, meaning the iPhone 15 Pro will be able to transfer files at a much faster rate.

What’s more, serial Apple leaker @analyst941 has now claimed the iPhone 15 Pro’s Thunderbolt 3 version of USB-C will also make the upcoming device compatible with 4K monitors, meaning you’ll be able to display certain types of content on a separate screen – as you can with the best iPads – without needing to invest in expensive adapter accessories.

As @analyst941 writes: “[the iPhone 15 Pro will use] a new cinematography feature that will allow live 4K Thunderbolt outputs to monitors while recording. Essentially, you’ll have the phone with all the camera controls, connected to a monitor displaying live 4K camera footage without any controls; in 16:9.”

This feature will supposedly arrive with iOS 17, which is likely to be announced in June, but only the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Ultra – which are both expected to land in September – will be able to make use of the technology given their support for Thunderbolt 3.

It’s not yet clear whether Apple’s upcoming premium iPhones will allow you to share all types of content across multiple screens using the charging port alone – game and movie content, for instance, might still require AirPlay or an Apple TV.

At the very least, though, filmmakers, photographers, and other creatives look set to have the option of visualizing their subjects on larger, control-free monitors with the iPhone 15 Pro.

Naturally, it’s worth taking these new predictions with a pinch of salt, but given that @analyst941 was the leaker who first predicted that the Dynamic Island will be coming to every iPhone 15 model, we’re inclined to trust their sources.

For more iPhone 15 rumors, check out our analysis of the iPhone 15 Pro vs iPhone 14 Pro, as well as our look at the iPhone 15 Pro vs iPhone 15 Ultra.