Apple's Lightning to 30-Pin Adapter Torn Apart, Reveals Several Chips and Copious Glue

[anonymouslurker]

IC chips in the socket not in the cable
Any comments on why this would not work?

The phone identifies the type of accessory that is attached to it, by setting a specific voltage level, that is set by the authentication chip in the connector.

That chip needs to be as close as possible to the phone, since analog levels are especially subject to noise and variation, when going the length of a cable.

 

[mdelvecchio]

I'd say Apple is firmly in control with a vice like death grip right now on the Lightning cable market.

...you cant be a monopolist over your own product when there are plenty of competitors products available. example: McDonald's doesnt have a "monopoly" over the Big Mac. why? because thats their proprietary product. and if you dont like it, youre 100% free & able to walk across the street and get a Whopper.

same thing here. dont like Lighting, go get a USB-equipped android across the street.

not a monopoly in either case.

Do you see any 3rd Party cables? I don't... in fact it seems Apple has put in security measures preventing 3rd parties from creating the cables even with simple reverse engineering.

i dont see any yet, but that may or may not change based on licensing. and i surely do not see problems with a company protecting its investment and licensing its tech to other firms rather than just, you know, give it away for free. we're all here to make money. especially apple, a hardware company, not a church.

Not to mention, I think at this point Apple products ARE (or should be considered a part of) the majority market share.

...then you would be wrong. iOS has about 33% of the smartphone space. not sure how they teach numbers where you live, but thats not a dominate market share where i come from. no where near enough to claim monopoly.

but heck even if it was 90% it wouldnt be a monopoly since you or i are free to buy any available alternative. look at ipods -- dominant market share. does Apple have a "monopoly" on MP3 players? nope, theyre just damned popular because people like buying them. but we can get an alternative anywhere.

words like "monopoly" have a specific meaning, even if youre not familiar w/ them.

 

[MrXiro]

...you cant be a monopolist over your own product when there are plenty of competitors products available. example: McDonald's doesnt have a "monopoly" over the Big Mac. why? because thats their proprietary product. and if you dont like it, youre 100% free & able to walk across the street and get a Whopper.

same thing here. dont like Lighting, go get a USB-equipped android across the street.

not a monopoly in either case.



i dont see any yet, but that may or may not change based on licensing. and i surely do not see problems with a company protecting its investment and licensing its tech to other firms rather than just, you know, give it away for free. we're all here to make money. especially apple, a hardware company, not a church.



...then you would be wrong. iOS has about 33% of the smartphone space. not sure how they teach numbers where you live, but thats not a dominate market share where i come from. no where near enough to claim monopoly.

but heck even if it was 90% it wouldnt be a monopoly since you or i are free to buy any available alternative. look at ipods -- dominant market share. does Apple have a "monopoly" on MP3 players? nope, theyre just damned popular because people like buying them. but we can get an alternative anywhere.

words like "monopoly" have a specific meaning, even if youre not familiar w/ them.

And as I've stated, I am not speaking of the phones themselves. I am speaking of these cables and adapters. There is no free market for sales of them only the extreme mark up by Apple. So far, I only see the claim by them, but see no competition or cost effective solution for the consumer allowed by Apple. Not even an announced partner that has "apple certification". You would think Belkin would have announced something by now.

I don't know how your reading comprehension is but I gave you a clear cut definition per the dictionary of what a monopoly is. A Big Mac isn't a monopoly because it is a branding of a common food item, a "hamburger" you can take any hamburger and shove it in your mouth. A lightning cable isn't only a USB cable because I can't shove any USB cable into my iphone port.

Not to mention that Carl's Jr. has the Big Carl.

You analogy just doesn't work. McDonald's would need to create a new food item completely for it to come anywhere close to be the same thing.

Apple has gone as far as to create a security chip within the cable itself, which to me means they aren't allowing just anyone to make cables. Coupled with no announced approved 3rd party cable makers and Apple's outrages prices for these cables. It is a clear monopolistic money grab.

 

[cmichaelb]

I've never had any issues with any of the micro USB cables or devices I have ever had, with the exception of one that had a run in with a dog. Something the almighty new Lightning Connector wouldn't be able to handle either.

They aren't that fragile.

Anywho... the whole dynamically switching thing. Do you even know what that means to you, like what features you get out of it? Outside of the orientation independence (Which I still find cool Bee Tee Dubs!) please explain it to me. I hear everyone spouting this and it just sounds like that Samsung ad with the girl going on about some technical feature while she is waiting in line for the iPhone 5 only to add "What does that even mean?" Yet she was still highly impressed. Apple could tell you they added new luminance shift sensing technology into their display that is 150% more accurate than existing tech. Even though they are only talking about the screen dimming during periods of low light you would still run around saying how Apple has such awesome luminance shift technology and it makes the phone so much faster.

Also all the people saying micro USB and the old 30 pin were so hard to plug in... who are you honestly fooling? Hell my iPads connector has this nice little icon inscribed on one side and if that is always facing up it plugs in! MAGIC! The same thing with my micro USB cable for my S3... the side with markings is the upside! "Leik OMGAWD that was so hard!" INB4 people saying its hard to do in the dark, how many cables are you honestly fooling around with in pitch black conditions?

PS - Wireless Charging plate on my night stand for my S3, so even after I get a page call from my Hospital in the middle of the night I just lay my phone right back on the plate. No cables to deal with in the first place in the big bad scary cable fumbling darkness of the night!

Wow, your name fits your tone.

I use my phone for everything- from clock radios, to using the HDMI adapter, presentations, etc. I could go on and on on how many things I've used. So to make it smaller, less pins, and get the same functionality? Makes sense to me and a nice upgrade. I like the idea of a smaller, versatile adapter. To each his own.

Wireless charging would a nice feature but hardly a deal breaker.

Also, if you use an S3 why do you care? Your iPad still works just like it always has.

I'm sorry, but my experience with micro USB has been less than stellar. No dogs involved either. Sorry, I never brought up orientation independence. It's nice, but not a big deal to me either. Just a convenience.

 

[mdelvecchio]

I don't know how your reading comprehension is but I gave you a clear cut definition per the dictionary of what a monopoly is. A Big Mac isn't a monopoly because it is a branding of a common food item, a "hamburger" you can take any hamburger and shove it in your mouth. A lightning cable isn't only a USB cable because I can't shove any USB cable into my iphone port.

no - a Big Mac is not merely a branding, it's IP. it's a recipe, combined w/ marketing, that creates a product. this product is different than what a Whopper is...but they are both consumer goods which you are free to choose from at any time.

sorry, but you cant re-write what a monopoly means. Apple cant have a monopoly on its power cables -- it's a completely proprietary product and cable. it's essentially a component of the product itself. if you dont like buying this component, you are completely free to get a competing device. thats the test. i know you want to say "But I want to be able to buy cheap Chinese knock-off cables!" but that has no bearing on what a legal or illegal monopoly in the consumer goods space means.

Apple has gone as far as to create a security chip within the cable itself,

as has been commented on many times here, this is unknown. the chip may be only a CRC checksum, not a DRM.

which to me means they aren't allowing just anyone to make cables.

that is completely expected -- apple licenses its proprietary R&D to third-party vendors via the MFi program. authorized manufacturers are free to implement apple's IP via a licensing fee. this is good for apple, and good for consumers -- authorized MFi products are guaranteed compatible, unlike many of the chinese knock-off products, which were reverse-engineered from apple's IP.

Coupled with no announced approved 3rd party cable makers

not announced to you, perhaps. but even other participants in this very thread have said they are MFi licensees and are working on building their devices, which take time due to the lighnting spec only coming out post iphone5 launch.

and Apple's outrages prices for these cables.

which are essentially the same as the $20 30-pin cables sold direct from apple.

It is a clear monopolistic money grab.

...again that word which you dont understand. tip: apple is a business, not a church. as a hardware company they aim to make profits from IP developed into physical products. they charge what they believe the market will bear. the market then responds....and right now its responding very, very favorably.

but i know. you want cheap chinese knock-offs.

 

[MrXiro]

First of all don't assume to know who I am or what I want. I'm for fairness not for "cheap Chinese knockoffs" were Apple charging a reasonable (and still profitable) pricing scale for these accessories nobody would be complaining except for the completely unreasonable and at least I feel that I am perfectly reasonable. But asking 30 dollars for the adapter and 10 dollars more for the same adapter with 8 inches of cable IS a money grab. It's 8 inches of common cable.

no - a Big Mac is not merely a branding, it's IP. it's a recipe, combined w/ marketing, that creates a product. this product is different than what a Whopper is...but they are both consumer goods which you are free to choose from at any time.

sorry, but you cant re-write what a monopoly means. Apple cant have a monopoly on its power cables -- it's a completely proprietary product and cable. it's essentially a component of the product itself. if you dont like buying this component, you are completely free to get a competing device. thats the test. i know you want to say "But I want to be able to buy cheap Chinese knock-off cables!" but that has no bearing on what a legal or illegal monopoly in the consumer goods space means.

It can if they are SELLING said cable. Which they are.

You ignored my "BIG CARL" comment completely... it's a Big Mac Clone even going after the Big Mac name.

I don't understand how I am "rewriting" Monopoly
FROM DICTIONARY.COM

mo·nop·o·ly
   [muh-nop-uh-lee] Show IPA
noun, plural mo·nop·o·lies.
1.
exclusive control of a commodity or service in a particular market, or a control that makes possible the manipulation of prices. Compare duopoly, oligopoly.
2.
an exclusive privilege to carry on a business, traffic, or service, granted by a government.
3.
the exclusive possession or control of something.
4.
something that is the subject of such control, as a commodity or service.
5.
a company or group that has such control.

as has been commented on many times here, this is unknown. the chip may be only a CRC checksum, not a DRM.

Doesn't matter what the "security chip" does really... it's that they don't allow a simple workaround and Apple isn't handing out the details on how to build one.

that is completely expected -- apple licenses its proprietary R&D to third-party vendors via the MFi program. authorized manufacturers are free to implement apple's IP via a licensing fee. this is good for apple, and good for consumers -- authorized MFi products are guaranteed compatible, unlike many of the chinese knock-off products, which were reverse-engineered from apple's IP.

How could this possibly be good for the consumer? It's good for lining Apple's pocket with extra money.

not announced to you, perhaps. but even other participants in this very thread have said they are MFi licensees and are working on building their devices, which take time due to the lighnting spec only coming out post iphone5 launch.

So let me get this straight. I'm a well known 3rd party cable manufacturer and I've been granted the right to produce the newest, hottest (and currently extremely profitable because they are not a "new technology") Apple cables... and I don't send out a press release? OK... /sarcasm

Logitech sends out a press release every time they come up with a new way to turn on a keyboard. I doubt there isn't a single cable manufacturer out there who has been granted the ability to MAKE Lightning cables but decides to quietly sit on that bit of news.

which are essentially the same as the $20 30-pin cables sold direct from apple.

30 pin to VGA cable 29.99 - HAS a cable between the adapters... why isn't it $39.99?

...again that word which you dont understand. tip: apple is a business, not a church. as a hardware company they aim to make profits from IP developed into physical products. they charge what they believe the market will bear. the market then responds....and right now its responding very, very favorably.

but i know. you want cheap chinese knock-offs.

I don't need your condescending snarky tone.

I argue in the interest of fairness. I have my adapters but just because I shop within the Apple ecosystem doesn't mean everything Apple does is right. They do many things wrong and god forbid some people aren't too stuck on their own little planets where "All Hail Apple" is the mantra.

You sit there and you tell us, "oh this is the right"..."Apple is doing it the way it should be done"... "they're not ripping off the consumer"...blah blah blah and it is all a bunch of BS. It blows my mind that you can essentially sit there take a slap to the face, then smile and say... "well that's how it is and I like it".

 

[Wild-Bill]

What? Because it's an adapter it shouldn't be priced at $29, just because? How did you come up with that? What's the maximum any adapter can be priced at? I'm very curious.

Wow, REALLY?

How about because it's not worth even HALF that, and Apple seems to have absolutely NO problem fleecing its customers.

Side note: the level to which Apple apologists have sunk in this thread is disturbing.