lightning data transfer issue that's always perplexed me

[ayres]

Aloha everyone, as the title suggests, i've had a longstanding question about data transfer with lightning cables (oem)... but never found the time to actually research it, but now that we're stuck at home... why not!

Very frequently (going back many years with different iPhone models), when i connect my iPhone to my MacBook air (2015) using an Apple lightning cable, the phone begins a repeating pattern of connecting and disconnecting. Sometimes, changing out cables resolves it and supplies a stable connection. Other times, changing to the other usb port resolves it. It can happen too with my iPad.

So I assume the issue with the usb port or the cable. Again, this is using actual Apple cables. So it can't be written off as 3rd party junk cables.

Has anyone else experienced this? And has anyone ever identified the issue?

Thanks and stay safe!

 

[Emanuel Rodriguez]

I've found this to be a problem as well. My theory is that since the pins are so tiny on the lightning connector, any bit of dust or lint can cause connection issues. I've even seen some sort of rust on the pins of an Apple cable, which shouldn't be possible, but there it is.

There's a reason old connectors used to be larger. I fear that the shrinking down of connectors will only make problems like this worse. I've had similar issues with USB-C cables as well.