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I wonder why USB 3.0 was possible already in 2016 for the first iPad Pro and why they just didn't move on with that to every iPad and iPhone. I am sure they could have upgraded it to 3.x Gen. 2 with 10 Gbps or even Thunderbolt too and don't have to wait until they are forced to use USB-C.
Maybe some burning receptacles are the reason.
 
I moved all our home notebooks, headphones and other appliances to USB-C. There are still a bunch of USB-A accessories but it will take time and they are mostly stationary, like webcamera, printers. All mobile is basically USB-C, only kid's gen9 iPad is still lightning. Home PC desktop still has mostly USB-A ports (have not changed the case)
 
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I wonder why USB 3.0 was possible already in 2016 for the first iPad Pro and why they just didn't move on with that to every iPad and iPhone. I am sure they could have upgraded it to 3.x Gen. 2 with 10 Gbps or even Thunderbolt too and don't have to wait until they are forced to use USB-C.
Because, in 2012, they said lightning would be the connector for the next decade. What year was 10 years after that? 2022. When did the first USB-C phones come out? 2023.

When was USB-C REQUIRED to be implemented? 2024. So, the EU forced them to adopt a connector that they had a large part in the creation and initial utilization of, coincidentally, a year AFTER their self imposed timeline. The EU can take credit for the app stores and how well that has gone :)

But, the date for USB-C was defined by Apple in 2012.
 
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…you realize Apple still sells the USB-A to 30-pin cable, right?
(Not the OP but...) Are you sure they actually sell it? :)

Screenshot of Apple Store page with Delivery: Sold Out highlighted and Pickup: Apple Store Pickup is currently unavailable


(But, yes, I'm sure accessories will be around for a while from Apple and even longer from third parties; to that last point, I can still find some 30-pin cables on Amazon that claim to be MFi-certified.)
 
In a superior parallel universe, Apple sold the design to the USB Consortium for $1, and that became USB-C.

But not with the current version of Lightning plugs and cables; see below.

And they had a USB 3 version on the ipads so they could have introduced that version

Yes, but not in a fully compatible way. Lightning has 8 connectors in both connectors and cables (16 pins, but mirrored), so at most 4 for data, really. USB-C has 24 pins, although with some mirrored, leaving 8 for high speed data.

The USB 3 Lightning only worked with that accessory and that port, since no other cable or port can transport all the signals needed.

Yes, it seems like USB-C should have been designed to use a plug and socket like Lightning's, but redesigned to handle the same higher data speeds and power delivery, and I see no technical limitations preventing that

Neither does the guy down at McDonalds, but do either of you have any relevant expertise for this topic?
 
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I still prefer lightning to USB-C tbh. Always felt more secure in my device then a USB-C does. But having all devices use one type of plug is definitely more convenient for everyone so overall, I’m not too bad about it.
 
The Lightning port should've never existed. It was the exact same USB 2.0 spec as the Apple 30-pin port it replaced. The Lightning port was released in 2012. The first Macs with Thunderbolt 1 ports were released in early 2011. Therefore, the Lightning should've never existed. If Tim Cook wasn't so mediocre, he'd realize that Thunderbolt 1 is 20 times faster than Lightning. A one-hour data transfer over Lightning would take only three minutes over Thunderbolt 1.
 
I always hated Lightning, back in the day the iPhone was the only device I had with a 30-pin plug, then the only one with lightning... Everything else was microUSB and then USB-C.

I have a mouse, a camera and a torch left that are microUSB, everything else, apart from my wife's iPhone 13, is now USB-C. I have a couple of universal chargers and USB-C cables around the house. It doesn't matter what I want to charge, I can just plug it in, no searching for the right cable. (I keep a microUSB cable in my office for the mouse, camera and torch.)
 
I honestly didn't expect them to nuke the iPhone 14 entirely
I have been waiting for it... They can no longer sell the iPhone 14 or SE in many countries or areas, like the EU, because they don't use USB-C, it was logical that they would have to replace it completely.
 
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I would happily buy a 17/18/19 mini with USB-C.
Come on Apple - realize what market you have to sell mini's to us who love small phones, but stayed with lightning-contact, because we want no phablets.
Or have you become totally deaf...hello, you are missing out on customers.
 
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Have you used a USB-C iPhone? The USB-C port on the iPhone clicks like Lightning.
Yes, I was referring to when I used the lightning first. Then it was only usb-A that was always wrong side in and micro-usb which you newer new if it was connected.
 
There’s already a phone where how thin it is, is defined by how thick USB-C is :)
Apart from the huge bulge needed to accommodate the camera lens, because physics.

USB-C is barely thicker than Lightning (bearing in mind that the USB C socket - including the bits inside the phone that you can’t see - has contacts in the middle, Lightning has them top/bottom. Lightning 2, would need at least twice as many data lanes and higher current capacity, so it was hardly going to get thinner. Again, you’re knocking up against physics.

The EU rules only apply to devices that charge via a cable - wireless might be the solution for ultra-thin devices.
 
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As good of an idea as Lightning was, the fact that it had no capability to support faster speeds than USB 2.0 is baffling, especially given all the pins it has. USB-C is better but the adoption is still quite bad. WD still sells their hard drives with USB-A cables and type B ports on the drives. A Philips razor I just bought comes with a proprietary charging port and USB-A cable. Same for a bunch of stuff I just bought. Maybe by the time USB-C becomes obsolete, it will be widely adopted. Until then, just make sure to carry 9 different cables with you.
 
In a superior parallel universe, Apple sold the design to the USB Consortium for $1, and that became USB-C.
In the real universe, Apple were a key member of the USB Consortium and played a significant role in the design of USB-C.

Lightning is obsolete because it only has enough wires for 2 high speed data lanes. Thunderbolt, DisplayPort, HDMI need 4. Even its support for USB 3 (needs 2 high-speed lanes + a physically separate USB 2 link) is limited and needs a special dongle. Just stop worrying and think of USB-C as Lightning 2.

It’s really not obvious that you could keep the Lightning design and pack 2-3 times more wires into the “tongue” & keep it robust enough to also take all the strain of the connection - possibly why USB-C has moved the “tongue” into the socket where it is protected and has a separate outer metal sleeve to take the strain.
 
As good of an idea as Lightning was, the fact that it had no capability to support faster speeds than USB 2.0 is baffling, especially given all the pins it has.
It only has 8 pins - c.f. 9 for USB-3 and 24 for USB-C. The plug may look like it has 16 pins but they’re connected top and bottom.

The Lightning design relies on the “tongue” of the plug also being the “load-bearing” part of the connector, made from relatively thick metal. Cramming more pins/wires into that is going to mean thinner metal and a weaker connector (esp. if you want backwards compatibility). The plastic “tongue” in USB-C may look delicate but it isn’t “load bearing” and sits inside the metal body of the plug/socket.
 
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Thankfully 99% of gadgets in my house are now finally USB C! Even my toothbrush and shaver! :)
I still have the pesky magic keyboard and magic trackpad that are lightning... Other than that its all USB-C for me. Not a big deal though since I've gone back to work in office 4 days a week, and I don't use them much, so seldom have to charge those.
 
Good to see a complete shift to USB C. Hopefully Apple will continue selling Lightning cables for a long time for those holding on to an older device. It is needed for the Magic accessories too.
 
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In the real universe, Apple were a key member of the USB Consortium and played a significant role in the design of USB-C.

Lightning is obsolete because it only has enough wires for 2 high speed data lanes. Thunderbolt, DisplayPort, HDMI need 4. Even its support for USB 3 (needs 2 high-speed lanes + a physically separate USB 2 link) is limited and needs a special dongle. Just stop worrying and think of USB-C as Lightning 2.

It’s really not obvious that you could keep the Lightning design and pack 2-3 times more wires into the “tongue” & keep it robust enough to also take all the strain of the connection - possibly why USB-C has moved the “tongue” into the socket where it is protected and has a separate outer metal sleeve to take the strain.
I'm not worrying. I said I like USB-C.
 
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