Lightning Connector Turns 10 Today as iPhone Rumored to Adopt USB-C Next Year

[ghanwani]

I don't care whether it's lighting or USB-C, just make them uniform across the board. I'm getting tired of carrying half a dozen different cables while traveling. 😢

Tech travel checklist:

1. micro-usb for battery banks
2. usb-c to lighting for iphone/airpods
3. usb-c for ipad
4. watch charger for apple watch
5. usb-a to lighting to use the battery bank to charge my iphone (not the same as point 2 cuz apple now ships out usb-c to lightning in the box)
6. usb-a to usb-c to use the battery bank for my ipad (not the same as point 3 cuz apple now ships out usb-c to usb-c in the box)
7. qty 3 wall plugs

Always think positive. You no longer have to worry about carrying SIM cards.

 

[mdgm]

You can get battery banks that charge using USB-C and that have USB-C ports for charging devices. That could help reduce your number of cables.

 

[840quadra]

Apple music lacks a lot of stuff for me. And then I need constant internet, which is a bad idea when there is no coverage or roaming. That's why I got a 256GB model, and it was easy to sync over all the stuff from my ipod classic to the iphone mini. I was just surprised that it didn't go quicker, despite going from a miniscule HDD to a flash storage.

For single files, I just synchronize via google drive (had my own owncloud installation before on a mac mini g4, but I didn't want to put more effort into something I'll get for free elsewhere).

I dislike charging over wireless. It wastes so much energy (which is a problem with a battery pack or if the phone has a high load, it tends to overheat). And when I hike or drive, it's easy for the phone to move around and loose connection.
On the plus side, the connectors are less prone to wear out.

Hopefully you do realize you can download albums, playlists, and other media on Apple Music for offline listening. It is how I use the service as I am typically outside of good cell range and want to continue to sample music when I am out and about.

 

[CarAnalogy]

I love USB-C for connecting my computer to four displays, disk drives, flight yoke/throttles, Stream Deck etc. I might connect/disconnect them at most a dozen times (likely less) per year. The loads of bandwidth available for displays and drives is essential.

My iPhone is a much different story. Somehow I've managed to get by and survive not being able to transfer data to/from it at multi-gigabit/sec rates. I do appreciate the mechanical robustness of the connectors and connections when it comes time to charge.

That can’t last forever though. The numbers keep getting bigger. Already 480 Mbps doesn’t sound like a lot.

Already Apple touts how much better USB-C is on the iPad mini, and then completely ignored that fact when introducing the iPhone 13.

 

[citysnaps]

That can’t last forever though. The numbers keep getting bigger. Already 480 Mbps doesn’t sound like a lot.

Already Apple touts how much better USB-C is on the iPad mini, and then completely ignored that fact when introducing the iPhone 13.

Adding USB-C to the iPad was driven by being able to hook up a disk for work-related activities with some people using an iPad as their main computer. Generally not true or needed for an iPhone.

USB-C for iPhone was driven by non-US regulatory agenciy mandates so as to have a universal cable that works across multiple devices.

Lightening connectors are far more mechanically robust and designed to work reliably over thousands of connect-disconnect cycles, in imperfect environments.

 

[CarAnalogy]

Adding USB-C to the iPad was driven by being able to hook up a disk for work-related activities with some people using an iPad as their main computer. Generally not true or needed for an iPhone.

USB-C for iPhone was driven by non-US regulatory agenciy mandates so as to have a universal cable that works across multiple devices.

Lightening connectors are far more mechanically robust and designed to work reliably over thousands of connect-disconnect cycles, in imperfect environments.

You are of course aware that Apple was involved in the design of the USB-C connector? And that this connector is already used on all their other devices?

The questionable popularity of using an iPad as an external disk aside (never actually occurred to me), regulation is not the only thing driving USB-C on the iPhone.

 

[citysnaps]

You are of course aware that Apple was involved in the design of the USB-C connector? And that this connector is already used on all their other devices?

Of Course. And USB-C is an excellent high-data rate connection between computers and displays/disks/etc. I have a computer connected to four displays (three 4K, one 5K), a 5-bay disk enclosure, and a flight yoke/throttle. I'll probably disconnect and reconnect those USB-C devices 4 or 5 times in a couple of years. At the very most. In a relatively environmentally clean room. With zero mechanical stress on the connectors 100% of the time they're inserted.

A much different story charging my iPhone that's usually in my pants pocket. Or in a dusty tray in my car. There's no doubt in my mind there will be zero connection issues over thousands of insertions.

I seriously doubt USB-C will live up to the mechanical robustness in imperfect environments that Lightening has. It wasn't designed for that.

The good news is Apple has AppleCare+ available to deal with that. Simply pay for it.

 

[Bento.Box]

Hopefully you do realize you can download albums, playlists, and other media on Apple Music for offline listening. It is how I use the service as I am typically outside of good cell range and want to continue to sample music when I am out and about.

Is it travel proof?
For example, if you download netflix episodes, and the device connects to the internet once you arrive in your destination country, they might suddenly not viewable anymore due to geoblocking.

Another issue is that apple music doesn't have much audiobooks (and that's what I mostly listen to). And of course the costs, both in comparison to just playing the music you already have and listening to stuff on youtube, which is free.

It's not a bad service in my view. I enjoyed it during my test phase, but I don't see a point in paying for it.

 

[840quadra]

Is it travel proof?
For example, if you download netflix episodes, and the device connects to the internet once you arrive in your destination country, they might suddenly not viewable anymore due to geoblocking.

Another issue is that apple music doesn't have much audiobooks (and that's what I mostly listen to). And of course the costs, both in comparison to just playing the music you already have and listening to stuff on youtube, which is free.

It's not a bad service in my view. I enjoyed it during my test phase, but I don't see a point in paying for it.

Not sure on world travel, as I don't partake. There is a possibility it would block based on your location, however I thought Apple based their view limits based on the country of origin that you iTunes account came from.

Yeah I am a podcast / music guy so I don't have much experience in audio books.

 

[MacFarmer]

Hopefully you do realize you can download albums, playlists, and other media on Apple Music for offline listening. It is how I use the service as I am typically outside of good cell range and want to continue to sample music when I am out and about.

Of course you can. But if you are into music, organising it yourself and have many old albums, the Apple music is no go. It is more for pop culture and rap maybe. Bet generaly speaking Apple music is not so good. Spottily at least have some good playlists, but they are just a generally ****** company. For me personaly apple ecosystem used to be great, but now when they are moving to this cloud and services thing, I don't like it at all. Same with music, I like to have it on my old iPods, and my next phone will be 256gb so I can fit all the music I have.

I guess for each their own. But as a fee service apple music would be ok, but for subscription - nope.

 

[Menel]

Lightening connectors are far more mechanically robust and designed to work reliably over thousands of connect-disconnect cycles, in imperfect environments.

This is true, and I was pro lightning up until maybe a year or two ago. USBC was introduced like a trainwreck. And Lightning could have been great had Apple had opened the standard for others to use.

But now.. it's past, now it's become an inconvenience. Laptop, iPad, Nintendo, Camera, Garmin, everything and more is USBC and Apple being the lone dog out makes them look bad, and it's inconvenient for users.