Following the launch of the iPhone 15 series today, a few readers of our website have reached out to highlight that the devices support USB-C to Ethernet adapters, allowing for a wired internet connection with faster download speeds than Wi-Fi.
Apple confirmed this information in a support document last week, with USB to Ethernet adapters listed as compatible with iPhone 15 models. When an iPhone is connected to an Ethernet cable, an otherwise hidden Ethernet menu appears in the Settings app with IP-related information and various configuration options.
One reader informed us that their iPhone 15 Pro connected to Ethernet achieved a peak download speed of over 800 Mbps in a speed test.
While this is one of the various clever ways that the USB-C port on the iPhone 15 models can be used, it should be known that previous iPhones with the Lightning connector also supported Ethernet with an adapter. Nevertheless, we have decided to highlight this information as a helpful tip since it is getting attention.
All four iPhone 15 models launched today in the U.S. and more than 40 other countries.
Tuesday January 7, 2025 11:12 am PST by Joe Rossignol
A new iPhone SE and an iPad 11 might be coming very soon.
In late December, a private account on X with a track record of leaking accurate iOS-related information said devices codenamed "V59" and "J481" will be released alongside iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has previously reported that "V59" is a new iPhone SE, and that "J481" is a new entry-level iPad.
iOS 15.3, iOS ...
Wednesday January 8, 2025 6:18 am PST by Joe Rossignol
It was recently reported that new Apple TV and new HomePod mini models will launch this year, and the devices are expected to have one thing in common.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last month reported that the new Apple TV and the new HomePod mini will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip. Gurman said the chip supports Wi-Fi 6E, so that could end up being a key upgrade...
Monday January 6, 2025 10:07 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple today released iOS 18.2.1 and iPadOS 18.2.1, minor updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems. iOS 18.2.1 and iPadOS 18.2.1 come almost a month after Apple released iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2.
The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
According to Apple's release notes, iOS 18.2.1...
Tuesday January 7, 2025 8:15 am PST by Joe Rossignol
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.
iPhone 17 Pro concept based on rumors
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of January 2025:
More aluminum: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models ...
Monday January 6, 2025 2:56 am PST by Tim Hardwick
The design of this year's next-generation iPhone 17 will allegedly feature a smoother transition between the edges of the camera bump and the back cover, owing to Apple's use of a new glass-and-metal splicing material process. That's according to the Weibo-based leaker Fixed Focus Digital.
In a post on Monday, the Chinese leaker claimed that suppliers say the iPhone 17 is adopting a...
Tuesday January 7, 2025 3:56 am PST by Tim Hardwick
LG has shown off a new Ultrafine 6K monitor at CES 2025. The 32-inch display is the first of its kind to support Thunderbolt 5, which Apple introduced late last year with the launch of new Mac mini and MacBook Pro models powered by M4 Pro chips.
Details are scant, but we do know that the LG UltraFine 6K monitor (model 32U990A) features a Nano IPS Black panel, delivering a wide color gamut...
Apple plans to release at least three iOS versions before the end of April, including iOS 18.2.1, iOS 18.3, and iOS 18.4.
Below, we outline what to expect from each of these updates.
iOS 18.2.1
Update: Apple has released iOS 18.2.1 with "important bug fixes."
Last month, we reported that Apple has been internally testing iOS 18.2.1, which is expected to have a build number of 22C161....
Friday January 3, 2025 11:58 am PST by Joe Rossignol
iOS 18.3 is currently in beta for developers and public beta testers. So far, the upcoming iPhone software update is very minor in scope.
Below, we outline what is new in iOS 18.3 so far.
The only potential new feature coming to iPhones with iOS 18.3 so far is robot vacuum support in the Home app, but this functionality is not yet live. Apple is laying the groundwork for the feature,...
Apple's first-generation Vision Pro headset may have now ceased production, following reports of reduced demand and production cuts earlier in the year.
In October, The Information's Wayne Ma reported that Apple had abruptly reduced production of the Vision Pro headset ahead of potential plans to stop making the current version of the device completely by the end of 2024. With the year now...
MacRumors, I'd love to see some speed tests of iPhone 15 vs. iPhone 15 Pro. According to your article, the non-Pro is exceeding the 480 Mbps speed limit of the USB 2 spec.
> it should be known that previous iPhones with the Lightning connector also supported Ethernet with an adapter.
The interesting thing is that technically previous iPhones supported a lot of different devices with an adapter. Ethernet interfaces, USB thumbdrives, audio interfaces, keyboards, etc. all could theoretically work, using the iPhone to USB camera adapter.
The problem was that nearly every device, even stuff that draws very little power like thumbdrives, would produce a "this device requires too much power" dialog and wouldn't work. So the feature wasn't all that useful. It was an artificial limitation too; the phone would ask the device how much power it needs, then fail to work if it asked for even 100mA. I was able to bypass it by using a small unpowered USB hub I have that "pretended" to be a powered hub, and all my thumbdrives worked just fine with it.
It looks like Apple has corrected this finally with USB-C, allowing a full amp to be drawn from the port without a problem. The old power restriction made no sense, either; lightning could support plenty of current for charging; why couldn't it power a lousy thumbdrive?
