Your iPad uses the DisplayPort protocol to support connections to USB-C displays1 with these resolutions: Your iPad matches the frame rate and dynamic range of currently playing content when you turn on Allow Display Mode Changes.
Here’s How Fast USB-C Ports Are on iPads and Macs Ahead of iPhone 15
All four upcoming iPhone 15 models are widely expected to be equipped with a USB-C port instead of Lightning, but there may be speed differences across the lineup. Higher speeds allow for faster data transfer over a USB-C or Thunderbolt cable, such as when exporting photos from an iPhone to a Mac.
About the Apple Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) Cable
The Apple USB-C Charge Cable is longer (2m) and also supports charging, but data-transfer speed is limited to 480Mbps (USB 2.0) and it doesn’t support video.
Charge and connect with the USB-C port on your iPad
Your iPad uses the DisplayPort protocol to support connections to USB-C displays1 with these resolutions: Your iPad matches the frame rate and dynamic range of currently playing content when you turn on Allow Display Mode Changes.
USB-C for iPad Pro: Everything you need to know
Today we’ll find out what USB-C is, why it looks just like Thunderbolt, and what hubs you might want to buy. That’s because the USB-C spec calls for it to support additional functionality on top of its regular USB duties — Thunderbolt or DisplayPort, for example.
This means that you can plug a Thunderbolt peripheral into a USB-C port, and it won’t work. USB-C supports a lot more power than a Lightning cable — up to 100 watts. If you hook up a high-draw accessory, the iPad’s battery will possibly drain even faster than before. You can connect keyboards, audio interfaces, USB MIDI devices, Ethernet adapters, cameras and external storage (USB sticks and hard drives, but only for accessing photos and videos).
The new USB-C iPad Pro port doesn’t add anything in terms of compatibility with other USB devices — it just changes the way you connect them. While the new iPad Pro connector is called USB-C, the stuff going through the wire has its own spec.
The iPad Pro uses the latest USB 3.1 gen 2, which can transfer data at up to 10 Gbps. While this makes little difference for most things (USB 2.0 is more than fast enough for music, for example), it is important for driving external 4K displays, and for hooking up many accessories to the iPad at once. You can also only connect one accessory at a time, because the iPad Pro only has one USB-C port. Or take a look at our other, even bigger guide to the best USB-C accessories for Macs and iOS devices.
The beauty of a USB-C hub is that you can have a permanent workstation on your desk and dock the iPad to it. A hub could be connected to power, an audio interface and speakers, musical instruments, an external display, a USB keyboard and also provide an SD card reader.
What can you connect to the new iPad Pro with USB-C?
However, just because a device features a new port, it does not mean anything with a USB-C connector will suddenly work with the iPad Pro. There are still some limitations but USB-C makes it even easier to connect to external displays, cameras, and other accessories.
In fact, there are little asterisks and gotchas to be aware of for almost anything relating to the iPad Pro’s new USB-C. Let’s break it down.
The new iPad Pro can connect directly to USB-C displays, that communicate over the DisplayPort standard.
The iPad supports HDR10 output, so it can take full advantage of high-dynamic range displays where available, like the 27-inch LG 27UK850. For example, Keynote will show the live presentation on the external display and speaker’s notes on the iPad.
Even though the iPad does not support Thunderbolt, the cables are backwards compatible with the high-bandwidth USB-C. If you want to connect to a display that does not have a USB-C port, like HDMI, you will need to use some kind of dongle or adapter.
The USB-C port on the iPad Pro can power connected devices up to 7.5 W charging speeds. This is an operating system limitation that many expect Apple will address in a future software update, but it is not possible today. Plug it into the iPad Pro and insert an SD card and it will enable photos and video import. As USB is an open standard, you can find cheaper SD card USB-C dongles if Apple’s official offerings are too pricey.
iOS doesn’t let you install additional drivers but it has support for a surprising number of basic external devices that you would plug-and-play with a computer. If you have a USB-A keyboard, you can use a USB-C adapter and plug it in and the iPad should detect it and you can type away to your heart’s content. In some cases, the 7.5 watts the iPad outputs over the port will be enough to power smaller accessories, so all you need is a USB-C cable. As the finale, the USB-C bandwidth is high enough that you can drive multiple accessories at a time through the single port. The Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter is essentially a hub in itself, offering HDMI, power input, and a spare USB-A port for accessory connectivity. Dropping Lightning for USB-C opens up the iPad to a whole world of peripherals that can be connected directly.
Apple’s iPad Pro USB-C cable removes the E-Marker chip, reduces charging specs from 100W to 60W
Not long ago, Apple released the iPad Pro 2022, equipped with a USB-C braided charging cable (1 meter).
The Best USB-C Cables and Adapters
It’s 6.6 feet long, which is the perfect length to reach from an outlet to a bedside table or desk, though it also comes in a 3.3-foot version if you prefer a shorter cable.
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