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Apple could offer Thunderbolt cable for iPhone 15 Pro as separate purchase

iPhone 15 Pro could have a Thunderbolt port


On the heels of news that Apple could ship a USB 2.0 cable with iPhone 15 Pro, a new rumor suggests Apple may offer a small Thunderbolt cable as a separate purchase option.

Apple is only weeks away from announcing the iPhone 15 lineup, and rumors are pouring in about what the USB-C port might mean for the products. It isn't clear exactly what standard Apple will use for the port, but it seems the company has at least considered Thunderbolt for pro iPhones.

According to a leaker known as @KosutamiSan on X, Apple could sell a short 0.8-meter cable rated at USB 4 Gen 2 as an optional accessory for iPhone 15 Pro. This cable differs from Apple's existing Thunderbolt cable options and can produce 150W of output.

Note we've said 150W while the original X post says 120W. Kosutami shared this correction and is the actual rating of the pictured cable.

These specs don't necessarily mean iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will be capable of charging at 150W or transferring data at Thunderbolt speeds. However, it does mean Apple could call the port Thunderbolt or USB 4 and offer specs much higher than the existing Lightning port.

AppleInsider reached out to Kosutami to ask about this cable. They stressed that the Thunderbolt cable is something they've held on to since about February, so nothing is certain.

Something may have changed since this cable was created for testing, and Apple may have decided against Thunderbolt in iPhone 15 Pro. However, at the time, the cable was being tested as a separate accessory that would be sold as a "high-speed cable."

A rumor shared earlier on Thursday suggested iPhone 15 Pro would ship with a USB 2.0 cable meant just for charging. This disappointed some readers, but it has always been the case for iPhones.

Apple wants customers who care about charging or data transfer speeds to pay for a premium cable.

Kosutami isn't usually a future product leaker but has increasingly shared details about unreleased products. They've previously shared images of manufacturing test products called DVTs.

The iPhone 15 Pro is expected to be announced in mid-September during a streamed Apple Event. It is rumored to have titanium sides, USB-C, and a periscope camera.