The new iPhone 15 series will replace the Lightning connector with USB-C. ChargerLAB, a publication that specializes in charging technology, has obtained exclusive photos of the new port and found that it includes a Retimer chip
Image source: ChargerLAB
This chip is often used in Thunderbolt-enabled devices to reconstruct signals and reduce signal jitter. This suggests that the new iPhones will support Thunderbolt.
However, ChargerLAB also clarifies that Thunderbolt support may be limited to the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models. This would be a significant improvement over the current Lightning port, which only supports USB 2.0 speeds of up to 480 Mbps. Thunderbolt can go up to 40 Gbps, which is 100 times faster. It also supports higher power input and output, so faster charging could also be possible.
The addition of Thunderbolt support to the iPhone 15 would be a major upgrade for users who need to transfer large files or charge their devices quickly.