Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Should the next iPad Pro have USB-C or lightening connector?


  • Total voters
    181

username:

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Dec 16, 2013
707
365
Can we do a poll? I really think it would be better if the iPads had USB-C for convenience and they would be easier to be compatible with the new macs as you could just carry one USB-C to USB-C cord to charge and sync everything. What do you think?
 
Lightning is iOS, Thunderbolt (USB C) is OSX.. That's just how it is.
 
Apple will probably not change it any time soon, but hopefully they will change the cable in the box..
There is no good reson to not switch out the chargers and cables in stuff that´s beeing sold right now.
 
Won't happen. USB c to lightening cables are available.

Lightning is iOS, Thunderbolt (USB C) is OSX.. That's just how it is.

I want them to stick with lightning on the iPad/iPhone but I do wish they would start shipping them with the USB-C to lightning cable and a new USB-C power adaptor. Update all of the iPads/iPhones to support USB-3 speeds as well.

http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MK0X2AM/A/usb-c-to-lightning-cable-1-m?afid=p238|srbXGZDuM-dc_mtid_1870765e38482_pcrid_52243316890_&cid=aos-us-kwgo-pla-btb-slid--product-MK0X2AM/A


Um no. What is the advantage of lightning? USB-C supports so many more standards and saves carrying an extra cable.

Think about it. USB-c to USB-c for MacBook, iPad, and hopefully iPhone. There is no need for lightning anymore.

lightning-vs-usb-c-01746.jpg

There is no size advantage. Also apple could release a USB-c stick for files.
 
Given Apple have gone 'all in' with USB-C on the Mac range, they really should do the same on new iOS devices. That said, they could have done it with the iPhone 7 and they didn't, so I expect they won't next year either :(
 
  • Like
Reactions: ShaunAFC3
Considering how strictly Apple controls what can connect and work with the iPad I'd say that the type of connector is irrelevant.

Thumbs up to @masotime (seems no one else picked up on that) ;)
 
The question is really totally pointless.

You have a cable connecting for example a Mac, or another computer, or a charger port, on the one side, and an iPad or iPhone on the other side.

One one side you have USB, say USB-A or it could be USB-C. On the other side, you have Lightning. "Replace Lightning with USB-C" doesn't make sense. You could have a cable with Lightning on one side, and USB-C on the other side. Just like now you have a cable with Lightning on one side, and USB-A on the other side.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Feenician
The question is really totally pointless.

You have a cable connecting for example a Mac, or another computer, or a charger port, on the one side, and an iPad or iPhone on the other side.

One one side you have USB, say USB-A or it could be USB-C. On the other side, you have Lightning. "Replace Lightning with USB-C" doesn't make sense. You could have a cable with Lightning on one side, and USB-C on the other side. Just like now you have a cable with Lightning on one side, and USB-A on the other side.

Jokes aside, I personally think USB-C is a better approach.

The reason is simple - if we use USB-C everywhere, then every USB-C to USB-C cable will work everywhere. Since you don't need to adapt from one port to another, male-female adapters also become unnecessary.

Think about it - you just need to have one or two cables, and you can connect and power every device you own. You never have to mix and match cables or worry about whether you're connecting it in the right orientation.

I don't know about you, but that sounds like utopia with me. The only thing more advanced would be safe, secure, reliable and yet powerful wireless communication / power transfer, but I'm pretty sure that's not going to be feasible for some time.
 
...and they would be easier to be compatible with the new macs as you could just carry one USB-C to USB-C cord to charge and sync everything. What do you think?

I think you should contrast the number of Macs sold per year with the number of iPhones and iPads:

Q4 2016
Macs: 4.8 million
iPhone + iPad: 57.3 million
 
Um no. What is the advantage of lightning? USB-C supports so many more standards and saves carrying an extra cable.

Think about it. USB-c to USB-c for MacBook, iPad, and hopefully iPhone. There is no need for lightning anymore.

View attachment 672185

There is no size advantage. Also apple could release a USB-c stick for files.
Apple control the lightning cable standard which generates huge revenue for them. They do not get the same kickback with USB C
 
  • Like
Reactions: ShaunAFC3
Would be great to not have separate lightning and USB-c dongles and just have one kind. SD card reader, USB-A and HDMI adapters that work on both.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ShaunAFC3
Apple control the lightning cable standard which generates huge revenue for them. They do not get the same kickback with USB C

The original reasoning behind lightning was that there wasn't a better connector available at the time, so Apple had to develop lightning. I also think it was better than anything else even mini USB. But now USB-c is here, which Apple helped to develop, there is no reason to stick with lightning other than profit, and I like to believe Apple does things to improve the user experience more more so than simply for profit.

I'm hoping for a completely new impossibly tiny and incredibly proprietary connector for all 2017 iOS devices. It's time to say goodbye to lightning!

I'm not talking about anything proprietary. USB-c is an indrustry standard.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ShaunAFC3
Um no. What is the advantage of lightning? USB-C supports so many more standards and saves carrying an extra cable.

Think about it. USB-c to USB-c for MacBook, iPad, and hopefully iPhone. There is no need for lightning anymore.

View attachment 672185

There is no size advantage. Also apple could release a USB-c stick for files.

Lightning was available 4 years ago when Apple wanted a smaller and reversible connector. USB C wasn't. For better and for worse, we now have a thriving ecosystem of Lightning accessories and it seems premature to give all this up for USB C which is still in its infancy.

Personally, I am quite indifferent to the move. For example, if I were to travel overseas, I am not going to be bringing just 1 cable for all my Apple devices, even if they all share the same port. I am still going to being enough cables to be able to charge them all simultaneously overnight. 3 USB C cables, or 1 USB C and 2 Lightning cables, or some other combination of the three. There really isn't any benefit to me either way.
 
Lightning is smaller and more robust than USB-C. I think that Apple will stick with it for their portable devices until they are ready to go completely wireless for charging and syncing. I could see them maybe keeping something like the smart connector around as a backup for cases where there are hardware/software issues that require a physical connection to get back up and running.

USB-C is a huge upgrade from USB-A and Micro-B/Mini-B, but it is not as robust as lightning. Apple probably could have got everyone to adopt lightning as the new standard if they would have given away the rights for free, but they obviously didn't want to do that. USB-C is a good compromise for a similar connector that no single company has the rights for.

It took years for all of the cell phone manufacturers to finally all use Micro-B, and it will probably still be a few years before they all switch to USB-C. Why would we want Apple to switch to USB-C now, when many other devices will still be using Micro-B, when Apple will probably get rid of the connector soon anyway?
 
The original reasoning behind lightning was that there wasn't a better connector available at the time, so Apple had to develop lightning. I also think it was better than anything else even mini USB. But now USB-c is here, which Apple helped to develop, there is no reason to stick with lightning other than profit, and I like to believe Apple does things to improve the user experience more more so than simply for profit.



I'm not talking about anything proprietary. USB-c is an indrustry standard.
You realise that it's not just a connector right?
 
  • Like
Reactions: ShaunAFC3
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.