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So can someone explain Lightning to me?

T

takeshi74

macrumors 601
Feb 9, 2011
4,974
68
Monkey Butler said:
I find it pretty unreasonable that I should have to spend around US$100 on adapters just to have the same functionality as an iPhone 4
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No one made you buy the 5. If Lightning is such a dealbreaker then buy a device with a standrd microUSB connector. It is what it is. You can gripe and try to dig up justifications from other people but if your opinion is that it's pointless then why are you expecting others to dissuade you? You're not the only one dealing with the change by a long shot. The advantages have been rehashed in countless prior threads and on Apple's own site.

Monkey Butler said:
Just what was Apple thinking?
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What were you thinking, buying something that is such a problem for you? It's not as if Apple hasn't changed standards and dropped support for things in the past. What were you thinking, expecting Apple to hang on to the 30 pin dock connector indefinitely?
 
dukebound85

dukebound85

macrumors Core
Jul 17, 2005
19,131
4,110
5045 feet above sea level
stonyboys said:
You have obviously not done your research, it was a design constraint where they simply couldn't fit the normal adapter in the phone because everything was so crammed in. And this isnt just apple bull propaganada, ifixit confirmed that there was no way apple could have used anything bigger than the lightning connector.
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Of course because it was designed around the lightning adapter. You think that with that in mind, empty space would have been there that could have incorporated a 30pin? Of course not.

Had they designed around the 30 pin, a 30pin would have fit.
 
Menel

Menel

Suspended
Aug 4, 2011
6,351
1,356
The Phazer said:
It's not the cable. The old cable would be capable of USB 3 speeds too.

It's the device. The iPhone's persistent memory & bus can only run below USB 2 speeds. Newer iPhones are getting slightly faster memory.

And yes, lightning was an anti-consumer waste of time, as there's no reason for the iPhone 5 to be as thin as it is. Heck, a bigger connector would have been a plus if it had made the device thicker and Apple has filled the space with extra battery.
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Old cable is not capable, new cable is not capable.

Look at the standard USB end, USB2.0 connector, only 4 pins. Need 4 additional pints for the superspeed differential pairs, at least.

Lightning Cable *might* be updatable to USB 3.0 with a new cable, Lightning on one end and USB 3.0 on the other.
 
x-evil-x

x-evil-x

macrumors 603
Jul 13, 2008
5,576
3,234
i like the new connector. reversible is the biggest thing i like about it. stop complaining
 
lunaoso

lunaoso

macrumors 65816
Sep 22, 2012
1,332
54
Boston, MA
The Phazer said:
Increasingly no, but that's only because my opinion on Apple's capablities is dropping rapidly.
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So engineering a brand new smaller cable that decreases a phone's size by a good amount isn't a capability. First people want innovation and now when there is innovation they complain. /rant over
 
T

ThatsMeRight

macrumors 68020
Sep 12, 2009
2,294
263
The Phazer said:
It's not the cable. The old cable would be capable of USB 3 speeds too.

It's the device. The iPhone's persistent memory & bus can only run below USB 2 speeds. Newer iPhones are getting slightly faster memory.

And yes, lightning was an anti-consumer waste of time, as there's no reason for the iPhone 5 to be as thin as it is. Heck, a bigger connector would have been a plus if it had made the device thicker and Apple has filled the space with extra battery.
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I didn't say it was the cable. I said it was limited by software. The iPhone 5's hardware is also capable of USB 3 speeds, but again, it's limited (probably by software).
 
M

Monkey Butler

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 25, 2009
22
0
lunaoso said:
So engineering a brand new smaller cable that decreases a phone's size by a good amount isn't a capability. First people want innovation and now when there is innovation they complain. /rant over
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See this is the problem I have - IMO smallness and reversibility for their own sakes aren't innovations. Sure Lightning is (we're told) future-proof, but it really seems like Apple haven't actually taken any steps at all towards that future. What is this brave new world that Lightning's going to usher in that 30-pin just physically couldn't? As I said, the downsides are obvious, so what exactly are the upsides that outweighed those?

For what it's worth (although it never bothered me having to line up the correct side of the 30pin connector) reversibility is actually cool, in a pointless kind of way.

I really hate to seem like I'm trolling, but if I'd known I wouldn't be able to get an adapter with decent audio out (or audio out at all for the cheap knock-offs) or any kind of dock 4 months after launch I would have just stuck with my iPhone 4
 
lunaoso

lunaoso

macrumors 65816
Sep 22, 2012
1,332
54
Boston, MA
Monkey Butler said:
See this is the problem I have - IMO smallness and reversibility for their own sakes aren't innovations. Sure Lightning is (we're told) future-proof, but it really seems like Apple haven't actually taken any steps at all towards that future. What is this brave new world that Lightning's going to usher in that 30-pin just physically couldn't? As I said, the downsides are obvious, so what exactly are the upsides that outweighed those?

For what it's worth (although it never bothered me having to line up the correct side of the 30pin connector) reversibility is actually cool, in a pointless kind of way.

I really hate to seem like I'm trolling, but if I'd known I wouldn't be able to get an adapter with decent audio out (or audio out at all for the cheap knock-offs) or any kind of dock 4 months after launch I would have just stuck with my iPhone 4
Click to expand...

It's the same as the iPhone in its entirety. Does the fact that its lighter and smaller innovation? According to the definition, "Something new or different introduced," it technically would be. But it is really up to opinion I guess. I believe the engineering feat of creating a reversible, smaller cable is awesome innovation, but others may disagree. It's main purpose is really to free up space to put components in a thinner form.

And you're not trolling, we are just having a discussion and stating opinion, no worries. :)
 
K

kage207

macrumors 6502a
Jul 23, 2008
971
56
ThatsMeRight said:
I didn't say it was the cable. I said it was limited by software. The iPhone 5's hardware is also capable of USB 3 speeds, but again, it's limited (probably by software).
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If that's so, please take root control of your phone to prove this to me.
 
throAU

throAU

macrumors G3
Feb 13, 2012
8,819
6,986
Perth, Western Australia
The Phazer said:
And yes, lightning was an anti-consumer waste of time, as there's no reason for the iPhone 5 to be as thin as it is. Heck, a bigger connector would have been a plus if it had made the device thicker and Apple has filled the space with extra battery.
Click to expand...

Think ipod nano, apple watch, etc.

The iPhone and iPad aren't the only devices lightning is aimed at - and some new devices are likely to be far more pressed for internal space..
 
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