Apple
phone
Shell + speed jump
Lightning → USB-C · 21x faster data
2021
iPhone 13 Pro
LightningApple Lightning (USB 2.0 data class)
Marketed as Lightning connector
2026
iPhone 16 Pro
USB-CUSB 3.2 Gen 2
Marketed as USB-C with USB 3 (up to 10Gb/s)
Flagship panels
Top 3 influence manufacturers, three products each. Start with the then-vs-now story, then open the 2021 or 2026 product panels.
Five-year flagship story
What actually changed on the primary port
Same three influencers (Apple, Samsung, Intel). One flagship per product class in each era. Read left to right: 2021 → 2026. Bars are scaled to today's 80 Gbps ceiling so hold vs jump is obvious.
7
Paired product classes
3
Jumps in shell or speed
4
Held the same peak speed
Phones: the everyday default
This is the port most people plug in every night. Apple finally left Lightning. Samsung was already on USB-C, and still ships the same 5 Gbps data class five years later.
Samsung
phone
Held steady
Still 5 Gbps primary · USB-C
2021
Galaxy S21 Ultra
USB-CUSB 3.2 Gen 1
Marketed as USB Type-C
2026
Galaxy S25 Ultra
USB-CUSB 3.2 Gen 1
Marketed as USB Type-C
Pro laptops: who raised the ceiling
Premium notebooks set what docks and cables need to support. Apple moved the high-end bar to Thunderbolt 5 / 80 Gbps. Samsung stayed on Thunderbolt 4 class, often with USB-A still on the chassis.
Apple
laptop
2x faster data
40 Gbps → 80 Gbps on the same shell family
2021
MacBook Pro 14-inch / 16-inch (M1 Pro or M1 Max)
USB-CUSB4
Marketed as Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C)
2026
MacBook Pro 16-inch (M5 Pro or M5 Max)
USB-CUSB4 Version 2.0
Marketed as Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C)
Samsung
laptop
Held steady
Still 40 Gbps primary · USB-C
2021
Galaxy Book Pro 360 (2021)
USB-CUSB4
Marketed as Thunderbolt 4
2026
Galaxy Book5 Pro
USB-CUSB4
Marketed as Thunderbolt 4
Tablets: continuity more than revolution
iPad Pro was already Thunderbolt / USB4 in 2021. Samsung tablets stayed on SuperSpeed USB-C. The five-year tablet story is hold, not leap.
Apple
tablet
Held steady
Still 40 Gbps primary · USB-C
2021
iPad Pro 11-inch / 12.9-inch (M1, 2021)
USB-CUSB4
Marketed as Thunderbolt / USB 4
2026
iPad Pro (M5)
USB-CUSB4
Marketed as Thunderbolt / USB 4
Samsung
tablet
Held steady
Still 5 Gbps primary · USB-C
2021
Galaxy Tab S7+
USB-CUSB 3.2 Gen 1
Marketed as USB Type-C
2026
Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra
USB-CUSB 3.2 Gen 1
Marketed as USB Type-C
Platform silicon: the new host ceiling
Intel defines what OEMs can put on a board. 2021 was Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 at 40 Gbps. The current panel adds Thunderbolt 5 / USB4 v2 at 80 Gbps as the new top, while TB4 remains the common integrated path.
Intel
platform
2x faster data
40 Gbps → 80 Gbps on the same shell family
2021
11th Gen Intel Core H-series (Tiger Lake-H)
USB-CUSB4
Marketed as Thunderbolt 4 / USB4
2026
Thunderbolt 5 (Barlow Ridge / host standard)
USB-CUSB4 Version 2.0
Marketed as Thunderbolt 5