iOS 13 May Allow Users to Transfer Data Between Two iPhones Over a Direct Wired Connection

[hagemahal]

Changes found in the latest iOS 13 beta, released to developers on Tuesday, suggest users may be able to transfer data between two devices over a direct wired connection when setting up a new device or restoring one from a backup.

New graphic found in latest iOS 13 beta (Image via 9to5Mac)​

As things stand, iOS users have two restore options in any device setup process. One requires them to download and install a backup stored on a computer via iTunes. The other involves using iCloud and wirelessly transferring data from an old device nearby to a new one logged into the same Apple ID.

However, new assets in the iOS 13 beta spotted by 9to5Mac's Guilherme Rambo include an icon that appears to resemble an iPhone with Face ID connected to an iPhone with Touch ID using a cable, indicating a direct wired transfer option will be available when setting up devices.

In addition, a related code snippet uncovered in the beta includes the user request, "Keep your other iPhone connected to this iPhone and connected to power until the transfer is complete," which perhaps refers to the use of a wireless charging mat during the direct transfer process.

It's unclear how any direct wired connection would work between two iPhones, since Apple doesn't sell a Lightning to Lightning cable that would enable such a physical link. Perhaps Apple intends to make such a cable available when iOS 13 is launched to the public in the fall.

Another possibility is that devices in Apple's new iPhone line-up, expected in September, will replace the iPhone Lightning port with a USB-C port. Apple already offers Lightning-to-USB-C cables for connecting iPhones to newer Macs.

According to Bloomberg, Apple is testing some versions of the 2019 iPhone lineup that include a USB-C connector instead of a Lightning port. It's not known if the company's final plans will include a transition to USB-C, but Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes Apple is going to stick with Lightning for the 2019 iPhone lineup.

Article Link: iOS 13 May Allow Users to Transfer Data Between Two iPhones Over a Direct Wired Connection

Yawn. Call me when I can easily share anything from an iphone to any other NFC enabled device with a single tap without a third party. Oh apple.

 

[tothemoonsands]

For me it is as simple as this: The 2019 iPhones have a USB-C option, I'll get it. If not, I'll wait until 2020. Rinse and repeat. I am going to keep my iPhone X until there is USB-C, plain and simple.

 

[sracer]

Looks more like a migration tool from old model (with home button and faded to decipt old) to a newer model ....

Very observant! This is the correct answer.

 

[Da Hurdler]

Might this be then a special lightning-to-lightning + power adapter kit that's only available to Apple Store for Genius to quickly help new customers setup their iPhones

This makes the most sense IMO. Unless Apple really trying to compete with Samsung smart switch.

 

[Shirasaki]

and nobody needs super high throughput for a phone.

Until you need to copy over 3000 hires lossless music from Mac to iPhone. To be fair, lightening port utilises the max potential of USB 2 port on a Mac all the time, but not on other computer. Understandable but frustrating nonetheless. You may not use iTunes for quite a while but I use it a lot. Every time I need to shift my music library, I have to wait quite a while for transfer.

 

[Williesleg]

Nice! When I got my Pixel 2 it had a cable and an adapter in the box. Plugged my iPhone 6 into it, and it sucked all my stuff, pictures, contacts, notes, etc. even hooked to the Android store and downloaded all the apps. Really slick.

 

[blackcrayon]

Yawn. Call me when I can easily share anything from an iphone to any other NFC enabled device with a single tap without a third party. Oh apple.

We'll call you. No need to wait around...

 

[Shirasaki]

Lightning needs to die already.

Really, it should never have existed in the first place. Micro USB isn't great, but it's still better than Lightning. And now that USB-C exists there is ZERO excuse for Apple to keep using that idiotic proprietary connector.

Micro USB is terrible because its structure integrity suffers. It cannot be plugged in either direction. Lightning port does not have those two major issues. What is your reason Micro USB is better besides maybe better inter-device compatibility?

 

[blackcrayon]

Lightning needs to die already.

Really, it should never have existed in the first place. Micro USB isn't great, but it's still better than Lightning. And now that USB-C exists there is ZERO excuse for Apple to keep using that idiotic proprietary connector.

Ehh what? Micro USB is horrible and I'm glad Apple never used it on anything (except I guess as the service port on the Apple TV). Lightning is massively better, and we were able to enjoy that long before USB-C was even available. Hell, I'm glad the new Raspberry Pis use USB C. One fewer device maintaining the non-reversible, fragile, scratch around the port nasty garbage that Micro USB is.

There is one "excuse", and it's millions of whining users who will complain that "Apple changed the port" again to "make you buy all new cables!". They don't understand or accept any improvements- they complained when apple switched from the 30 pin dock to Lightning (and not because it wasn't Micro USB, but because it was "different" and "none of my old cables work!").

I do hope Apple switches to USB-C on the iPhone but 7 years of Lightning means it isn't a big problem locating cables.

 

[flowave]

Actually we should make a poll on how much this new official iPhone high speed data transfer cable is going to cost I’m guessing a US retail price of only $29.99

Too cheap.

 

[cmaier]

Until you need to copy over 3000 hires lossless music from Mac to iPhone. To be fair, lightening port utilises the max potential of USB 2 port on a Mac all the time, but not on other computer. Understandable but frustrating nonetheless. You may not use iTunes for quite a while but I use it a lot. Every time I need to shift my music library, I have to wait quite a while for transfer.

Certainly not a common use case.

 

[Shirasaki]

Where'd $5 come from? I've only seen them for $10.

Early days $5. Now $10. I bought mine (for no reason) at $9 AUD back in 2017 I remember.

 

[TheSkywalker77]

Early days $5. Now $10. I bought mine (for no reason) at $9 AUD back in 2017 I remember.

Ah, I didn’t need one when they were that price so I wasn’t looking at the prices of them. Thanks for the insight though!

 

[Shirasaki]

Certainly not a common use case.

Sure, but ignoring this use case does not justify sticking lightening port around for longer especially considering it only supports USB 2 standard.

 

[WilliamG]

A special lightening-to-lighening cable only for iOS13 users ? That's taking a deep dive into space.

Yeah that would be insane. To have a special, new cable just for transferring data from one phone to another sounds nuts to me. The only way this makes sense is with USB Type C.

 

[EldonChew]

Yeah that would be insane. To have a special, new cable just for transferring data from one phone to another sounds nuts to me. The only way this makes sense is with USB Type C.

Or.. this might be a special lightning-to-lightning + power adapter kit that's only available to Apple Store for Genius to quickly help new customers setup their iPhones

About USB C this year..

CAD design(NEVER been false) for this year's iPhone just leaked https://www.macrumors.com/2019/07/01/alleged-2019-iphone-cad-images-surface/

No USB-C this year.

[Here's the CAD for the iPhone X in May 2017 https://www.macrumors.com/2017/05/10/iphone-8-cad-renders-images/)

 

[halluxsinister]

Looks more like a migration tool from old model (with home button and faded to decipt old) to a newer model ....

That was my read as well. I found it fairly offensive. Basically, it’s a not at all even remotely subtle suggestion that someone would WANT to transfer information from a superior iPhone, (with a home button) to an inferior, defective-by-design one that is missing its home button. I try to imagine what would be even less overt, without flies and little wavy stink-lines.

It does beg the question though. Will this utility be designed to allow transfer of information FROM the more recent iPhone TO an older one? I’d almost bet it won’t.

 

[YaBe]

That was my read as well. I found it fairly offensive. Basically, it’s a not at all even remotely subtle suggestion that someone would WANT to transfer information from a superior iPhone, (with a home button) to an inferior, defective-by-design one that is missing its home button. I try to imagine what would be even less overt, without flies and little wavy stink-lines.

It does beg the question though. Will this utility be designed to allow transfer of information FROM the more recent iPhone TO an older one? I’d almost bet it won’t.

My take is that it depends on what OS the older iPhon is running, with both on iOS 13 it'll probably be both ways, but of course it is better from a marketing point of view to show the old out and the new in.

I would bravely suggest that the old iPhone could "represent" any other "vintage" phone, like an Android device, meaning any old phone, as in even the obsolete one with a physical button, can migrate to the new iPhone.

That would be a nice tool to use to help Android user get into iPhone ecosystem... of course thought... i am reading too much.

 

[bingeciren]

My Samsung S10 came with a USB-A to USB-C adapter to transfer all the information from an iPhone to a Samsung device with its built in Smart Things software. This adapter turns iPhone’s Lightning cable to a USB-C to Lightning data transfer cable. If the new iPhones come with a USB-C plug, this same cable setup can be used to transfer data from a Lightning equipped iPhone to a USB-C equipped iPhone as well.

Samsung used to copy iPhone in the past, these days it seems the other way around.
[doublepost=1562223886][/doublepost]

Lightning needs to die already.

Really, it should never have existed in the first place. Micro USB isn't great, but it's still better than Lightning. And now that USB-C exists there is ZERO excuse for Apple to keep using that idiotic proprietary connector.

Idiotic yes, but very profitable to Apple.

 

[fairuz]

So in iOS 5, we cut the wire. 8 years later we figure out wire is just better than wireless?
That’s why I still prefer iTunes restore over iCloud restore (if I have only one Apple ID).

Well, yes. Is it just me, or does AirDrop practically never work when you want it to?
And iCloud backups were incredibly glitchy a few years ago. IDK about now. Took me 5 attempts to restore last time, wasting so much time (each failed after a few hours) that I permanently decided to use iTunes instead.
[doublepost=1562227623][/doublepost]

Lightning needs to die already.

Really, it should never have existed in the first place. Micro USB isn't great, but it's still better than Lightning. And now that USB-C exists there is ZERO excuse for Apple to keep using that idiotic proprietary connector.

Supposedly the issue with micro-USB is lack of peripheral support. Or, you can support everything, just not particularly well, like adding HDMI output. Also, the plug isn't reversible. But I'm cynical enough to call that all into question just cause of how intentionally fragile the Lightning cables are.

Now, USB-C is still thicker than Lightning, but who cares, it's way better.
[doublepost=1562227743][/doublepost]

For me it is as simple as this: The 2019 iPhones have a USB-C option, I'll get it. If not, I'll wait until 2020. Rinse and repeat. I am going to keep my iPhone X until there is USB-C, plain and simple.

I'm like that but with the audio jack

 

[fairuz]

why not just transfer it via airdrop/bluetooth?

I've probably done that 20 times in total, never had it work right on the first try. Either one device can't see the other, or they connect but drop mid-transfer. It's also slow af. I'll gladly use that stuff if they fix it.

 

[Shirasaki]

Well, yes. Is it just me, or does AirDrop practically never work when you want it to?
And iCloud backups were incredibly glitchy a few years ago. IDK about now. Took me 5 attempts to restore last time, wasting so much time (each failed after a few hours) that I permanently decided to use iTunes instead.

iCloud works ok for me, albeit extremely slow. The catch is, it takes so long, sometimes just straight out fail, just like your experience. If I keep the device unlocked, and let it backup overnight or even a whole day (I did this once. Painful experience), I might get the iCloud backup done.
As for AirDrop, anything larger than 50MB becomes a hit or miss. Sad.

 

[manu chao]

But if you can transfer data simply by connecting one device with another (albeit with Face or Touch ID), I wonder if someone will figure out how to hack the security measures.

You mean if you could transfer data simply by connecting one device with another, like with a MacBook?
[doublepost=1562229039][/doublepost]

This seems like something 3 letter (or 4 if you are in the UK) agencies will find a way to exploit.

You mean like being able to transfer data by connecting an iPhone to a computer?

 

[3rdiguy]

If this works for iPad to iPad as well then I won’t need a MacBook anymore. I only had one to backup devices to iTunes to supplement iCloud backups.

 

[BigMacLover]

Everyone has it all wrong. The graphic represents the defibrillator that will come with the new Apple Watch Series 5.