Keep in mind in professional circles Thunderbolt is doing rather well indeed. Many excellent low latency audio interfaces are using it for example.
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Lack of iPad Pro Smart Connector Accessories Blamed on Long Wait Times for Components
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Cooks new strategy, different connector for every product. Then spider leg dongles to make everything interconnect. When people get pissy, then they'll just drop connectors all together. How old fashioned to have fast, reliable, low latency wired connectors.
Thank goodness for the smart connector. I'm selling all my Bluetooth iPad keyboards and never going back.
All I can say is I'm thankful companies don't innovate within the limits of your imagination.
Are you sure you're not confusing TB3 with the port itself (USB-C)? I just can't see how the TB3 interface is that exciting. It might be useful to Pro's, but the speed just isn't realized by most off-the-shelf drives and other components that actually use TB3.
Aside from power issues of BT keyboards (having separate batteries to track), the huge win I see in keyboards using the Smart Connector is that it's a physical, not radio, link. More secure for typing passwords. There's no chance of decrypting radio/wireless broadcasts if they aren't made in the first place.
All professional video equipment is the working definition of barely any devices. More novelty usb thumbdrives are sold then all professional audio and video equipment combined.
Yes, and I wonder if the fact that it is totally impervious to water is an indication as to where Apple is heading with it, albeit slowly.
The only ports that are a water ingress risks on new iPhones is the lightning connector and the SIM card. Now what do we need a lightning connector for if we can connect peripherals with the smart connector, data & audio over bluetooth & WiFi and (presumably) charging via induction going forward? The answer: nothing at all.
My bet is it is the start of a phase out process for the lightning connector and expect a 'Lightning to Smart Connector adapter' during the transition. As for the need for a SIM, that idea needs to die already...
What? No. SIM cards allow for devices that move between carriers and users without the carrier being involved. We fought so hard for unlocked devices, and I for one have no intention of going backwards on that one.
“Barely” any devices, that are crucial for some people to work.
Thumbrives are crap that only moms and pops still use because they didn’t figure out email and cloud yet...
I’m not confusing anything. Thunderbolt 3 uses the USB-C connector. Being able to connect a lovely 5K display to the MacBook Pro over TB3, along with loads of other devices = joy.
What is your point, because I thought it was about the number used, not the value or quality. There are more thumbdrives in the shape of animals sold then professional level video equipment. Their necessity to the user is irrelevant here.
As a musician, the Smart Connector has a ton of possibilities.
Most obvious, charging while data transferring audio.
Something like an audio interface docked via the Smart Connector would be so handy, not to mention in place due to the magnets.
As it is, we're stuck with the camera connector and while it works for charging and routing data, it's not very "elegant."
Everyone seems to be stuck on keyboards here.
There's so much more that can be done.
Most obvious, charging while data transferring audio.
Something like an audio interface docked via the Smart Connector would be so handy, not to mention in place due to the magnets.
As it is, we're stuck with the camera connector and while it works for charging and routing data, it's not very "elegant."
Everyone seems to be stuck on keyboards here.
There's so much more that can be done.
No..the award for worst UX decision ever has already been grabbed. By that pencil plugging into the lightning port and making the "pro" look like an oversized popsicle.
STUPID!
Any other company who had made that design decision would've been ABSOLUTELY TRASHED by reviewers and consumers. It's an Apple blind world apparently.
Give me a keyboard with a Lightning dock built in. I'd honestly rather do my typing in portrait mode, especially if it involves typing out a document or something.
Oh, Apple actually built something like that for the first-gen iPad before ditching it...
Apple themselves can get in the game with accessories beyond their own (albeit pedestrian) Smart Keyboard.
One of the biggest issues with the smart connector is it's location. If you want to use a smart cover, then the connector is always covered. I actually like the idea of the charging dock using the smart connector, but not going to pull off the smart cover every time I need to charge. Why couldn't they put it on the opposite edge?
Well, it just opened up for that case of usage (driver support and speed of IO), so expect some months of R&D and start of production.
The Thunderbolt port is mainly for professionals that are willing to get that extra speed, albeit at an extra cost. some $100's or $1000's above consumer grade hardware, at the benefit of much fast er and versatile IO, does not scare a video production studio away, when you can work faster than the competitors. Speed is very important. Yes, USB has caught up somewhat (still without an intelligent bus onboard), but it still can't replace Thunderbolt. Thunderbolt and USB-C sharing connnector is mostly a plus for thunderbolt, and mostly a negative for USB though.