The iPhone 15 features plenty of notable upgrades, but one of the key changes is the shift to Type-C from the Lightning port. For the unaware, USB-C has been a technological standard that’s been included on nearly all mobile devices and computers — not to mention, many Apple products — for several years now. However, people are still dealing with drawers, travel bags and car consoles full of Lightning cables. If you’ve recently upgraded to the iPhone 15, you may need to upgrade to some new accessories.
Aside from USB-C charger upgrades, and other must-haves for a new iPhone (like a new case), there’s a sturdy collection of “nice to haves” (which could include new wireless speakers or headphones). Check out our top picks below to find USB-C accessories that are compatible with the iPhone 15.
Amazon customer sentiment
People who bought this charger rated it 4.8 out of 5 on average. Reviewers were happy with the fast charging speed and mentioned that its compact size and folding prongs make it convenient for travel.
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The iPhone 15 line is the first to have USB-C charger ports on the phone itself, but Apple has been shipping cables with USB-C on the power source end for the past couple of years. Still have an old-school wall adapter with a rectangular USB-A port? That’ll work with the addition of some cheap dongles (see below), but it might result in a slower charging speed. For the best experience, invest in a wall adapter with native USB-C ports with at least 20 watts of power or more. For under $20, we like the Anker 323, which offers a maximum of 33 watts of power and includes both USB-C and USB-A ports, for maximum flexibility. We charged an iPhone 14 Pro from zero to 57% in 30 minutes with this model; it should have no problem doing the same fast charging on the iPhone 15 series.
Pro upgrade: If you want an even more capable charger, step up to Anker’s 735 charger. It’s got an extra USB-C port and can handle charging up to 65 watts enough for most laptops.
Amazon customer sentiment
People who bought this charger rated it 4.8 out of 5 on average. Reviewers were happy with the fast charging speed and mentioned that its compact size and folding prongs make it convenient for travel.
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Pro upgrade: If you want a cable that’s fully rated for higher-wattage charging, faster data speeds and 8K video output, step up to the Anker 515 USB 4 cable instead.
Amazon customer sentiment
The Anker 333 USB-C cables have an Amazon rating of 4.7 out of 5. People love the convenience of the 10-inch length, the durability of the braided cable and the fast charging speed. A few reviewers noted that these cables aren’t ideal for fast data transfer, while a handful reported issues with using these adapters for iPhones. The latter could indicate this product doesn’t work with every car with Apple CarPlay onboard
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To be clear, your new iPhone 15 includes a 1-meter (3.3-foot) Apple USB-C cable in the box. You’ll want some extra cables for other rooms in the house, or for traveling. Most recent generic USB-C cables should suffice, but we like these Anker cables, which are braided for high durability and rated for up to 100 watts of charging power. Even better, Anker gives you a two-pack of 6-footers for $16. That beats the $19 that Apple charges for its 1-meter braided cable (presumably the same one that ships with the new iPhones), and the $29 the company chargers for its Lightning to USB-C adapter. (Do yourself a favor and buy these cables instead of that adapter.)
Pro upgrade: If you want a cable that’s fully rated for higher-wattage charging, faster data speeds and 8K video output, step up to the Anker 515 USB 4 cable instead.
Amazon customer sentiment
The Anker 333 USB-C cables have an Amazon rating of 4.7 out of 5. People love the convenience of the 10-inch length, the durability of the braided cable and the fast charging speed. A few reviewers noted that these cables aren’t ideal for fast data transfer, while a handful reported issues with using these adapters for iPhones. The latter could indicate this product doesn’t work with every car with Apple CarPlay onboard
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Adapters like this will let you plug a USB-C cable into a USB-A slot. (Your biggest challenge will be not losing them — just leave them plugged into the slots on your PC or chargers.) Note that these aren’t rated for bandwidth beyond USB 2.0, but they’re good for charging or data transfer in a pinch. For instance, we just used one to juice up an Apple Watch charger (with a USB-C plug) from a USB-A wall outlet during a recent hotel stay.
Amazon customer sentiment
These Syntech USB-C adapters have a rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars. These have been commended for their compact size, value and convenience over buying new charging blocks.
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