iPhone 14 Pro’s Lightning connection limited to USB 2.0 speeds, despite larger 48MP ProRaw Support

Apple has upgraded the rear camera array for both the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, supporting 48MP ProRAW photography. As such, the Pro modes are now able to capture detailed-rich photos albeit at much larger file sizes. However, despite files sitting at around 75MB each, iPhone 14 Pros are still using USB 2.0 transferring speeds.

The iPhone 14 Pro models have shipped and are in the hands of users. It’s now being confirmed that the Lightnin connector on the devices remains limited to USB 2.0 speeds. Without an upgrade, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are capped at speeds of around 480 Mbps. This is the same as previous models of the iPhone.

With this in mind, users expecting to transfer a full-resolution 48MP ProRaw photo from an iPhone 14 Pro to a Mac, PC, or other devices will be waiting quite some time. To perhaps mitigate some of the wait time, Apple does recommend using iCloud Photos to access ProRAW photos on another device. Alternatively, users may want to use AirDrop to wirelessly transfer those large files from their phones.

It’s worth noting that although iPhone 14 Pro is limited to USB 2.0, Apple has experimented with USB 3.0. The original iPhone Pro, which launched in 2015, supports USB 3.0. The use of the upgraded connector enables speeds of up to 5Gbps. It’s not currently known why Apple has chosen to not integrate USB 3.0 further into its products.

It’s also been reported that Apple may be transitioning away from its Lightning port to USB-C next year. Claims that the iPhone 15 could offer USB-C connectivity have persisted. If true, the new connector could offer speeds of up to 10Gbps or 40Gbps with the use of Thunderbolt 3.

Source: MacRumors