Apple Now Selling Lightning to Micro USB Adapter in the US

[emx620]

If I understood correctly, the micro-usb spec only allows for a maximum of 9W, which means our retina display iPads would not be able to charge at maximum rate? Can anyone comment on this or confirm if it is true?

[nsayer]

Lightning is superior to µUSB. Lightning is superior to the 30 pin dock connector.

Is the 30 pin connector reversible? No.

Can you get video over µUSB? No.
Can you get analog audio over µUSB? No.
Is µUSB reversible? No.

Now. You can argue whether those line items are significant or not, but they are factual.

In practice, I find the reversibility of the lightning connector to be a huge win. It's relatively difficult to see which side of either the dock connector or the µUSB connector is which. It is, of course, a non-issue for Lightning.

A friend of mine is legally blind. He has found the Lightning connector to be a relative godsend.

None of this negates the points that have been made about Apple having such tight control over the accessories market, but those who argue that there are not real, credible advantages to Apple's connector are ignoring reality.

[tasset]

I ordered a couple, as I wanted these to couple with retractable microusb cables for the vehicles. $19 isn't great, but I wanted enough to almost try the Chinese fakes or pay the extortionists on eBay for the real ones. Glad Apple came around to selling in the US.

[alexph]

Originally Posted by kuebby

I agree, but Apple has gotten kind of stingy with the accessories. Since this is the first generation of devices with Lightning connectors there should at least be a 30-pin adapter in the box, I think that's fair.

When I, and many others, placed their orders for the iP5, the Apple web site stated that a connector WAS included in the box. This was later deemed to have been a mistake and Apple relied on their web site terms and conditions to say that they were not responsible for errors.

With too much time on my hands, I challenged this, and initially got the usual brush off. However when I wrote them a letter stating that I was about to take them through the UK Small Claims Court, I received a telephone call and a nice £40 credit to my account - 'to cover my unsatisfactory Apple experience'

Anyone else who ordered the iP5 in the first few hours before Apple changed their site should demand a connector or the value back as a refund.

I agree that the connector should have been included, clearly Apple were intending to (they have the relevant web paged created and uploaded). Given that the connectors are still not shipping (or are in very small numbers), one wonders if that is the reason for the change of heart.

Nothwithstanding that, it does seem like a kick in the teeth for loyal Apple customers who have been forced to change adaptors and contribute to Apples every growing ocean of cash

[kas23]

It is foolish to buy one if these. In the long-run, it is more cost effective to just buy a lightening cable.

[Namjins]

Originally Posted by nagromme

Remember folks:

• The chip in there cost Apple nothing to develop.

• Then, once developed, it costs nothing to make.

• And the chip only exists because Apple wants to kill third-party accessory companies. Teardowns showing dynamic pin capabilities and other future-proofing are lies.

• And USB is FULLY as high-tech and future-proof and durable and easy-to-use as Lightning is. And the old 30-pin connector is just as good too. too. Lightning has no current or future benefits, so we should still be using 10-year-old tech.

• And nobody wants thinner devices or easier, reversible connections anyway. Apple just likes to ram thin and light down our throats.

• And nobody but Apple marks up cables and accessories. All other companies sell at cost.

• And cheap unshielded bootleg accessories are just as good as Apple-certified ones.

• And third-party Lightning accessories have been late to arrive, which is just as bad as never arriving. Waiting for them is simply not possible.

• And a USB cable with this little thing kept permanently on the end is not portable. Only a single bare USB cable is.

• And the Lightning synch/charge cable included in the box with every iPhone and iPad somehow doesn’t already do what most people need from a cable.

Have I summed up the insanity?

Do you honestly assume that everyone shares your points of view?

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On the upside, you could pick your USB cable length and get it at a decent price.

[davidg4781]

This might come in handy for me. I use the Apple Bumper on my 4S and had a very hard time finding a car adaptor that I could use with the small opening. I would also like to buy a longer USB cable for charging at home and in the car but they are hard to find with the small dock connector.

With this, I can but whatever microusb cable I want and still have no problems plugging it into my iPhone 5S (when I'm able to upgrade).

[mungo2k]

Weren't these supposed to be included in the box in the EU? I didn't get one...

[Ben Bernanke]

So remind me again why Apple doesn't just use the standard micro usb in the first place? Is it so they can rip off their loyal customers even more by selling them overpriced adapters?

[Archer1440]

Originally Posted by Namjins

Do you honestly assume that everyone shares your points of view?

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I bet he only assumes smart people do. The rest of you can persist with lame arguments about how evil all this is.

[Analog Kid]

I think Lightning is everything it should be. Maybe a little more expensive than it needs to be, but who's surprised? My only beef is that they didn't better coordinate release with accessory makers.

Originally Posted by lordofthereef

I will still question why they didn't adopt current tech which, with the exception of a reversible plug, can do everything that lightning can.

Can you name one? I can't. (Hint: USB cannot do everything Lightning can.)

Originally Posted by Neuro

Gosh, the HOURS I have spent foolishly trying to insert my USB cable the wrong way around, I mean, it's like such a drain on my life force!

Actually, USB and 30-pin dock connectors always wanting to align upside down is one of the more petty annoyances in my life. Fixing that is worth $20 to me when it comes down to it. Everything else Lightning does is just gravy.

Hopefully reversibility will become a newly expected feature of every new interconnect design.

Originally Posted by Namjins

Do you honestly assume that everyone shares your points of view?

**Sigh**

[ftaok]

If they had lightning to mini USB adapters, then I'd be sold. My old cell phone chargers are all mini USB, not micro.

[macosxuser01]

This is just getting way out of hand with Apple's prices and there adapters. Soon we're gonna have an adapter for lighting to 3inch floppy drive

[Medic311]

where is the lightening to serial port adapter? how am i supposed to hook up my dot matrix printer to my iPad ?!?!?

[MeFromHere]

Originally Posted by magbarn

Hmmm... wow the $19 USB-Lightning adapter just became an excellent deal. This $0.50 adapter should be sold for $5-$10.

Since you feel so strongly about it, I assume YOU will soon be selling a (licensed, legal) version of this adapter for $5-$10. Thank you for your outstanding service to the Apple community.

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Originally Posted by jamestada

Which means there is absolutely no reason for a proprietary cable. It's not faster, its not smaller than existing tech. All it does is allow it to be plugged in either way. I'd rather see Apple finally adopt an existing standard that works perfectly so I can spend $19 on other stuff like the 38th version of Angry Birds.

*walks up to a kid in a blue shirt with $19 for check out*

Except a COMPATIBLE micro USB charger can only supply 9 watts. Anything that supplies more is violating the standard. So this will be a slow way to charge a full-size iPad.

This adapter isn't faster than USB 2.0 (because it is USB). Other lightning adapters do move data faster than USB 2.0 can.

The lightning port does way more than USB could do. If you add an adapter that dumbs it down to micro USB, it's silly to be offended that its dumb.

[alirz]

Could this be used for sync?

[dontwalkhand]

Seriously, what is the purpose of this? For the price of this, I could buy another Lightning cable instead.

Micro-USB is nowhere near as good as Lightning though, I have yet to see USB offer car integration as well as Apple's proprietary connectors. I have also yet to see USB offer analog audio out, or even be as sturdy. I have had old BlackBerries where the USB connector feels so lose, yet all my Apple 30-Pin devices have lasted longer than ever, and feels just as sturdy from day one. I expect the same with my iPhone 5 and Lightning.

[ReValveiT]

Originally Posted by nsayer

Can you get analog audio over µUSB? No.

Can you get analog audio over lightning? No.

[dontwalkhand]

Originally Posted by ReValveiT

Can you get analog audio over lightning? No.

Yes you can, Lightning -> 30 Pin Adapter.

Also many Lightning -> DAC converters that will come out, just like they did for iPhone 4

[nsayer]

Originally Posted by dontwalkhand

Seriously, what is the purpose of this? For the price of this, I could buy another Lightning cable instead.

I suspect that you say that because you cannot envision a µUSB cable that doesn't have a normal USB plug on the other end. If there exist µUSB->something else cables, then a µUSB to lightning adapter would allow them to continue to be used.

[prowlmedia]

Originally Posted by nagromme

Remember folks:

• The chip in there cost Apple nothing to develop.

• Then, once developed, it costs nothing to make.

• And the chip only exists because Apple wants to kill third-party accessory companies. Teardowns showing dynamic pin capabilities and other future-proofing are lies.

• And USB is FULLY as high-tech and future-proof and durable and easy-to-use as Lightning is. And the old 30-pin connector is just as good too. too. Lightning has no current or future benefits, so we should still be using 10-year-old tech.

• And nobody wants thinner devices or easier, reversible connections anyway. Apple just likes to ram thin and light down our throats.

• And nobody but Apple marks up cables and accessories. All other companies sell at cost.

• And cheap unshielded bootleg accessories are just as good as Apple-certified ones.

• And third-party Lightning accessories have been late to arrive, which is just as bad as never arriving. Waiting for them is simply not possible.

• And a USB cable with this little thing kept permanently on the end is not portable. Only a single bare USB cable is.

• And the Lightning synch/charge cable included in the box with every iPhone and iPad somehow doesn’t already do what most people need from a cable.

Have I summed up the insanity?

Um everything you have said is wrong. Or is that the point?

USB tops out at 5watts the micro pins can't really handle anymore without breaking the spec

Micro usb android tablets like the nexus 7 break that spec. Lightning can go way higher allowing faster charging

The pins do Autoswap

30 pin has run out of pins.. Was reusing pins from older devices.

USB can't do video. Can't do asynchronous data at speed. Can't multi stream.

MUSB Is a very weak connector.




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Originally Posted by kas23

It is foolish to buy one if these. In the long-run, it is more cost effective to just buy a lightening cable.

I have mine on a little usb to micro usb keyring can charge wherever I am.

[Rodimus Prime]

and typical Apple par as normal goes against the spirit of the law any how. Still crap that Apple does not have a micro USB port directly on the phone for charging.

[buddybd]

I don't really care about micro USB but Apple should've been smarter about deploying Lightning. It's fine to push a standard but they should do it right.

They could just as easily priced the cables at $5 and avoided all the backlash. $19 for a whole new standard, yet it is not even USB 3.0.

[sekazi]

USB and USB mini are plug it in a forget it plugs. I swear USB plugs live in another dimension because you can try to plug it in and fail. Flip it around and fail again and finally flip it again and it goes in or you have to flip 1 more time before it goes in.

I have never had that issue with the 30pin or lightning connectors.

[seamer]

I think it's funny that Apple is being made out to be a villain for giving options with existing cables while Monster is ignored for its sales tactics.