The iPad Pro USB-C Port Has One Big Problem

There are a lot of interesting aspects to the new iPad Pro, but one of the most interesting is perhaps Apple's decision to go for USB-C connectivity. With the new iPad Pro, Apple is ditching its familiar (and proprietary) Lightning port and going with USB-C instead, which is certainly much more standard across a wider variety of devices. For all of the benefits of this new USB-C port, there is one missing piece of functionality that might disappoint some users.

Apple tells us that the new iPad Pro doesn't support external storage over USB-C. That probably won't be a huge shock to some considering Apple's efforts with iCloud, but to others, the announcement of that USB-C port probably came with the expectation that iPad Pro would be able to transfer data to external storage devices.

So, if you're looking for extra capacity, your best bet is either buying a higher capacity iPad Pro or signing up for a larger iCloud subscription. You'll also, of course, be able to send things like photos and videos to your PC or Mac via iTunes, and if past iPhone and iPad accessories are any indication, we'll likely see some creative external storage solutions from third-parties as well. Whatever those are, however, they probably won't be as simple as connecting an external drive to your iPad Pro and moving content back and forth between the two.

Even without support for external drives, the USB-C port on the iPad Pro opens up a lot of possibilities that weren't so simple with Lightning devices. Apple said today that you'll be able to connect your iPad Pro to a variety of different devices – even multiple USB-C devices at once. You'll also be able to charge your iPhone by connecting it to your iPad Pro, which is a nice touch for people who are knee deep in the Apple ecosystem.

We'll learn more about just what that USB-C port is capable of as we spend more time with the new iPad Pro, but for now, head down to the comments section and let us know what you think of this issue – is the lack of support for external storage a disappointment?