The new iPhone 13 lineup is the best yet, but does it support USB-C?
Wondering does the iPhone 13 have USB-C? Apple has released its lineup of 2021 iPhones and the models are pretty impressive. There’s the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini, which feature all-new colors, a faster A15 chip, and better battery life. Then there’s the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max, which feature all of the above, plus stunning camera improvements.
And of course, all iPhones run the latest iOS 15 operating system, which itself adds a ton of new software improvements. All iPhones also feature the MagSafe wireless charging technology Apple introduced with the iPhone 12 last year. And yep, all iPhones still have the Lightning port – though you CAN use the iPhone 13 with USB-C ports.
What Is iPhone Lightning Connector?
For as long as there have been smartphones, there have been connection ports on them. The first iPhone used the iPod’s Dock connector. Many Android smartphones started out using the micro-USB connector.
But the point is, all iPhones made to date have a connector of some kind. In 2012, Apple introduced a new kind of connector – the Lighting connector. This released the Dock connector on previous iPhones and had a number of advantages – the two biggest being that the Lighting connector was orientation agnostic (meaning you could plug it in either way) and that it was MUCH smaller than the Dock connector.
All iPhones introduced since 2012 use the Lighting connector to power the device and transfer data. However, newer iPhones also use wireless charging technology, including Apple’s MagSafe tech. But even these iPhones still have the Lightning connector port.
What Is USB-C?
USB-C is the latest iteration of the USB port, which has been around in some form of the other since 1996. USB has been the king of connection standards since then, enabling us to connect everything from mice to keyboards to external hard drives.
However, USB has progressed over the years, but until recently the USB plug has always had the same physical shape – so a USB 1.0 device could be plugged into a USB 2.0 port and vice versa.
But with USB-C, the plug’s shape physically changed. It was now much smaller and it was also orientation agnostic (its speeds were also greatly improved from the previous USB generation).
USB-C Vs Lightning Connector
USB-C is quickly becoming the default plug around the world. Most flagship Android smartphones use USB-C ports (although cheaper Android phones still often use micro-USB ports). USB-C is even used on the iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPad mini line of Apple tablets.
So how does USB-C compare to Lightning? USB-C is still a much larger port (physically) thank Lightning, so it takes up more space on the device. However, USB-C can transfer data at much faster speeds.
And given most iPads and all Macs now come with USB-C ports as standard, it’s likely Apple knows USB-C is the future.
Does The iPhone 13 Have USB-C?
No, the iPhone 13 series does not have USB-C. The iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max all feature a Lightning port. However, you can buy a Lightning-to-USB-C cable that lets you plug your iPhone 13 into a USB-C charger or port on a computer. While the iPhone 13 series does not have USB-C, it’s very likely the iPhone 14 series will.
And check out Does The iPhone 13 Have A Headphone Jack? Also, check out Does The Apple Watch Have USB-C? And Do Apple iPads Have USB-C? Also, What Is USB4 Version 2.0?
