iPhone 7 USB-C?

[Southern Dad]

I currently use the Apple USB-C cable and power block to charge my iPad Pro 12.9". There are times that I have used it to charge my iPhone 6s Plus. I believe the 29 watt will eventually become the standard but I am not sure the USB-C will.

 

[lordofthereef]

What the OP is suggesting wouldn't be going from proprietary to standard. He's talking about a lighting to USB-C cable, so it would still be a proprietary connection on the phone, only now connecting to a still far from common connector on the computer.

As I said, getting rid of the standard headphone jack is already going to be a tough pill to swallow for a lot of people, but then having the lightning cable connect to a port that most people don't have on their computer?

I understand. I was just adding to the discussion and stating what would get me to by the new phone. I have no use for a lightning to USB c cable ad I feel 99.9% of the world (right now) doesn't either. I'm sure we will eventually see such cables if and when USB c becomes more ubiquitous in homes, namely computers.

 

[Cryates]

I don't see Apple implementing USB-C in any form to iPhone until at least next year. Even then, I don't really see it.

 

[theluggage]

@theluggage
but current macbook power adapter CAN also charge iphones and ipads,

Sure - and if you have a MacBook you're probably gonna get that cable, but the majority of iPhone buyers don't have MacBooks. Plus, you're probably going to want to charge your MacBook and iPhone at the same time. My point was that Apple can't (as some have suggested) save money by creating a one-size-fits-all charger because iPhone users won't want to lug a high-powered laptop charger everywhere.

the lack of usb3.1 speed in coming skylake is surely an annoyance

The current discrete Thunderbolt 3 controller chip also provides USB3.1 gen 2 (http://www.anandtech.com/show/9331/intel-announces-thunderbolt-3) so if the new Skylake machines have Thunderbolt 3 they should also have USB3.1g2 via the TB3/USB-C ports. The Kaby Lake chips, though, should give Apple the option of 2xTB3 ports without the discrete controller or 4xTB3 with just one discrete controller.

 

[Mac 128]

Sure - and if you have a MacBook you're probably gonna get that cable, but the majority of iPhone buyers don't have MacBooks. Plus, you're probably going to want to charge your MacBook and iPhone at the same time. My point was that Apple can't (as some have suggested) save money by creating a one-size-fits-all charger because iPhone users won't want to lug a high-powered laptop charger everywhere.

The current discrete Thunderbolt 3 controller chip also provides USB3.1 gen 2 (http://www.anandtech.com/show/9331/intel-announces-thunderbolt-3) so if the new Skylake machines have Thunderbolt 3 they should also have USB3.1g2 via the TB3/USB-C ports. The Kaby Lake chips, though, should give Apple the option of 2xTB3 ports without the discrete controller or 4xTB3 with just one discrete controller.

Isn't the rMB charger about the same size as the iPad charger? But I get your point, for the half-a-billion iPhone customers, nothing beats the little square charging cube for portability. Apple could do worse things than offering a charging cube with multiple ports providing what amounts to an adapter hub, to accomodate any cable. Of course if Apple puts Lightning on the MacBook, then an iPhone user only needs to carry one cable for use with the latest Apple gear.

I think your 2nd scenario is most likely. I can't imagine that Apple is going to offer four identical ports without also making them functionally identical. They should all be capable of charging the MBP, as well as TB3. I think the last time Apple offered two identical ports with different capabilities was the serial modem and printer ports, and even then wasn't that just a software assignment?

 

[theluggage]

Isn't the rMB charger about the same size as the iPad charger?

I was going on the following from the Apple store:
http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MJ262LL/A/apple-29w-usb-c-power-adapter?fnode=85
http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MD810LL/A/apple-5w-usb-power-adapter?fnode=85
...and if the rMBPs go USB-C, those chargers will also be chunkier. Its those power-guzzling Intel space-heaters vs. the ARM.

 

[Mac 128]

I was going on the following from the Apple store:
http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MJ262LL/A/apple-29w-usb-c-power-adapter?fnode=85
http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MD810LL/A/apple-5w-usb-power-adapter?fnode=85
...and if the rMBPs go USB-C, those chargers will also be chunkier. Its those power-guzzling Intel space-heaters vs. the ARM.

Gotcha ... The 29W is definitely smaller than the 45/60/85W but still larger than the 12W. And of course all are massive compared to the 5W. I wondered because many of the iPad Pro users are upgrading to the 29W chargers because they charge the iPPs much faster. Clearly there's a trade off in size, which is still going to require carrying more than one charger depending on the circumstances.

I usually travel with both the iPad and iPhone charger so I don't run into a situation where I have to chose which to charge. And when I travel with my MacBook, I have three chargers. Certainly reducing the iPad and MB To a shared charger is a much better option whether I carry the 5W iPhone charger as well.

 

[Beerstalker]

Yes, I think that Apple will start including the lightning to USB-C cable with the new iPhone this year (and the next new iPads whether later this year, or early next year).

I think they will come with a new USB-C power adaptors, but I don't think they will all get the 29W one like others mentioned. I think they will stick to 5 Watt for packing in with the iPhone.

How many people really only have one lightning cable they carry with them everywhere? I think most people like myself have multiple, one at home, one in the car, one at work, etc. Doesn't seem like a big deal to keep a lightning to USB-A at work and in the car, and use the new lightning to USB-C at home etc. Just because Apple starts including a lightning to USB-C cable with the phone doesn't mean all those older lightning to USB-A cables are going to stop working. They will still work just fine. But, the USB-C cable will allow for faster syncing when your computer supports it.

 

[Mac 128]

Yes, I think that Apple will start including the lightning to USB-C cable with the new iPhone this year (and the next new iPads whether later this year, or early next year).

I think they will come with a new USB-C power adaptors, but I don't think they will all get the 29W one like others mentioned. I think they will stick to 5 Watt for packing in with the iPhone.

How many people really only have one lightning cable they carry with them everywhere? I think most people like myself have multiple, one at home, one in the car, one at work, etc. Doesn't seem like a big deal to keep a lightning to USB-A at work and in the car, and use the new lightning to USB-C at home etc. Just because Apple starts including a lightning to USB-C cable with the phone doesn't mean all those older lightning to USB-A cables are going to stop working. They will still work just fine. But, the USB-C cable will allow for faster syncing when your computer supports it.

Agreed. The issue will be mainly for those coming from the Android crowd for the first time. They will not have all of those older cables and the USB-C cable won't work on anything they have. But that's true at the moment in general with Lightning. It's just that Apple at least maintains compatibility on the other end. Then again, anyone who buys almost anything new going forward is going to have to deal with this problem as USB-C is adopted as the default connection method.

On the other hand, do we know Apple's Lightning to USB-C cables support Lightning 2? I was kind of stunned that the 9" iPad Pro did not support Lightning 2, despite the 12" model having it. That's one of the things I was hoping we'd see on the next iPhone, but the fact they didn't included it with the 9" iPP makes me wonder if the iPhone is going to get it. So why spend the money to make the cables compatible before it's needed/implemented?

 

[Beerstalker]

Yeah, the 9.7" iPad Pro not supporting USB 3 speeds was surprising. Not sure what Apple's reasoning for that was especially when it was the first device to offer 256GB (the 12.(" started offering it at the same time).

 

[Mac 128]

Yeah, the 9.7" iPad Pro not supporting USB 3 speeds was surprising. Not sure what Apple's reasoning for that was especially when it was the first device to offer 256GB (the 12.(" started offering it at the same time).

Right, it's one thing to support only USB 2 speeds up to 128GB, as most transfers are going to be wireless for the most part. But once you get up to 256GB, wireless doesn't really cut it anymore, and USB 2 doesn't cut it either, especially on a 12" pad which Apple seems to be positioning as a laptop replacement, specifically to work on large photo and video files.