I can't believe Apple still limits the iPhone 16 to embarrassingly low USB 2.0 speeds that are 24 years old.

What are you doing ?

Apple unveiled the new iPhone 16 as well as updated versions of the Apple Watch, Airpods and Apple Watch Pro in a livestream event held on Monday. As usual, the new iPhone and the more expensive Pro model both featured USB-C ports, just like last year. - or rather, ridiculous -- the standard iPhone has the same compromised port as last year. It can only transfer data at the speed of devices in 2000.

Apple finally switched to USB-C last year, replacing the Lightning connector in the iPhone that it had been using since 2012. USB-C is the universal connector most mobile devices (and laptops), have embraced over the past half-decade. Apple has been slowly adopting USB C for a while, first installing the ports in MacBooks, and iPad Pros. However, it's taken a long time to see the port make its way to the company's popular mobile devices. Apple's USB-C port on the iPhone 15 is a half-step. It runs at USB 2.0 speeds that are 23 years old. Only the iPhone 15 Pro has a system-on-a chip that contains a USB controller capable of handling 10 gigabit USB 3.0 Gen 2 speeds. is 20 times faster.

I assumed that the iPhone 16 would catch-up to the Pro model of last year, as Apple has a tradition of transferring features from the Pros down to the base phones a year after. But no. I was stunned for a moment when the iPhone 16 tech specs appeared on Apple's website. Here it is again: USB 2.0.

Apple decided to not prioritize a 21st-century USB controller for the iPhone 16 this year. It's possible that Apple didn't have the space, as it is promoting its new "Apple Intelligence AI" features this year. I humbly suggest it would have been smart to equip the new $800 phone with a USB spec that was more capable than what was used on the iPod circa 2002.

It's a particularly disappointing omission, considering that Apple's other products have all made the switch to high-speed USB. Apple announced Monday a minor update to the Airpords Max, which now do not use the Lightning cable. The Airpods Max remain unchanged and will cost $550 as they did in 2020. Apple's iPad models, including the Air, Mini, and regular iPad, have all received USB-C ports. However, only the base model iPad has USB 2.0 speed (480Mbps) due to its older chipset. The iPad Mini is USB 3.0 (50 Gbps) and the iPad Air is USB3.1 Gen 2 (10Gbps). The iPad Pro leads the pack with USB 4 (40Gbps). ).

Considering the plain jane iPad was last updated in October 2022, I have a feeling it'll be joining the Air with a modern chipset and a no-longer-embarrassing USB-C port very soon. The iPhone will have to wait another year.

The EU regulations were the main reason for the iPhone to adopt USB-C last year. (While I'm certain Apple planned the change, these regulations definitely gave it an extra push). I'm sure that the iPhone 16's USB spec is just a way to save money or space within the small phone body. But I can't help but feel it's a bit petty.

On principle, I cannot abide it. The cheapest Android smartphone you can buy will almost certainly support USB 3 speeds. But the richest company on the planet, making the world's most popular smartphone, cannot even reach the baseline speed we have been using for over a decade.

I don't think I need Apple's "AI Emoji" feature to express my feelings about that: