Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
USB-C Instead of Lightning Again Rumored for Upcoming iPad Pro Models
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Jony Ive will throw a chair across the room if any of the design team suggest something non-symmetrical
There has to be more than that. There would be no point to switch if it were only for power and headphones.
[doublepost=1539940798][/doublepost]
I’ll likely go for the 11 inch or whatever equivalent there is. I’d love a bigger screen at my desk but I manage a team of people and frequently move around the office to work with others, I need that extreme mobility too.
Look on the bright side, you won't need to buy any more expensive 2m cables. And any cheaper cables you buy will be compatible with all your other USB-C devices that you buy in future or already have.
Its sad that Apple went it alone rather going usb-c from the start.
One word "standardisation". Remember a Macbook Pro has USB-C ports so it stands to reason an iPad Pro should feature the same port(s).
Eh, maybe - adding such a big change, I think Apple would need to have more to discuss about it then just standardization. We'll see though.
They can move to USB-C, but they ought to provide some reasons to ditch Lighting.
Connecting to an external monitor could be one, but it isn't enough. How many people use external monitor with their iPads? New accessories? Let's see what they have in store for us.
I think moving everything to USB-C could be good, now you have Macs with that port but iPads have another one.
The iPhone will keep Lighting in my opinion, USB-C wouldn't offer any advantage but the ability to charge the phone with the same cable you use for the iPad and the Mac. Too many accessories out there are Lighting though, a third connector transition wouldn't be great as they pitch for a wireless world.
Connecting to an external monitor could be one, but it isn't enough. How many people use external monitor with their iPads? New accessories? Let's see what they have in store for us.
I think moving everything to USB-C could be good, now you have Macs with that port but iPads have another one.
The iPhone will keep Lighting in my opinion, USB-C wouldn't offer any advantage but the ability to charge the phone with the same cable you use for the iPad and the Mac. Too many accessories out there are Lighting though, a third connector transition wouldn't be great as they pitch for a wireless world.
I don't see it as a big change, more a way to differentiate between models “you got an iPad? Is it lightning? You got a standard model, Is it USB-C? You got a Pro”
I'm of course curious about what Apple has in store, I always am, but this is all a big MEH to me.
I have last year's 12.9" and I'm less than impressed with it. TBH, I prefer the 2018 9.7" to the pro, not entirely sure I'm going to run out to get this.
More curious about the Mac end of what is rumored.
I have last year's 12.9" and I'm less than impressed with it. TBH, I prefer the 2018 9.7" to the pro, not entirely sure I'm going to run out to get this.
More curious about the Mac end of what is rumored.
Until the next proprietary connection Apple creates to sell more devices
Sorry I’m cynical. But I do hope they transition all their devices to a more ubiquitous connection
That could be a result, but I still can't imagine Apple making this change without some sort of new functionality or feature.
[doublepost=1539953392][/doublepost]
At the time lightning was introduced, I don't think (I could be wrong) there was a connection standard that would have fit the bill for Apple devices. I think they did what they had to do at the time, but now that USB-C is here, it certainly makes sense to make the move.
Why do you prefer lightning? I thought USB C was better at everything - except the cost of replacing your existing lightning cables.
It's about time we are seeing some standardization from Apple. Hopefully they're getting out of the cable business entirely.
If all in doing is using it for power, and the occasional wired headphone, there is no advantage to usb c. USB c is bigger, the ports get loose over time, etc.
With lighting I can be sure that if something supports lightning it works with my device.
With usb c who knows? Is it thunderbolt? Usb 3.1? Does the cable support power delivery? Good luck!
The only way usb c is an advantage is if it allows plugging in monitors, mice, etc. Will it? Maybe. Will I actually do those things? Probably not.
I personally much prefer lightning as a physical connector. As a connector the design is far more robust, and elegant. When Apple introduced the lightning standard it was meant as a physical connection standard over which they could support a broad range of protocols well into the future. It also has the benefit of being a single certified standard, unlike the mess that is USB-C and the range of proprietary standards and cables.
In my personal view USB-C is actually way more consumer hostile than Lightning.
The only logical reason Apple would consider moving to USB-C would be the requirement to support protocols or bandwidth of which Lightning is not physically capable.
Nope. They never have to switch to USB-C on the phone. More likely, now that they have wireless charging, is that they will completely remove all ports. The iPad needs USB-C if it’s going to compete as a legitimate desktop replacement. Lightning will simply go away across the board.
No, I came here to say that I don't like their products anymore. The choices are dwindling.
It's getting harder and harder to even touch an iPad without it doing something I don't want it to do. I want to push a button when I want to turn the thing on. I don't want it to come on just because I look at it. Maybe I'm trying to use the reflection to arrange my golden locks. Like what is that thing that slides in from the right? It takes up a quarter of the screen and never fills in with anything unless you wait a long time (in computer years) and then it contains nothing I want, because I didn't want it to come up in the first place. I'm constantly setting that off with things like planetarium apps that you do a lot of scrolling around in. Same thing with the Control Center sliding up from the bottom, especially with apps that have buttons along the bottom. I'm still on 10.3.3 on the Air. Maybe the thing from the right has gone away. I'll find out today when the new iPad gets here. $8 for overnight delivery!? Nice.
Oh, eight.
A stick-of-gum Shuffle that still works great. (I forgot that one.) Use it on walks.
The 3G nano (the squarish one). It's fun to put videos on it.
4G iPod touch. Plugs into the car just fine so I can sing-a-long on long trips.
Two 2012 mini's that are maxed out in RAM and disk space (4TB). No USB-C.
A Mid-2012 MacBook Pro with a 2TB drive and all kinds of non-USB-C ports for everyday and work stuff.
Oh, nine! Another Mid-2012 MacBook Pro I bought that I've put Mojave on just to see how it runs.
A Mid-2010 27" iMac, also with all kinds of non-USB-C ports in the office at work.
Air 1.
Tons of USB3 disk drives, external DVD readers/writers, monitors... None of them with USB-C ports or connectors.
Then there has been an iPad2 that I gave away, and an iPad mini 3 that I gave away. Neither with USB-C and both with an earphone jack.
I can't think of any -- even non-Apple products -- that I have that use USB-C. Work has some of the new laptops and the people that have them talk about problems they have with the USB-C ports and all the dongles.
At work we have bought dozens and dozens of MacBooks for years and years as field laptops (scientific field stuff), but now have bought a couple dozen, or more, Dell laptops with Linux as replacements, because Apple left us high and dry with no ports that any of our equipment plugs into and the first things to get lost in the real world are the dongles. Can't have that happen in places like the middle of Antarctica. There's no mail there.
No, I came here to say that I don't like their products anymore. The choices are dwindling.
It's getting harder and harder to even touch an iPad without it doing something I don't want it to do. I want to push a button when I want to turn the thing on. I don't want it to come on just because I look at it. Maybe I'm trying to use the reflection to arrange my golden locks. Like what is that thing that slides in from the right? It takes up a quarter of the screen and never fills in with anything unless you wait a long time (in computer years) and then it contains nothing I want, because I didn't want it to come up in the first place. I'm constantly setting that off with things like planetarium apps that you do a lot of scrolling around in. Same thing with the Control Center sliding up from the bottom, especially with apps that have buttons along the bottom. I'm still on 10.3.3 on the Air. Maybe the thing from the right has gone away. I'll find out today when the new iPad gets here. $8 for overnight delivery!? Nice.
Oh, eight.
A stick-of-gum Shuffle that still works great. (I forgot that one.) Use it on walks.
The 3G nano (the squarish one). It's fun to put videos on it.
4G iPod touch. Plugs into the car just fine so I can sing-a-long on long trips.
Two 2012 mini's that are maxed out in RAM and disk space (4TB). No USB-C.
A Mid-2012 MacBook Pro with a 2TB drive and all kinds of non-USB-C ports for everyday and work stuff.
Oh, nine! Another Mid-2012 MacBook Pro I bought that I've put Mojave on just to see how it runs.
A Mid-2010 27" iMac, also with all kinds of non-USB-C ports in the office at work.
Air 1.
Tons of USB3 disk drives, external DVD readers/writers, monitors... None of them with USB-C ports or connectors.
Then there has been an iPad2 that I gave away, and an iPad mini 3 that I gave away. Neither with USB-C and both with an earphone jack.
I can't think of any -- even non-Apple products -- that I have that use USB-C. Work has some of the new laptops and the people that have them talk about problems they have with the USB-C ports and all the dongles.
At work we have bought dozens and dozens of MacBooks for years and years as field laptops (scientific field stuff), but now have bought a couple dozen, or more, Dell laptops with Linux as replacements, because Apple left us high and dry with no ports that any of our equipment plugs into and the first things to get lost in the real world are the dongles. Can't have that happen in places like the middle of Antarctica. There's no mail there.
If "dell with linux" is acceptable to you, Apple will never compete with that. Apple competes on design and elegance. They are not going to compete against "it's good enough and I can live with spending my afternoon searching for drivers."
Still unlikely apple will go with different cables for different devices. USB C on phones is next. Hell they created one for Apple Watch cable
Nope. They will remove the port entirely before they switch to USB-C on phones. USB-C is too thick. They are removing one reason after another to even need that port (wireless charging, wireless debug with Xcode, airdrop, faster bluetooth, faster wifi, etc.) They'll pull it out in a couple years.
Removing all ports is no where close to happening
Wireless just not fast enough for them to remove it.