Apple Now Selling Lightning to Micro USB Adapter in the US

cRuNcHiE · Nov 2, 2012

Micro usb CAN do video, they call it MHL.
The galaxy s2 and other phones have micro usb to hdmi.

Seeing as It does that it should also be able to output analogue audio with the right adapter as lightning needs a DAC to produce the analogue audio
Just sayin'

nfl46 · Nov 2, 2012

This is how Apple has billions of dollars. Lol.

magbarn · Nov 2, 2012

seamer said:
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.

Well we're locked in the apple 'company store' syndrome, whilst there's many other equivalent correctly priced alternatives to monster cables.

roland.g · Nov 2, 2012

nagromme said:
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 doesnt already do what most people need from a cable.

Have I summed up the insanity? 🙂

And if you believe all this you, you probably think the weather has been perfect in New York the past week.

Aluminum213 · Nov 2, 2012

These prices are laughable, I have called apple customer service twice in the last few weeks and both times they offered to send me a lightning to USB cable without me asking. Probably costs them a $1 to make and they sell them for $20 and people rush to buy them

zhenya · Nov 2, 2012

jamestada said:
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*

lordofthereef said:
You summed it up in a nutshell. What it DOES allow for is for apple to have greater control over accessories (a benefit for Apple, not te user).

To all those stating that it was time for change, I won't argue that the old connector was getting long on the tooth. 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. But wait. I can answer my own question. Developing a new plug and collecting 100% of sales is likely more profitable, in the long run, than licensing out micro USB. If you think this was done with the consumer being first, second, or third in mind, you are wrong.

Ben Bernanke said:
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?

Folks, the PRIMARY advantage that Apple's cables, whether new or old, provide is driverless communication and control with host devices. This means that a $50 clock radio can not only charge, but be integrated with the iOS device for audio and control. Micro-USB requires both drivers on the host device AND a chip to handle them. This is expensive and not reliable. This alone is why Apple has a proprietary connection and why there is a huge aftermarket for iOS devices and almost none for Android.

seamer · Nov 2, 2012

magbarn said:
Well we're locked in the apple 'company store' syndrome, whilst there's many other equivalent correctly priced alternatives to monster cables.

Regardless of "locked" into the eco system, Apple could be doing a lot worse than it is re: micro USB. Focussing on pricing alone is not enough to base an argument.

magbarn · Nov 2, 2012

MeFromHere said:
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.

----------

Sarcasm aside, what I meant was what's the point of this adapter when it's being sold for the same price as the much more useful geniune Apple USB to lightning adapter? Unless you have some micro USB only type of charger which isn't going to provide enough current anyway.

gatearray · Nov 2, 2012

Ben Bernanke said:
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?

Nope, my guess is that they don't use standard micro USB connectors because they break easily and can't do the dynamic switching for all the required functions, Ben.

In my opinion, micro USB is garbage and I'm glad Apple chose to not utilize it as the connector type on my iPhone.

dontwalkhand · Nov 2, 2012

sekazi said:
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.

If you're talking about the USB Port end of it, hell yes, Even the ports on my MacBook, seems to have a mind on their own! Always have to try to look to see what direction the cord should go in.

Huracan · Nov 2, 2012

nagromme said:
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 doesnt already do what most people need from a cable.

Have I summed up the insanity? 🙂

I am not sure all other companies sell at cost. Before I switched to the iPhone I was on a number of Motorola phones, Razr and others. They used usb chargers. However, if I tried to plug the phone to a regular usb cable plugged to a computer, etc. the Motorola phone would refuse to charge. It would only charge with the official Motorola charger, and those were pretty expensive and bulky sometimes.

I had my misgivings about the new connector, but I've been using it with the iPhone 5 and I ended up liking it. We can't expect technology to not evolve. Otherwise we would be hooking up phones to computers through those huge parallel ports of about over a decade ago 🙂

Would I like Apple to charge less for cables and adapters? YES. However, Apple is not the only one charging big money for cables, look at all those HDMI cables out there. Some of them are quite pricey.

manu chao · Nov 2, 2012

bwhli said:
Why use this when there are Lightning to USB cables?

I guess if you commute or travel to places where you have already a micro-USB cable (either together with a charger or to be connected to a computer), carrying this small adaptor is much less bulky than a complete cable. It is almost small enough to put it into your wallet to have as an emergency charging solution if you are at least around places where you have a chance of finding a micro-USB cable.

----------

jamestada said:
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.

And it is less fiddly to be plugged in.

----------

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

Maybe you can add a mini USB to micro USB connector? 😉

----------

dontwalkhand said:
Yes you can, Lightning -> 30 Pin Adapter.

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

Well, if the Lightning -> 30 Pin Adaptor has a D/A converter built-in, you could equally create a similar-sized USB adaptor that has a D/A converter built-in as well. In fact, apart from video you probably could get everything currently offered from the lightning port of an iOS device also from a USB port on the device.

(Apart from the symmetry and non-fiddly-ness of Lightning.)

elpamyelhsa · Nov 2, 2012

nagromme said:
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 doesnt already do what most people need from a cable.

Have I summed up the insanity? 🙂

Sorry, not correct on so many points.

USB does not support outputs like: HDMI, VGA, Analoge Audio, Digital Audio Streaming.
Or Inputs like SD card reader or USB in interface as it is not reversible.

If Apple updated to miniUSB it would be a sad day for iFamily.

dontwalkhand · Nov 2, 2012

manu chao said:
Well, if the Lightning -> 30 Pin Adaptor has a D/A converter built-in, you could equally create a similar-sized USB adaptor that has a D/A converter built-in as well. In fact, apart from video you probably could get everything currently offered from the lightning port of an iOS device also from a USB port on the device.

(Apart from the symmetry and non-fiddly-ness of Lightning.)

I don't think USB has the technical ability to reassign pins on an as-needed basis. That is the reason why you can't make the same type of accessories like you can see out of Lightning.

Also, 30-Pin, had pinouts that were specific to functions such as steering wheel controls etc....Lightning has them too, they are just dynamically assigned. I don't think USB has this ability.

Yebubbleman · Nov 2, 2012

MacRumors said:
[url=http://cdn.macrumors.com/im/macrumorsthreadlogodarkd.png]Image[/url]

Image
Apple has begun selling its Lightning to Micro USB in the United States for the first time. The adapter, originally released to European customers because of EU requirements, allows users to charge their iPhones using commonplace micro USB adapters.

With the adapter, iPhone 5, iPad mini and 4th-generation iPad users will be able to charge their devices with some of their existing cables.

Support for micro USB charging via an adapter, rather than plugging directly into the phone, is allowed by the EU policy. Apple isn't required to include an actual micro-USB port directly on the iPhone.

Article Link: Apple Now Selling Lightning to Micro USB Adapter in the US

Sweet, works with the 5th gen iPod touch. May very well pick one of these up so my touch can use my Galaxy Nexus' charging cable.

dilbert99 · Nov 2, 2012

nagromme said:
Remember folks:

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

Have you seen how much monster charges for its HDMI cables?

engg2000 · Nov 2, 2012

dilbert99 said:
Have you seen how much monster charges for its HDMI cables?

Do you honestly not understand the points made are drenched in sarcasm?
The last line says it all.

----------

elpamyelhsa said:
Sorry, not correct on so many points.

USB does not support outputs like: HDMI, VGA, Analoge Audio, Digital Audio Streaming.
Or Inputs like SD card reader or USB in interface as it is not reversible.

If Apple updated to miniUSB it would be a sad day for iFamily.

Buddy, the post you're referring to is sarcastic...
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sarcastic

komodrone · Nov 2, 2012

nagromme said:
Remember folks:

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

Screen%20Shot%202012-11-02%20at%2010.11.45%20PM.png

reallynotnick · Nov 2, 2012

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

You can't do analog audio over the lightning connector, it is an "all digital" connector. The lightning to 30pin adapter requires a DAC built into the adapter in order to output analog audio.

NeoMayhem · Nov 2, 2012

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

Lol, Monster Cable?

KingMD · Nov 3, 2012

not to rain on anyones parade, but i do think its quite safe to say some of you might have missed the sarcasm in nagromme's post...

RobertoCravallo · Nov 3, 2012

Not happy

This and other such behavior is to switch to a different brand the next time I am up for a new phone.

Don't get me wrong, I love my MACs but the APPLE politics with the phone are just getting me pi...d off. I will not play along anymore and pay redicilous prices for cheap chinese adaptors.

I wonder how many people are happy about the new plug? How many have to throw out accessories they paid big bucks for before APPLE went and changed the plug.

I will stick to my APPLE PCs, but maybe it is just time to try a SAMSUNG phone.

Please don't call me a troll, I had one of the first APPLE II PCs way back when. I am sure there will be people sitting in front of APPLE stores at two in the morning to buy these adaptors......

macs4nw · Nov 3, 2012

Jonathan360 said:
I'm happy with what was included. I know I'm not the norm, but I don't have any devices right now that use a micro-usb cable.

Same here.

nagromme said:
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? 🙂

I too noticed, that some of the above posters replying to you, didn't seem to get the sarcasm of your post. Reasonably minded people will have to concede that all the points you've made, are valid. But there will always be complainers, unfortunately. Let's also not forget that we buy APPLE products, because we like them, not because someone has a gun to our head. 😱

jamestada said:
......All it does is allow it to be plugged in either way.......

Even IF that was it's only capability, which it clearly is not, that by itself, is a pretty nice feature for lots of people.

BvizioN · Nov 3, 2012

macosxuser01 said:
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

And, you are going to be forced to buy one... by who?

Gee! What is it with you ppl? Who said that you need or have to buy everything Apple makes? You don't like the prices, you don't buy one. You don't need it, you don't buy it. End of story.

ReValveiT · Nov 3, 2012

dontwalkhand said:
Yes you can, Lightning -> 30 Pin Adapter.

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

Well duh, with the use of a DAC - NOT natively.

I can get analogue audio from a USB port... With a USB DAC!

Come on...

Apple Now Selling Lightning to Micro USB Adapter in the US

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