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I’m with you - it’s heading in an interesting and potentially useful direction. However, if I needed to carry a small keyboard with me to make my iPhone useable for tapping in meeting notes etc, then I might as well just take an iPad, space-wise. Then I get the pencil support too. Still, that’s another thing the phone already ought to support…..

I know this is anecdotal and just my case, but I do often have a screen, keyboard and mouse on the other end. So yes, it would still limit doing things in meetings, but I might be able to pull off most of the stuff anyway. And I'd just leave all the bags home on day trips.
 
Would love to see an iPhone equivalent of Dex using stage manager!

For example: the iPhone is plugged into the monitor via USB-C where it the iPhone turns into a large trackpad. Add a Bluetooth keyboard for user input and AirPods for audio.

It’s doesn’t need to be a fully fledged system like macOS but enough for the essentials ie web browsing, mail and other inbuilt Apple apps.
 
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I'm really curious how this is going to work. I already have a USB-C to HDMI Adapter for my 2018 iPad Pro and my MacBook. Would be really neat if it also works with the new iPhone.

Apple engineers (or maybe management) have this weird obsession that everything needs to be a) wireless and b) proprietary apple tech. This is why we had AirPlay, AirDrop for years, but not the very versatile USB-C port with video, audio, storage capabilities.

I'm glad they finally caved. But I hate it that they dragged their feet so long and then released the half assed USB 2 support for the poor man's iPhone.
 
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I already mentioned that point: the Stage Manager interface is native to the iPad. Implementing a totally different interface when you connect an external display is a big problem. And few people find use cases where it’s useful to connect a tablet to an external display, so imagine what would happen with a phone.
I know you mentioned it but I disagree with the premise. There’s no need for a “totally different interface”. Stage manager already works with external displays on iPad. Do this, but on iPhone when docked to an external display, webcam, keyboard, and mouse/trackpad. I’m sure Apple with their teams of talented engineers, UI designers and pile of cash could figure out the details of how to make this work. It’s hardly Vision Pro.

I also don’t see any evidence that few people have use cases for this. There are a lot of people on this thread saying that they want this. I know that for me personally, with the work I do, this could completely replace my MacBook. I know that for a lot of my work colleagues it’s the same story.

There’s no point looking at DeX and its current usage. There were mp3 players before the iPod, smartphones before the iPhone. Apple didn’t look at the small number of people using these and decide that there are few use cases.
 
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But I hate it that they dragged their feet so long and then released the half assed USB 2 support for the poor man's iPhone.
They didn't half-ass it. The A16 has a USB 2.0 controller. They're working with what they've got. Otherwise they would have had to develop two new SoCs this generation, both with USB 3.0. Next year the A17 architecture will trickle down to the iPhone 16, as the A16 did from the 14 Pro to the 15. At that point, all iPhone 16s will have at least USB 3.0. Maybe the A18 has Thunderbolt integrated, who knows?
 
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I already have a USB-C to HDMI Adapter for my 2018 iPad Pro and my MacBook. Would be really neat if it also works with the new iPhone.
I don't know which adapter you have, but the "USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter" from Apple (https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MUF82AM/A/usb-c-digital-av-multiport-adapter) specifically says 4k 60hz is possible across all iPhone 15s.

It makes sense, since the USB-C spec incorporates DisplayPort output directly via the pinout, so all this thing would be doing is taking the DisplayPort signal from the USB-C Port and converting it to HDMI
 
COD and Genshin impact are examples are very good mobile games. I played them using my Xbox controller and the experience is fantastic and console-like. Connecting to a screen would be fun for casual gamers.

Mhh. that actually makes sense. I haven't played on my phone for a while but I plan to get the 15 Pro (and retire my iPhone 8!) and that would actually make for some interesting use. Hook it to my 55" tv and play with the PS controller.

It's just too bad you can't do the same with streaming services and maybe watch your movies in a hotel room tv, or at a friend's house that do not a have a subscription...
 
The A16 has a USB 2.0 controller. They're working with what they've got.

I understand that the A16 has that limitation and that they did not want to change the SOC for the iPhone 15. But that is exactly what I call half-assed. The USB-C spec was finalized in August 2014. They had plenty of time to incorporate this into their roadmap for the SOC and to make the transition more smooth.

My guess is they never wanted to have USB-C on the iPhone, because wireless is so much more "elegant". It's elegant in theory, but in practice it is less reliable.
 
It makes sense, since the USB-C spec incorporates DisplayPort output directly via the pinout, so all this thing would be doing is taking the DisplayPort signal from the USB-C Port and converting it to HDMI
I'm pretty confident it will work. It's a cheap adaptor for ca. 10 bucks. But it works flawlessly on my iPad and my Macbook, so why should it not work with the iPhone 15 if it really supports standard compliant Display Port over USB-C. It's fairly simple and proven tech.
 
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The new iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max all support DisplayPort for up to 4K HDR video mirroring and video output to an external display or TV, according to Apple's tech specs for the devices.

iPhone-15-USB-C-Port-Keynote.jpeg

DisplayPort support is built into the USB-C port on all iPhone 15 models, meaning that the devices can output video at up to 4K/60Hz natively to a DisplayPort-equipped external display or TV with a supported USB-C to DisplayPort cable. Alternatively, you can use Apple's $69 USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter to mirror video from any iPhone 15 to an HDMI-equipped TV or display at up to 4K/60Hz, but HDR is not supported this way.

On previous iPhones with a Lightning port, video mirroring is limited to 1080p with Apple's Lightning-to-HDMI or Lightning-to-VGA adapters.

Unfortunately for fans of the Stage Manager feature on select iPad models, the iPhone does not yet offer an extended display mode.

Article Link: All iPhone 15 Models Support DisplayPort for Up to 4K HDR Video Output to External Display
I was using this feature with Samsung Galaxy 9 in 2018. It was a technical feat but it wore off rather soon due to the fact I have a PC always available
 
I understand that the A16 has that limitation and that they did not want to change the SOC for the iPhone 15. But that is exactly what I call half-assed. The USB-C spec was finalized in August 2014. They had plenty of time to incorporate this into their roadmap for the SOC and to make the transition more smooth.
...but the iPhone 15 Pro does have USB 3 - and that's the one Apple is pitching at more serious photographers and video makers, who might actually want to regularly transfer huge files, or store them to a portable SSD.

It's really just product differentiation. Realistically, the majority of people choosing the "second-tier" iPhone are only ever going to use the socket to charge since, otherwise, using wireless to transfer casual photos, sync music (if people do that any more) etc. is more convenient.

Not giving Apple a total free pass here - one thing that puts me off the iPhone is the way that only the top-end flagship model is ever properly up-to-date - next tier below that usually has the last generation processor, below that you're talking about a choice between last year's or the year before's phone, and the only true "economy" option - the SE - waits 2-3 years between updates. Essentially, if you don't want to spend $1000 on a phone, its "new old stock".
 
Will airplay support 4k or HDR? It's weird when you share your photos to a TV but they're low resolution and low bit rate.
 
Years ago when Apple first started putting USB-C plugs on Macs, there was an issue where a Mac could not be connected to an Apple DisplayPort monitor using Apple's own USB-C to DisplayPort adapter, because there are two different ways for DP to be carried and the adapter didn't use the same type as the monitor. There's Alt Mode, but there's something else and the name slips my mind at the moment.

I've since been able to use a third-party USB-C mini-dock with DP output to connect to my Apple DP monitor with no problems, so it only takes a different adapter to make things work in that scenario, but when talking about iPhones (and iPads) and video output over the USB-C connection, does anyone know which format is going out on the wire, whether choice of adapter still matters, and/or if this was only ever an issue for the Apple DP monitor?
 
I don’t see anything about 4K DisplayPort on the standard iPhone 15 tech spec page. Only the Pro page specifically mentions that.

Where are we confirming from Apple that the non-Pro models can handle 4K60 display out?
 
Realistically, the majority of people choosing the "second-tier" iPhone are only ever going to use the socket to charge since, otherwise, using wireless to transfer casual photos, sync music (if people do that any more) etc. is more convenient.
Realistically the majority of poeple ...

- are bad photographers and don't need better cameras
- don't use a lot of data, therefore don't need faster wireless like 5G or Wifi 6
- charge over night, therefore don't need fast charging for the battery

Sorry for the somewhat snarky reply 🙃.
 
I don’t see anything about 4K DisplayPort on the standard iPhone 15 tech spec page. Only the Pro page specifically mentions that.

Where are we confirming from Apple that the non-Pro models can handle 4K60 display out?
Check out the tech spec page under Charging and Expansion as well as Video Playback. It does not mention 4K at 60 Hz specifically though.
 
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I think that you do need all four lanes for 4K60 with an older DisplayPort 1.2 display, but newer 4K60 displays with DisplayPort 1.4 or DisplayPort 2.0 will work with just two lanes, as you said.
That's interesting. Need someone to test that.

I wonder what will happen when connected to a DP 1.2 Display.
 
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