Our full review of the iPad Pro covers a lot of ground, but there is one small item that escaped our notice. When iFixit tore the device apart, it found a USB 3.0 controller, and Apple has confirmed to us that the new iPad Pro will in fact support USB 3.0 transfer speeds over its Lightning port. USB 3.0 supports theoretical transfer speeds of up to 5Gbps, a little over 10 times faster than USB 2.0's 480Mbps.

But those faster transfer speeds will cost you. The Lightning cable that ships with the iPad Pro is a standard USB 2.0-speed cable, and you'll need to purchase USB 3.0 cables separately when they're released at some undisclosed point in the future. The cables may be physically different from the current USB 2.0 models, which don't appear to have enough pins to support the USB 3.0 specification.

Over the years, Apple has been making it easier and faster to transfer files between iDevices and Macs with things like iTunes Wi-Fi syncing and AirDrop, but especially for those who frequently transfer large files (like 4K videos) to and from their iPhones, the possibility of USB 3 speeds for future products in the lineup is welcome. Apple may choose to build a USB 3.0-compatible controller into a hypothetical next-generation A10 SoC to avoid the need for an additional controller, making it easier to fit into smaller devices.