Apple Announces New Dock Connector Called 'Lightning'

MacRumors · Sep 12, 2012, 12:44 PM

As predicted, Apple today announced that it is replacing the familiar 30-pin dock connector for its mobile devices with a new smaller one. The new connector bears the name "Lightning".

The new cable is described as an all-digital, 8-signal design with an adaptive interface, and improved durability. Users can use it in either orientation (reversible) and it's 80% smaller than the old dock connector.

Quote:

Making iPhone 5 thinner and lighter required a pivotal change: replacing the 30-pin connector with something newer, smaller, and better. Introducing the Lightning connector. It features an all-digital, eight-signal design that's significantly more durable than the 30-pin connector. Another brilliant feature of Lightning: It's reversible. Which means there's no wrong way to plug in the cable.

Apple will be providing an adapter for existing accessories and companies like Bose, JBL, B&W, and B&O are already working on the new connector. Apple's adapters include a direct plug adapter priced at $29 and one incorporating a short cable for $39.

Article Link: Apple Announces New Dock Connector Called 'Lightning'

charlieegan3 · Sep 12, 2012, 12:46 PM

don't normally wait till the end for a summary article?

ollyb · Sep 12, 2012, 12:46 PM

Usb3?

Codyak · Sep 12, 2012, 12:47 PM

Usb 3.0?

Cougarcat · Sep 12, 2012, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ollyb

Usb3?

Doubt it, they would've said.

Kind of strange to go to all that trouble and not make it faster.

george-brooks · Sep 12, 2012, 12:49 PM

Usb 3.0???

GodWhomIsMike · Sep 12, 2012, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cougarcat

Doubt it, they would've said.

Kind of strange to go to all that trouble and not make it faster.

Money!!!!

People were recycling their old cables for the last 8 or so years... moving forward they will need to either replace them all or buy an adapter. Guaranteed income for Apple and companies that make these cables and adapters as well.

By the way, is it me, or does the smaller pin looks woefully fragile as well?

Porco · Sep 12, 2012, 12:52 PM

Use enough of them together at once to provide 1.21 gigawatts of power, and the new iPhone shall travel in time. Great Scott!

parish · Sep 12, 2012, 12:59 PM

Cue Bohemian Rhapsody...

Thunderbolt and Lightning, very, very frightening ...

maril1111 · Sep 12, 2012, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cougarcat

Doubt it, they would've said.

Kind of strange to go to all that trouble and not make it faster.

no i don't think it is either... would be great though.

thejadedmonkey · Sep 12, 2012, 01:41 PM

USB? Thunderbolt? It seems odd to introduce a new cable and leave out one end.

davidwarren · Sep 12, 2012, 01:55 PM

I read "adaptive interface" as possibly releasing USB and thunderbolt versions.

tonyr6 · Sep 12, 2012, 02:02 PM

Lightning sounds like a lawsuit is coming as I am sure someone will think that word is copyrighted.

Anyway I do like the new dock connector. I like the fact that I can plug it in either way so it is great to plug in and not have to worry about it not fitting unlike USB which only plugs in one way.

nippyjun · Sep 12, 2012, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ollyb

Usb3?

thunderbolt version would be great.

milo · Sep 12, 2012, 02:03 PM

I'm not crazy about having to worry about adapters (although I guess I only need one for one piece of gear), but I have to say I think it's pretty cool the connector is reversible. I wonder how many new connectors will be that way in the future.

appleguy123 · Sep 12, 2012, 02:04 PM

Why on earth didn't they make it compatible with thunderbolt? Not only would it be great marketing, thunder meets lightning, but it would make the syncing required with a phone upgrade much less of a headache.

Plus, I won't lie, I've been waiting to test that port on my MacBook Air out!

coolspot18 · Sep 12, 2012, 02:04 PM

"All digital connector"... So why not USB?!

All the old arguments of analog video/sound output are now null and void...

appleguy123 · Sep 12, 2012, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GodWhomIsMike

Money!!!!

People were recycling their old cables for the last 8 or so years... moving forward they will need to either replace them all or buy an adapter. Guaranteed income for Apple and companies that make these cables and adapters as well.

By the way, is it me, or does the smaller pin looks woefully fragile as well?

Apple said that it was more durable, but I'll be waiting for real-world tests.

jav6454 · Sep 12, 2012, 02:05 PM

Has to be USB 3 or Thunderbolt backed... potherwise, why name it Lightning?

farleysmaster · Sep 12, 2012, 02:06 PM

And why can't it be generic micro-usb?

milo · Sep 12, 2012, 02:07 PM

So will there be a cable for video out? I assume the adapter won't work to go to current ipod video out cables?

BmoreDrumGuy · Sep 12, 2012, 02:07 PM

$29 price tag? Yikes. Not horrible, but more than what I was hoping for.

http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD...30-pin-adapter

fun173 · Sep 12, 2012, 02:08 PM

Not going to lie, this made me lol

nickn · Sep 12, 2012, 02:09 PM

Changing $29 for a phone adapter is indeed revolutionary. No company has ever tried to extort that much money from their customers before.

alexgowers · Sep 12, 2012, 02:10 PM

So disappointed at the black version, looks like a black brick!

Why oh why go with anodised black metal as the band!

I would have preferred polished silver so so so so so much more.

The white one it will be for me considering.

Sep 12, 2012, 12:49 PM	#6
george-brooks macrumors 6502a Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: New York, NY	Usb 3.0??? __________________ Mac Pro 3,1: 8 Core 2.8 GHz\|16GB\|Radeon 5870\|2TB+120GB SSD MacBook Pro 8,2: 2.5 GHz i7\|16GB\|750GB+240GB SSD iPhone 5, iPad 4, 11" Macbook Air, 12" Powerbook G4
	2

Sep 12, 2012, 12:52 PM	#8
Porco macrumors 65816 Join Date: Mar 2005	Use enough of them together at once to provide 1.21 gigawatts of power, and the new iPhone shall travel in time. Great Scott! __________________ I really wish Apple would use the option key a little more, and the command key a little less. --- Sent from my magical iPowerMacBookG5PadPhonePod 50inch AppleTV Extreme Pro ---
	4

Sep 12, 2012, 01:41 PM	#11
thejadedmonkey macrumors 604 Join Date: May 2005 Location: Pa	USB? Thunderbolt? It seems odd to introduce a new cable and leave out one end. __________________ MacBook Air • 17" MacBook Pro • iPod Nano • Apple TV Custom Windows 7 Desktop • Surface RT • WP7 "Good judgment comes from experience, experience comes from bad judgment." - Mulla Nasrudin
	0

Sep 12, 2012, 02:04 PM	#16
appleguy123 macrumors 603 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: 15 minutes in the future	Why on earth didn't they make it compatible with thunderbolt? Not only would it be great marketing, thunder meets lightning, but it would make the syncing required with a phone upgrade much less of a headache. Plus, I won't lie, I've been waiting to test that port on my MacBook Air out! __________________ [Steve Jobs was] brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it. -Barack Obama
	2

Sep 12, 2012, 02:05 PM	#19
jav6454 macrumors G5 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: 1 Geostationary Tower Plaza	Has to be USB 3 or Thunderbolt backed... potherwise, why name it Lightning? __________________ Al MacBook 2.4GHz Late '08 \| Macross Click Me
	2

Sep 12, 2012, 12:46 PM	#2
charlieegan3 macrumors 68020 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: U.K	don't normally wait till the end for a summary article?
	1

Sep 12, 2012, 12:46 PM	#3
ollyb macrumors member Join Date: Jun 2011	Usb3?
	2

Sep 12, 2012, 12:47 PM	#4
Codyak macrumors regular Join Date: Apr 2012	Usb 3.0?
	3

Sep 12, 2012, 12:59 PM	#9
parish macrumors 6502a Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Wilts., UK	Cue Bohemian Rhapsody... Thunderbolt and Lightning, very, very frightening ...
	18

Sep 12, 2012, 01:55 PM	#12
davidwarren macrumors 6502a Join Date: Aug 2007	I read "adaptive interface" as possibly releasing USB and thunderbolt versions.
	5

Sep 12, 2012, 02:02 PM	#13
tonyr6 macrumors regular Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Brooklyn NY	Lightning sounds like a lawsuit is coming as I am sure someone will think that word is copyrighted. Anyway I do like the new dock connector. I like the fact that I can plug it in either way so it is great to plug in and not have to worry about it not fitting unlike USB which only plugs in one way.
	0

Sep 12, 2012, 02:03 PM	#15
milo macrumors 603 Join Date: Sep 2003	I'm not crazy about having to worry about adapters (although I guess I only need one for one piece of gear), but I have to say I think it's pretty cool the connector is reversible. I wonder how many new connectors will be that way in the future.
	1

Sep 12, 2012, 02:04 PM	#17
coolspot18 macrumors 6502a Join Date: Aug 2010	"All digital connector"... So why not USB?! All the old arguments of analog video/sound output are now null and void...
	1

Sep 12, 2012, 02:06 PM	#20
farleysmaster macrumors 6502a Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Edinburgh, Scotland	And why can't it be generic micro-usb?
	2

Sep 12, 2012, 02:07 PM	#21
milo macrumors 603 Join Date: Sep 2003	So will there be a cable for video out? I assume the adapter won't work to go to current ipod video out cables?
	0

Sep 12, 2012, 02:07 PM	#22
BmoreDrumGuy macrumors regular Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Baltimore, MD	$29 price tag? Yikes. Not horrible, but more than what I was hoping for. http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD...30-pin-adapter
	2

Sep 12, 2012, 02:08 PM	#23
fun173 macrumors Demi-God Join Date: Mar 2009	Not going to lie, this made me lol Attached Images __________________ Happy New Year!! Now, buy my apps
	5

Sep 12, 2012, 02:09 PM	#24
nickn macrumors 6502 Join Date: Jun 2011	Changing $29 for a phone adapter is indeed revolutionary. No company has ever tried to extort that much money from their customers before.
	31

Sep 12, 2012, 02:10 PM	#25
alexgowers macrumors regular Join Date: Jun 2012	So disappointed at the black version, looks like a black brick! Why oh why go with anodised black metal as the band! I would have preferred polished silver so so so so so much more. The white one it will be for me considering.
	0

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