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There should be a 30-pin iPhone 5S.
- Thread starter darkgoob
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i can't wait until you buy $300 worth of lightning accessories and bitch when apple changes to the connector after lightning lol
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While I sympathize, this is the price of progress. And Apple has always been on the cutting edge (e.g., iMac dropping floppy disks, serial port, and parallel port), not afraid to make a sudden abrupt change for long-term sake.
When iPhone 5 came out, myself as well as many criticized Apple for not including Lightning to 30-pin adapter. And since most US residents are on a 2-year contract, I suppose one may extend such criticisms for 5c and 5s.
Having said that, I do think Lightning is a vastly superior connector. Not only is it reversible and vastly easier to connect, it's sturdier and has enough pins to support (although not yet supported by iOS and OS X) USB 3.0.
And frankly, if your case cannot accommodate Lightning to 30-pin adapter, there's also cable version of it (although overpriced at $39). Keep in mind that this adapter will pass only audio, power, and USB data (including keyboard), and not MIDI, video, etc.
Show me (including shipping and handling charges).
If you truly must save money, both Amazon and Monoprice (and few others) do offer certified Lightning cables for less than Apple.
If it gives very fast speeds, I'm sure people will prefer the function > form. Even though WiFi is probably the future for syncing.
When are they going to start making games again for my Commodore 64? So pissed about that....
We are lucky that apple kept the 30 pin as long as they did. It was time to move on.
And, if you buy 3rd party accessories, it won't cost nearly as much. Don't give apple $40 for a charger when you can buy one from china on ebay for $3. If you want to give apple the profit, then fine, but then to complain that you spent so much on accessories when there were other options is not a good argument.
And, if you buy 3rd party accessories, it won't cost nearly as much. Don't give apple $40 for a charger when you can buy one from china on ebay for $3. If you want to give apple the profit, then fine, but then to complain that you spent so much on accessories when there were other options is not a good argument.
Really, Apple stuck to one connector for 10 years at a time when everyone else was changing them for nearly every new phone they offered. You have $300 in 30-pin accessories because Apple provided a method to make accessories that were appealing to you. The competition didn't (and for the most part, still doesn't today). You didn't get taken for $300, you got years of use of those devices for that money.
Like it or not, the spec needed to change, it needed to be modernized. I had as many cables and accessories as near anyone. Yes, it was a bit irksome to have to front a couple hundred of extra dollars for extra cables and adapters. In the long run though, it's well worth it as I'm more than likely to get another 5-10 years of use from them. Big deal.
FWIW, the lightning to 30-pin adapter cable can be filed down to fit most any case. Takes a couple minutes of work.
Like it or not, the spec needed to change, it needed to be modernized. I had as many cables and accessories as near anyone. Yes, it was a bit irksome to have to front a couple hundred of extra dollars for extra cables and adapters. In the long run though, it's well worth it as I'm more than likely to get another 5-10 years of use from them. Big deal.
FWIW, the lightning to 30-pin adapter cable can be filed down to fit most any case. Takes a couple minutes of work.
So, it is Apple's fault that they couldn't get a product to market? It is such a shame that they stopped using the 30 pin connector after 5 years.
And the award for the most dramatic over-reaction goes to....
I have to agree with the OP. I was also furious when car companies started to put computers in cars for fuel injection, all the carburetor tools and accessories I had were then useless, I don't care if fuel injection works better and gets better fuel economy . I was also pissed when we all started using LCD monitors instead of CRT monitors, I had to buy about $300 in desk accessories so it don't look so empty. I want to live in the past and never have technological innovations.
. I was also pissed when we all started using LCD monitors instead of CRT monitors, I had to buy about $300 in desk accessories so it don't look so empty. I want to live in the past and never have technological innovations. I have an iPad 3rd gen and my wife has an iPhone 4S that still use the 30 pin connector, and I despise using the old connector. Yes, I had to fork over a few bucks for new cables and chargers, but I knew it was a one time purchase. The Lightning connector is so much better from a daily use standpoint than the 30 pin was - it's easy to connect, stays connected much better, and isn't sensitive to being slightly askew as always seems to happen with the 30 pin connector.
I can no longer connect my iPhone 5 to my 2008 Cadillac's 30 pin connector cable (which cost $26 on Amazon and is a GM part) and didn't want to risk incompatibility with a $29 Apple adapter, but I figured I'd get a newer car eventually and it wouldn't be an issue. So I can't control my iPhone music tracks from the steering wheel in my car or see the songs listed on the navigation screen, but the size of the phone and otherwise convenience of the Lightning adapter more than make up for it IMO.
If I really hated the new connector, I wouldn't have bought the phone.
I can no longer connect my iPhone 5 to my 2008 Cadillac's 30 pin connector cable (which cost $26 on Amazon and is a GM part) and didn't want to risk incompatibility with a $29 Apple adapter, but I figured I'd get a newer car eventually and it wouldn't be an issue. So I can't control my iPhone music tracks from the steering wheel in my car or see the songs listed on the navigation screen, but the size of the phone and otherwise convenience of the Lightning adapter more than make up for it IMO.
If I really hated the new connector, I wouldn't have bought the phone.
Nobody is asking for "thinner phones" ? lol
yeah nobody asked for the iPhone either when it first came out.
yeah nobody asked for the iPhone either when it first came out.
Why? They are Sony systems.
I think a $100+ systems are great, not bose, but no ihome neither.
So why did you go with Apple then? It's not a secret that 30 pin was proprietary -- even when it was brand new. Sounds like your problem is your lack of due diligence.
No topic is all about you or any one individual. Your failure to see the advantages doesn't mean that they don't exist. If Lightning doesn't work for you then don't buy a device with Lightning. Move on to whatever it is that suits you better.
Griping isn't going to make Apple reconsider its product lines and introduce deprecated tech.
Please cite decreased sales figures as a result of the switch to Lightning.
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Well I guess this is what it means to be emotionally invested in your products!
I note a lot of hatred over what seems to be commonly described as "an unnecessary change". I also note some over-generalization - for example the needs of a pro-DJ to clip equipment in, vs the downsides of doing that.
I also had the unpleasant experience of realizing the lightning dock adapter didn't work with my case on. I complained at the Apple store, the staff noted there was a cable extender which DOES fit with the case on. That was the product I needed, NOT the dock extender. Check it out.
The reality here is that Apple made an engineering choice. Let's review the CONS of the 30 pin dock connector:
- Physically fragile connector
- Fairly large connector - reducing the internal space of devices
- 30 pins have fixed functionality assignment limited future expandability
- Counterfeit cables can cause problems
- Single insertion makes it harder to operate
- Locking cables into place causes damage, eg: why did apple switch to the magsafe?
So the 30-pin dock adapter isnt all positives.
The lightning adapter is:
- Smaller
- More robust
- Better locking mechanism (ball locking > triangular locking)
- Programmable assignment of pins allows unlimited future expansion (eg: USB3?)
- Bidirectional insertion
What are some negatives of the switch?
- Your cables need adapting or replacing
- Accessories need adapting or replacing
- Angry posts on forums
I would also like to point out that Apple has done this change ONCE in a DECADE. Yup, ever since the 2nd generation iPod they have used the SAME adapter. I know everyone wants to compare to USB, but mini and micro USB have 1000-5000 design insertion cycles before expected failure. I don't think the lightning is that fragile.
One last parting shot, most Laptop vendors such as Dell regularly change the power adapter several times a year as part of a business strategy. Apple doesn't do that. They have only had 3 laptop adapter types, 2 device adapter types in literally 15 years.
I note a lot of hatred over what seems to be commonly described as "an unnecessary change". I also note some over-generalization - for example the needs of a pro-DJ to clip equipment in, vs the downsides of doing that.
I also had the unpleasant experience of realizing the lightning dock adapter didn't work with my case on. I complained at the Apple store, the staff noted there was a cable extender which DOES fit with the case on. That was the product I needed, NOT the dock extender. Check it out.
The reality here is that Apple made an engineering choice. Let's review the CONS of the 30 pin dock connector:
- Physically fragile connector
- Fairly large connector - reducing the internal space of devices
- 30 pins have fixed functionality assignment limited future expandability
- Counterfeit cables can cause problems
- Single insertion makes it harder to operate
- Locking cables into place causes damage, eg: why did apple switch to the magsafe?
So the 30-pin dock adapter isnt all positives.
The lightning adapter is:
- Smaller
- More robust
- Better locking mechanism (ball locking > triangular locking)
- Programmable assignment of pins allows unlimited future expansion (eg: USB3?)
- Bidirectional insertion
What are some negatives of the switch?
- Your cables need adapting or replacing
- Accessories need adapting or replacing
- Angry posts on forums
I would also like to point out that Apple has done this change ONCE in a DECADE. Yup, ever since the 2nd generation iPod they have used the SAME adapter. I know everyone wants to compare to USB, but mini and micro USB have 1000-5000 design insertion cycles before expected failure. I don't think the lightning is that fragile.
One last parting shot, most Laptop vendors such as Dell regularly change the power adapter several times a year as part of a business strategy. Apple doesn't do that. They have only had 3 laptop adapter types, 2 device adapter types in literally 15 years.
Agreed. I'm not sure why it's so important to have a "digital only" output. Analog can be quite useful for some things. I wonder why if Lightning is digital only, the 30-pin adapter couldn't have A/D and D/A converters built in that would allow analog IO through Lightning?
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How do you know if the cable you're buying is going to even work? There are all these reports of Apple breaking compatibility with "unlicensed" 3rd-party Lightning accessories (cables, chargers, etc.).
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Last game released was on Sept. 23, 2013.
Guess what...next year when the 4S goes EOL 30-pin will officially be a relic. It wasn't hard for me to adapt when I got my 5 last year. It's not the end of the world. Actually the Lightning cable is FAR superior to the 30-pin. Not only is it WAY better to use since it doesn't matter which way it faces, its very very fast! It used to take over 30 mins to backup my iPhone to iTunes, now it takes about 5.
I bought an adapter to cope with old accessories...and I never once cried about my poor old, outdated technology.
I bought an adapter to cope with old accessories...and I never once cried about my poor old, outdated technology.
Let me add one more pro...that I have never actually seen in a device....EVER. It is a male plug that goes into a female device. That is unheard of! Most plugs (like say USB and 30-pin) are, well, transgendered, so to speak. You have what appears to be a female slot on the device and a male plug...but they aren't at all like that. The plug is actually female and the slot on the device is an embedded male plug. That means that if the pin gets damages it is on the very expensive device...not the plug. With lightning. If the insertion pin gets damaged it means you have to replace a $30 plug...not a $600 phone. It's a very intelligently designed plug. It has exposed connectors...yet doesn't electrocute you if you touch it on both sides.
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Not everyone got their change to cry about it last year. There will be a handful of people crying next year when the 4S is discontinued.
You took my quotation out of context. What I said was: "Nothing makes me more mad than when companies make proprietary stuff and then use security chips as a way to force you to buy their brand." Apple does not have a history of doing the security chip thing.
Who said it was? You're the one implying it, not me. I've repeatedly given links to news articles and user product reviews that mirror my sentiments. I'm not alone, and I'm in the majority view.
What advantages? Go ahead and tell me what they are, besides a reversible connector and smaller size. Instead of stating a tautology that means nothing, why not actually make salient points in your argument? What are these advantages that I ought to be so excited about? What actual functionality does Lightning enable that I was not getting with the 30-pin port?
I don't have a problem with Lightning. I have a problem with a lack of a 30-pin connector. Lightning is small enough that, physically, there could be a device with both a 30-pin port and a Lightning port on it. I'd be perfectly happy however if there was a Lightning-to-30-pin adapter cable that did not require me to either physically modify my $39 Apple case or physically modify the $39 adapter, and was of reasonable length (0.2m is too short).
I am under no illusions about being able to force a multi-billion-dollar company to do something. However one thing I like about Apple is that they do listen to their customers. If customers have a problem with the product or product line, then they should report those issues to Apple; otherwise Apple may not be aware that it's really an issue.
30-pin has not been officially called 'deprecated' by Apple. Obviously, it appears that it was, but look, there are thousands of accessories on the market today that use 30-pin. Apple still has several 30-pin product in its line (4S, adapters). If a company releases a hardware product that's Lightning-only, they will have alienated millions of potential customers; therefore they release them with 30-pin support, and you must rely on this kludgy, expensive adapter.
Earnings per share was down the last three quarters. Gross profit was down significantly as well. Apple does not disclose how much revenue it pulls in from "MFI" (made for iPhone) licensees, but the New York Times reported in May that third-party MFI hardware manufacturers felt burned by the Lightning port. MFI partners were not told in advance that Lightning was going to come out. Logitech and Voxx said they stopped making MFI products with Apple-specific ports after 30-pin was dropped; the Voxx VP said "A lot of us were bitten pretty badly by the connector transition." (see article here).
The fact is Apple does not report sales figures of these third-party accessories that it collects fees from. It simply includes the profit from these sales into the profit-per-unit of iPhone sales. If the profit goes down, only Apple knows how much of it would have been caused by the decrease of sales in MFI products.
However if you look at their recent moves, like clamping down on unauthorized sales of third-party Lightning accessories, the writing is on the wall... they are obviously concerned about the accessories market and the profit they're getting from it. Why else would they come out with their own brand of iPhone case for the first time?
I don't know who else beyond Logitech and Voxx that left the MFI program due to feeling burned over the Lightning fiasco, but it's hard to imagine they were the only ones. Would you like to try and convince me somehow that the switch to Lightning increased Apple's per-unit profits, and increased the number of hardware developers making iPhone accessories? It was a fiasco to pull the rug out from all the partners. At least we software devs get access to the Apple beta program so we have time to get our Apps ready for release on the new system. Meanwhile the poor hardware devs didn't get any warning. It was months before Lightning-specific things started coming out.
Maybe this is just a transitionary period, but like I said before, once you burn one of these companies they are not going to trust you again. Why would a company now spend the money to R&D Lightning accessories, if they know they're going to get zero warning if Apple decides to "deprecate" Lightning in favor of something else later?
Lightning has been a disaster.
As a connector it's vastly worse than the 30 pin connector - it carries less information, works with fewer items, doesn't detach as easily from docks etc and is considerably, considerably more fragile than the 30 pin ever was.
But the real let down is Apple's business failure - a year later we're trapped in a ludicrous situation where Apple won't approve any docks that work with their OWN CASE DESIGN, and the specs for case designs that they themselves publish on their own website.
That is ludicrous. It is crappy engineering, and crappy business development. And it's very much avoidable, and very much Apple's fault.
As a connector it's vastly worse than the 30 pin connector - it carries less information, works with fewer items, doesn't detach as easily from docks etc and is considerably, considerably more fragile than the 30 pin ever was.
But the real let down is Apple's business failure - a year later we're trapped in a ludicrous situation where Apple won't approve any docks that work with their OWN CASE DESIGN, and the specs for case designs that they themselves publish on their own website.
That is ludicrous. It is crappy engineering, and crappy business development. And it's very much avoidable, and very much Apple's fault.
Then why does Apple's own website say it does not support the output of video? At some point they decided to break compatibility with certain devices like "iPod Out" which sent video to a car's dash controls, or let you project your iPhone screen out through certain cameras that had a built-in projector using a particular Belkin adapter.
I do see that Analog Audio output is listed as supported on the Adapter, but the 0.2m Cable's description simply says, "This 0.2 m long cabled adapter lets you connect devices with a Lightning connector to many of your 30-pin accessories.*" Well, which ones? "*Some 30-pin accessories are not supported." OK. Why not? I've read reports some places that the Adapter has a different set of compatible devices than the Cable. It's confusing.