Why Does the iPhone Still Use Lightning? (daringfireball.net) 300
An anonymous reader shares a report from Daring Fireball, written by John Gruber: Chaim Gartenberg, writing for The Verge, "The Lightning Port Isn't About Convenience; It's About Control": "Notably absent from Apple's argument, though, is the fact that cutting out a Lightning port on an iPhone wouldn't just create more e-waste (if you buy Apple's logic) or inconvenience its customers. It also means that Apple would lose out on the revenue it makes from every Lightning cable and accessory that works with the iPhone, Apple-made or not -- along with the control it has over what kinds of hardware does (or doesn't) get to exist for the iPhone and which companies get to make them. Apple's MFi program means that if you want to plug anything into an iPhone, be it charger or adapter or accessory, you have to go through Apple. And Apple takes a cut of every one of those devices, too." Gartenberg summarizes a commonly-held theory here: that Apple is sticking with its proprietary Lightning port on iPhones because they profit from MFi peripherals. That it's a money grab.
I don't think this is the case at all. Apple is happy to keep the money it earns from MFi, of course. And they're glad to have control over all iPhone peripherals. But I don't think there's serious money in that. It's loose-change-under-the-couch-cushion revenue by Apple's astonishingly high standards. How many normal people do you know who ever buy anything that plugs into a Lightning port other than a USB cable? And Apple doesn't make more money selling their own (admittedly overpriced) Lightning cables to iPhone owners than they do selling their own (also overpriced) USB-C cables to iPad Pro and MacBook owners. My theory is that Apple carefully weighs the pros and cons for each port on each device it makes, and chooses the technologies for those ports that it thinks makes for the best product for the most people. "What makes sense for the goals of this product that we will ship in three years? And then the subsequent models for the years after that?" Those are the questions Apple product designers ask.
The sub-head on Gartenberg's piece is "The iPhone doesn't have USB-C for a reason". Putting that in the singular does not do justice to the complexity of such decisions. There are numerous reasons that the iPhones 13 still use Lightning -- and there are numerous reasons why switching to USB-C would make sense. The pro-USB-C crowd, to me, often comes across as ideological. I'm not accusing Gartenberg of this -- though it is his piece with the sub-head claiming there's "a" singular reason -- but many iPhones-should-definitely-use-USB-C proponents argue as though there are no good reasons for the iPhone to continue using Lightning. That's nonsense. To be clear, I'm neither pro-Lightning nor pro-USB-C. I see the trade-offs. If the iPhones 13 had switched to USB-C, I wouldn't have complained. But I didn't complain about them not switching, either. You'll note that in none of my reviews of iPad models that have switched from Lightning to USB-C in recent years have I complained about the switch. Apple, to my eyes, has been managing this well. But, if the iPhones 13 had switched to USB-C, you know who would have complained? Hundreds of millions of existing iPhone users who have no interest in replacing the Lightning cables and docks they already own. "In 15 generations of iPhones, Apple has changed the connector once. And that one time was a clear win in every single regard," adds Gruber. "Changing from Lightning to USB-C is not so clearly an upgrade at all. It's a sidestep."
Regardless of which side you take on this debate, it's inevitable that Apple iPhones will adopt USB-C. Last week, the executive arm of the European Union, the European Commission, announced plans to force smartphone and other electronics manufacturers to fit a common USB-C charging port on their devices. The rules are intended to cut down on electronic waste by allowing people to re-use existing chargers and cables when they buy new electronics. Unless Apple plans to skip out on the European market or pay a potentially steep fine for refusing to adopt the port, they'll likely give into the pressure and release a USB-C-equipped iPhone by the time this law goes into effect in late 2023 or 2024.
I don't think this is the case at all. Apple is happy to keep the money it earns from MFi, of course. And they're glad to have control over all iPhone peripherals. But I don't think there's serious money in that. It's loose-change-under-the-couch-cushion revenue by Apple's astonishingly high standards. How many normal people do you know who ever buy anything that plugs into a Lightning port other than a USB cable? And Apple doesn't make more money selling their own (admittedly overpriced) Lightning cables to iPhone owners than they do selling their own (also overpriced) USB-C cables to iPad Pro and MacBook owners. My theory is that Apple carefully weighs the pros and cons for each port on each device it makes, and chooses the technologies for those ports that it thinks makes for the best product for the most people. "What makes sense for the goals of this product that we will ship in three years? And then the subsequent models for the years after that?" Those are the questions Apple product designers ask.
The sub-head on Gartenberg's piece is "The iPhone doesn't have USB-C for a reason". Putting that in the singular does not do justice to the complexity of such decisions. There are numerous reasons that the iPhones 13 still use Lightning -- and there are numerous reasons why switching to USB-C would make sense. The pro-USB-C crowd, to me, often comes across as ideological. I'm not accusing Gartenberg of this -- though it is his piece with the sub-head claiming there's "a" singular reason -- but many iPhones-should-definitely-use-USB-C proponents argue as though there are no good reasons for the iPhone to continue using Lightning. That's nonsense. To be clear, I'm neither pro-Lightning nor pro-USB-C. I see the trade-offs. If the iPhones 13 had switched to USB-C, I wouldn't have complained. But I didn't complain about them not switching, either. You'll note that in none of my reviews of iPad models that have switched from Lightning to USB-C in recent years have I complained about the switch. Apple, to my eyes, has been managing this well. But, if the iPhones 13 had switched to USB-C, you know who would have complained? Hundreds of millions of existing iPhone users who have no interest in replacing the Lightning cables and docks they already own. "In 15 generations of iPhones, Apple has changed the connector once. And that one time was a clear win in every single regard," adds Gruber. "Changing from Lightning to USB-C is not so clearly an upgrade at all. It's a sidestep."
Regardless of which side you take on this debate, it's inevitable that Apple iPhones will adopt USB-C. Last week, the executive arm of the European Union, the European Commission, announced plans to force smartphone and other electronics manufacturers to fit a common USB-C charging port on their devices. The rules are intended to cut down on electronic waste by allowing people to re-use existing chargers and cables when they buy new electronics. Unless Apple plans to skip out on the European market or pay a potentially steep fine for refusing to adopt the port, they'll likely give into the pressure and release a USB-C-equipped iPhone by the time this law goes into effect in late 2023 or 2024.
Jack of all trades. (Score:2)
I could see the argument especially when considering the history of USB being ever more a committee port trying to be all things to all people.
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That wouldn't be so bad if they just stuck to one or 2 connector types. But no, they have to create half a dozen for [reasons] so you can guarantee you never have the right cable to hand.
Obligatory:
https://xkcd.com/927/ [xkcd.com]
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Admittedly they had a lot of fragmentation but at this point, they are firmly all-in on USB-C, with some USB-A for physical compatibility with old devices (and stuck in a chicken and egg situation where devices will use USB-A ports so long as accessories need it, and USB-A accessories will be prominent so long as USB-A ports are prevalent).
The mini and micro with a and b variants are an awkward phase that is in the rear view mirror, with the modern usb picture being 2 connector types, the old legacy compati
Who is John Gruber? (Score:3, Insightful)
And why do I care what he thinks? Of course it's about greed. Just like why they don't make iMessages for Android.
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Just like why they don't make iMessages for Android.
To spare you from a zero-day. [slashdot.org]
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John Gruber is Ed Gruberman's cousin.
I'd sooner ask Ed Gruberman to count the change under the cushions, too.
Re: Who is John Gruber? (Score:3)
He's known mostly for blogging about Apple, but among other things he's the author of the original Markdown spec, so influential in tech circles beside the Apple-sphere in a background kind of way.
This is fluff (Score:5, Interesting)
1- Apple didn't care about the millions of docking accessories that died when they killed the 30-pin connector. In fact, Apple doesn't really care about orphaning anything - serial ports, floppy disks, whatever. Some of those decisions lead the industry, some are mere hubris. Regardless, the "Apple doesn't want to orphan all the Lightning peripherals" isn't an argument with any teeth. Demonstrably, they don't care about orphaning accessories for legacy phones. They want people buying new phones and they don't feel that legacy accessories will slow down the adoption of those new phones.
2- Apple has a get out of jail free card by eliminating wired charging entirely, which seems very on brand for them even absent this legislation. The EU rules will exempt wirelessly charged devices (obvious current candidate being the Apple Watch, but Apple has talked about fully wireless iPhones too). With wireless interfaces there's 100% vendor lock-in with zero routes out.
Re:This is fluff (Score:4, Insightful)
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That was a idiotic thing for the Apple guy to say.
And yet, does anybody really miss the headphone connector? I don't particularly like most wireless headphones so I use an adapter that is permanently on the end of my wired headphones. Is it annoying? Ever so slightly. Has it affected Apple's sales? Have other phone manufacturers followed suit?
Re:This is fluff (Score:5, Insightful)
And yet, does anybody really miss the headphone connector?
Yes. People who care about music enough to buy good headphones. Probably a minority.
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True, but people still buy expensive car stereos, too.
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You've got it wrong. A big reason for using headphones in transit, at work or in coffee shops is to block and/or drown out noise.
Longer train journeys also tend to be quieter, and offer a power outlet for charging. The lack of ability to charge the phone and listen at the same time is what is most annoying.
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Wireless noise cancelling earbuds do that job just fine, for long stretches of time. There are even some fairly affordable options these days. And you can buy wireless over-the-ear headphones if you want something that physically blocks the noise around you. Nothing you listed is a reason to keep having a headphone jack. Bose Quiet Comfort 400s claim 24 hours of listening time with noise cancellation on, so even the charging argument is moot—you can charge your phone and keep listening wirelessly for
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We've only discussed trains so far, but there are other places.
If you're wearing headphones 10+ hours a day (like I do), the property that overrides every other one is comfort.
Often the most comfortable headphones you can find in shops are wired. And to find comfortable ones you'll have to try them out yourself to be sure, which limits you to what's available in physical stores. Even if
something has got great reviews, it can still be the wrong one for you.
I've never liked the feel of any noise-cancelling Bo
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Longer train journeys also tend to be quieter, and offer a power outlet for charging.
I am guessing you are in Europe. Damn, I am so jealous of the TGV experience. It is like flying, only comfortable and convenient.
Re:This is fluff (Score:4, Insightful)
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For the best quality audio they should adopt USB-C. Then people can use the DAC of their choice.
That's a common set-up with Android devices. USB-C DAC, special case or just a rubber band to hold it onto the back of the phone. About a decade ago manufacturers started making small DACs for this purpose, with features like a built in battery to avoid draining your phone.
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If you care that much about music, you are using another DAC than the one built into the phone anyway. A DAC plus headphone amp with a lightning jack will provide excellent music quality through wired headphones. The DAC in the phone, not so much.
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That depends on your phone. Buy a high end Sony phone and well it has a very good DAC and amplifier providing excellent quality through decent wired headphones.
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And yet, does anybody really miss the headphone connector?
Yes. People who care about music enough to buy good headphones. Probably a minority.
And people that don't like constantly charging wireless devices or changing batteries.
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If the phone supports "audio accessory mode", and every phone that works with passive USB-C to 3.5mm dongles does
Apparently NOT all phones support it. https://www.cablematters.com/blog/USB-C/usb-c-audio [cablematters.com] "Many smartphones do not support Audio Accessory Mode. As such, passive headphones are not supported and cannot be used." - so in fact, USBC-3.5mm adapters have to have a DAC in them if they are going to support all phones.
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When my 6s finally died this year the combined lack of headphone jack and lack of touch ID caused me to jump ship to Android after 13 years of iPhones, so yes, it cost them some sales. Probably not enough for them to notice, unfortunately.
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1- Apple didn't care about the millions of docking accessories that died when they killed the 30-pin connector. In fact, Apple doesn't really care about orphaning anything - serial ports, floppy disks, whatever.
I feel like this argument is really grounded more in emotion than fact.
Apple computers have basically used two peripheral attachments-- ADB from the early 1980s to ~2000 and USB to present. Yeah, serial ports (and parallel, etc.) were a casualty, and for the handful of times when I need to access a serial console, USB serial dongle works just fine
iPhones/iPods/iPads have used the iPod connector for roughly the first decade of their existence, until the 30-pin connector was replaced with lightning. (To stave
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1- Apple didn't care about the millions of docking accessories that died when they killed the 30-pin connector. In fact, Apple doesn't really care about orphaning anything - serial ports, floppy disks, whatever.
I feel like this argument is really grounded more in emotion than fact.
No, it just was stated a little hyperbolically. Again, more formally: Apple wants to sell new phones. They will analyze the pros and cons of a connector change in terms of "will this impact profits from the next generation of phones?". Clearly there is not significant sales resistance from people who have invested in old-connector accessories.
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1- Apple didn't care about the millions of docking accessories that died when they killed the 30-pin connector.
The fact that Apple killed it doesn't mean they didn't care about the consequences. Where did you get that? How simplistic is this decision of Apple in your mind ?
The 30-pin connector was horrible. (Score:2)
All I wish is that they had freely and openly licensed the lightning connector to the world, so we could have had it instead of USB-C. I'm no Apple fan, but they got the Lightning plug dead right.
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On my iPhone 13 it matches USB 3 speeds just fine.
This is Apple Derangement Syndrome (Score:2)
If they don't care, why are they sticking with Lighting, eh? And why are you bitching at Apple for having one change in connectors when other companies like Samsung have had at least four? But as is usually the case, the problem [redmondpie.com] isn't a problem if its not Apple. [tumblr.com]
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If they don't care, why are they sticking with Lighting, eh? And why are you bitching at Apple
I am not bitching at Apple. I am pointing out that "installed base of third party accessories" has not been a blocker for Apple changing connectors in the past, therefore there is no reason to think it is a blocker now. They want to sell new phones. If changing connectors is going to seriously impact sales of those new phones, they won't change the connector. Obviously they have run the analysis that says changing connectors doesn't hurt their profits significantly.
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If they want wireless charging to work in coffee shops, they have to use Qi chargers. Otherwise, only Android phones charge wirelessly without a carrying a wireless charger around to... plug in.
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Apple already has USB-C on iPads, so currently the ecosystem is split and you need different peripherals for each, and different charging cables.
One of the main issues with iPads is that iOS doesn't have very good USB support, so a lot of stuff can be connected but just doesn't work. Android tends to support most generic USB stuff, including keyboards and mice, USB storage devices (even floppy disks), USB audio devices, ethernet adapters etc.
As for wireless charging, Apple does support the Qi standard. For
Re:This is fluff (Score:4, Insightful)
Apple had to upgrade the connector on the iPhone; it was holding them back. It was large and unwieldy, and provided no value going forward. But even that acknowledged, they received nothing but hate about changing the connector. It was necessary, so they did it, but people accused them of a crass money-grab for making that change for years.
Now they're faced with a decision to change the connector on their most popular device and it brings virtually no technological advantage for most of those people. Apple cares about their public image quite a lot, so making this change when there's no strong tech pipeline reason to do so would be crazy. It would be all the hate over again (except for the handful of techies that frequent sites like this), and frankly, mostly from people that don't even own iPhones. 99% of the people I see complaining about the iPhone not having USB-C are Android owners.
The Lightning connector is practical and stable. It makes them a little money and lets them exert some control, certainly. But Gruber is right that the money it makes them is effectively a rounding error, the control it lets them exert is only on companies that want the MFi designation (and most Lightning accessories don't have it; they use knock-off connectors and mostly come directly from China), and it's mostly just about maintaining the status quo so they don't piss off a bunch of people unnecessarily. Scale matters. Keeping iPhone owners happy by not changing things is cheap.
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they received nothing but hate about changing the connector. It was necessary, so they did it, but people accused them of a crass money-grab for making that change for years.
Apple had, and these days even more has, the bankroll to ride out that sort of complaining indefinitely. Factually, they continued to sell iPhones after the Lightning change, no matter how many people were complaining about it.
I'm not complaining about Apple's connector sunset decisions; I don't have a dog in the hunt. I'm merely pointing out that past history suggests that Apple purchasers will continue purchasing profitable volumes of Apple devices even if the new versions orphan their old accessories.
Re: This is fluff (Score:5, Insightful)
Clearly not true. This is the sort of claim routinely made by anti-Apple folks. The evidence is just the opposite.
Apple supports its devices longer than pretty much every company out there. Their devices are acknowledged to last longer in use than those of the competition etc. And Apple also routinely makes minor visual refreshes of its own products making them quite hard to distinguish from previous versions, which surely discourages upgrading in the short term.
That does not square with the claim that Apple are deliberately forcing users to upgrade their phones. Apple customers are loyal and Apple clearly wants their customers to stay in the fold rather than jump to competitors and for good reason too - acquiring new customers is more expensive than retaining existing ones.
But I call BS on the claim that Apple encourages e-waste especially when compared to their competitors.
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I gave my daughter my old iPhone 6s Plus. It just got upgraded to iOS 15 (released last week) without a glitch. That's a phone purchased in Oct 2015 - 6 years ago.
How long do flagship Android phones keep getting updates ?
Re: This is fluff (Score:2)
Only in your head!
USB-C is much better today (Score:5, Insightful)
USB-C used to be an abject failure with non-standard chargers, off-spec cables, non-compatible accessories. Today, not so much.
I have a hybrid Thunderbolt 3 / USB-C dock at home I use for work and personal needs. At business hours, I connect the work machine, at evening I connect the home one. Even though they use completely different technologies (TB vs USB) it works okay. I also tested it with my phone (Samsung Dex) and works with it too. I am pretty sure it will also work many other devices with no (or little) issues. One port = power + keyboard + mouse + HDMI + wired headset, works out of the box.
Chargers? We have several type-C chargers that we use for laptops, tablets, and phones. Thanks to pandemic everyone at home has a device now, and we no longer worry about finding the correct charger. They just work. (The only holdout is the old headset and Kindle, which are soon getting upgrades).
Two years ago, it would not have made sense. Today, things actually just work.
So, there is no more objection to type-C due to fragmentation.
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USB-C used to be an abject failure with non-standard chargers, off-spec cables, non-compatible accessories. Today, not so much.
I suspect we could see a return to that as the directive apparently only requires the plug, not any of the configurations in the spec. You could wing up with everything from USB-2 to whatever the latest protocol is, all with a USB-C plug. While at least every device should be able to charge, slowly, even with a cable designed only for charging, it will still not be a "everything works with any cable" solution. My guess, however, is buy the time the directive actually goes into force some 4 years or so fro
USBc is substandard (Score:4, Informative)
Remove your biases, anyone who thinks usbc beats lightning in any way as a rugged, easy to use, solid connector is out of their mind. There are so many fidley breakable bits in a usbc connector. In lightning it is a slab of metal with some contacts, elegant, simple, cheap, rugged. I donâ(TM)t love everything Apple makes but the lightning connector is a damn fine connector, perhaps at top of a list of best connectors ever designed.
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Most of the time, that's caused by gunk getting jammed up inside the port so that the plug won't go all the way in. But yes, it happens pretty often. Part of the problem is that the jack isn't deep enough to allow pocket lint to collect harmlessly inside.
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The female port degrades where the male lightning connector fails to make a connection. It wiggles so much it fails.
And I have at least 2 friends who have had to replace the USB-C port on their phones after only 1 year of use because the male part of the port failed. If the male port failed on a Lightning connector, replacing a cable is much cheaper and convenient than replacing the port. Personally I have never had a Lightning port failure; I have had to replace many Lightning cables though.
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Hahaha. You must not have encountered the dreaded corrosion of death problem. Let's just say that the tingling sensation from the pilot detect voltage on the power pin is rather novel for a toddler who wants to suck on everything, and the electrolysis reaction between saliva and the contact plating quickly erodes the contacts to base metal. After that, oxidation of the copper is accelerated by what appears to be arcing, and the connector quickly fails.
This can also damage the receptacle on the phone so you
Re:USBc is substandard (Score:5, Interesting)
My recollection is that the corrosion issue has largely been resolved for a few years. Chips in newer Lightning cables were updated awhile back to no longer maintain the pilot voltage you're talking about. They instead check periodically on a polling basis. While corrosion can still happen, it now takes many years (i.e. decades) to affect performance, rather than a few weeks or months, as was the case before.
What did the original iPhone use? (Score:2)
I had the first iPhone back in 2007, but now I can't remember what port it had. It's weird I cannot even imagine it had a USB port in it .. there's something unbehagen about that. All logic says it was USB, but I dunno .. it don't feel right.
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30 pin iPhone connector.
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Ohhh yeah.
Not upset with Apple on this one (Score:2)
As an Apple customer, the earliest window they could have switched over (knowing them) is last year. I have several Lightning devices, several USB-C, and far too many micro-USB and mini-USB. I would have been bummed that I needed to get a bunch of new cables, since I have my Lightning cables everywhere. I would also be pissed that some of my headphones and other accessories would cease to work.
USB-C could be better, but it still has all kinds of incompatibility issues. (Apple could still lock out vendor
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As someone else commented, [slashdot.org] Apple kept the 30-pin connector around for 10 years, 2002-2012, and maybe they're keeping Lightning around for ten years to keep accessory makers happy. That means next year, there's a good chance they'll finally ditch it. Apparently there are already iPads using USB-C (I don't care about iPads, so I hadn't noticed), but that's just another hint that Lightning is on its way out soon.
Expect to see them not just switch next year, but to do it in a way that would make Big Brother pr
Also, Lightning came earlier (Score:2)
On a longer term, will USB-C still cut it for evolving data transfer needs next to charging? Not sure that being forced to adopt USB-C would be good for progress on the longer run.
Otherwise I wonder if they will just stop offering a connector at all. Unfortunately wireless charging is slower and worse for the environment (low efficiency), but on the other hand a phone wi
Ship a USB-C to Lightning Cable (Score:2)
Unless Apple plans to skip out on the European market or pay a potentially steep fine for refusing to adopt the port
Just ship iPhones in Europe with a USB-C to Lightning Cable, so the USB-C port is included with the phone - without breaking all the existing iPhone docks.
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This is what Apple has been doing, betting that it would have been enough to appease the EU standard body.
"It just works" (Score:2)
Apple's products, when they are at their best, can be summed up by this phrase: "it just works".
That is: you can sit down in front of the product and use it, and it works the first time, and every time, without requiring you to troubleshoot or jump through hoops or consult the documentation or Google for the necessary magic incantations to apply.
Too often Apple falls short of this ideal, of course (as does everyone else), but occasionally they reach it; I'd say that the Lightning connector is one case whe
Why do non-iPhone users care what it uses? (Score:2)
I have an iPhone and I couldn't care less what socket it uses. The box came with a cable and I will use it when I need to, which I cannot remember the last time it happened.
Everything is wireless with the iPhone and has been ever since wireless charging was supported, was that 4 or 6 years ago? I use a wireless charger on my desk and in my car, bluetooth for headsets and car audio, worked well with 3 different iPhone models without any problem. Even external battery came with wireless charging models, wh
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Because we are mixed house of androids and apple, and it’s a pain to have our central charging station that needs both connectors. iPads don’t wirelessly charge.
Because lightning connector is superior. (Score:2)
If you've used lightning, the design is a marvel [lifewire.com], it's clean and neat and beautiful.
If it gets dirt, you just wipe the connector.
USB-C is a mess, not only can you not easily clean the connector and port, but since the port has a notch, if it breaks, it ends your device.
Really surprised Apple decided to adopt usb-c for their macbook and ipad, they should have upgraded the lightning spec with faster speeds, and used it for all devices.
Brought to you by the people (Score:2)
Brought to you by the people who wanted to force standardization on mini-USB, the worst connector every invented in the history of signalling. Or was it the micro-USB, also the worst connector ever invented in the history of signalling? Apple's release of the Lightning connector forced every connector standards body in the world to start improving their work or be rendered obsolete - so of course the EU needs to put a right stop to that.
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And that's it: they ship with the USB-C converter cable to EU, and are done providing port for the common chargers.
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Only that the law requires USB-C at both ends, an adapter would not cut it.
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Then, disconnectable body extension (AKA adapter) for EU consumers could be forming such port.
Can't see why it should be enforced solid with the rest of the body.
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BTW currently they ship USB-C to Lightning which fits nowhere except their proprietary chargers: there aren't [m]any chargers/laptops with USB-C sockets yet, so USB-A=>USB-C is the most convenient. But no. Lets flip the majority.
Re: F... no (Score:2)
Only that the law requires USB-C at both ends, an adapter would not cut it.
So, the EU would rather have European landfills chock-full of Beelions of suddenly-obsolete Lightning AC and car chargers, cables, earbuds, 3.5mm adapters, splitters, et fucking cetera, rather than allowing Apple (who already has a superior connector, that precedes USB-C, and which was designed specifically to avoid the EUâ(TM)s earlier attempts to force everyone into that absolute shitshow, micro-USB) to continue to adopt (or not) USB-C as it sees fit!
Again, Apple is being forced into a substandard co
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That's very likely going to be the solution. The "EU version" ships with an included adapter and costs curiously a bit more than the international version, with the price difference being pretty much what the adapter would cost.
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Re:F... no (Score:5, Insightful)
"Apple's Lightning cable is a clusterf* of incompatible cables"
How is 100% compatibility across all cables and devices bearing the name "lightening" "clusterf* of incompatible devices"?
If you buy a cable called "Lightening" its an apple approved cable and it works. If its called "Lightening" and it doesnt work, then congrats, you just brought yourself a counterfeit. Thats on you, not apple.
Don't just make shit up my dude. People notice.
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"Apple's Lightning cable is a clusterf* of incompatible cables"
How is 100% compatibility across all cables and devices bearing the name "lightening" "clusterf* of incompatible devices"?
Same as USB-C, then.
If you buy a cable called "Lightening" its an apple approved cable and it works.
If that is how it is spelled, it's a knock-off. Avoid.
Re:F... no (Score:5, Informative)
Except USB C has various standards for power and data transfer. The wrong cable will make it impossible to get video out, or charge with enough power, or get the data speed up, or all manner of other incompatibilities.
With lightning, that's not a factor. If it is lightning, it supports what lightning has.
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How is 100% compatibility across all cables and devices bearing the name "lightening" "clusterf* of incompatible devices"?
Ever tried to plug a Lightning cable in through a case? Better make sure the shell is exactly the same size as Apple's shell, or it might not fit through the hole. (I've had problems with major-name-brand cables not being able to plug into devices inside major-name-brand cases.)
Also, Lightning can either be USB 2 or USB 3, depending on the motherboard chipset, so you aren't guaranteed a particular transfer speed.
It's not quite a clusterf*** of incompatibility, but it isn't exactly great.
Re: F... no (Score:5, Funny)
Also, Lightning can either be USB 2 or USB 3, depending on the motherboard chipset, so you aren't guaranteed a particular transfer speed.
You dare to hold up USB-C as some bastion of "guaranteed transfer rate"?!?
Well, alrighty, then!
Re: (Score:3)
Have you ever bought a device advertised as "USB C" charging that came with a USB A to C cable? Then tried to use a USB C to C cable plugged in to a USB C charger only to find out it won't work? They have the C socket, but not the chip so only work in compatibility mode with USB 2. I've had a few of those things. Then there's the various dot versions of the USB 3 spec. Cables that all look the same that don't actually support the same charge rates. Chargers that all look similar that don't have the sa
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No, I haven't experienced that. Thus far, if I have a USB-C charger that is high end, it's able to charge every device I have.
It is true that my USB-C laptop can't charge from a low-end charger, but there at least in my experience a clean downwards compatible path.
They could do with some sort of clearer labelling for consumers, but there exist cables that support as high and and as low end as you need, chargers that seem to charge both USB-PD devices as well as dumb usb charging devices that expect nothing
iPad... (Score:5, Informative)
So when they turn around and try and argue that USB-C would be so terrible for the iPhone, they seem to be hoping we won't notice that they have already fitted it to their other "iDevice" range.
And at the risk of being challenged on the subject of "available volume" for battery capacity and the like, it might also be worth pointing out that the interior volume of iPhone may have slowly shrunk over the last few generations:-
iPhone 7 [forbes.com] - 138.3 x 67.1 x 7.1mm (65,887.503mm^3)
iPhone 13 [apple.com] - 131.5 x 64.2 x 7.65mm (64,583.595mm^3)
Now, I don't know if the approx 1,300mm^3 of reduced volume between the 7 and the 13 would allow Apple to do the unthinkable and add *two* connector sockets to the phone... but I do know that if they did, then they could significantly reduce the complexity for users who want to have both an iPad and an iPhone but only want to have to carry one type of charging/connecting cable.
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I have exactly zero devices powered by USB-C in my house.
Well, aren't you the standard of all things?
I have at least a dozen devices with USB-C connectors, and I like it a lot. I can use the same USB-C laptop charger to charge my laptop, tablet, phones, headphones, you-name-it. Just an example.
As for it being bad, I don't know. My anecdotal evidence says it's beautiful.
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Re:Why force a cable when things are going wireles (Score:5, Insightful)
The aren't, wirelessly charged devices are exempt from the directive.
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The aren't, wirelessly charged devices are exempt from the directive.
And given the earliest the switch has to be made will probably be more like 2025 USB-C on iPhones will probably not happen as wireless replaces Lightening.
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The point of the EU regulation is to encourage using existing chargers when buying a new device. And the proposal is only for wired chargers not wireless.
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The industry isn't going wireless. Only flagship devices are wireless, and they make up only a fraction of total smartphone sales.
Greetings from the owner of a phone that was released 2 months ago and *doesn't* include wireless despite my Galaxy S4 having it 8 years ago.
Wireless is a premium feature that has for nearly a decade only been available on a subset of devices.
Re: Hipsterism/Contrarianism (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: Hipsterism/Contrarianism (Score:5, Insightful)
Less force to disconnect is a good thing. It means less stress on the connector. If the connector breaks it's expensive to fix, especially in a glued shut iPhone.
In fact many people prefer to have a weak magnetic connection like Magsafe because having the cable disconnect is preferable to having it damage the connector or pull the device off the desk.
Re: Hipsterism/Contrarianism (Score:5, Informative)
Every iPhone since the 6s has been glued shut. It's not terribly strong glue, and it's still pretty easy to open the phone, but the glue is there.
https://www.ifixit.com/Store/i... [ifixit.com]
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According to iFixIt to open the iPhone 12 to change the battery you need to remove the screen, which is glued in. They provide a special tool for softening the glue to make it easier to open. Afterwards it's not waterproof unless you replace the disposable seal and glue it together again.
https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/i... [ifixit.com]
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Magnetic ports are problematic. They attract little metal pieces right to electrical pins. If nothing else, it can be extra difficult to remove those shards because you are having to fight the magnet, and those shards fight letting the connector seat even if the metallic particles are attracted sufficiently away from the pins.
Particularly combined with the goal of smaller connectors, which exacerbates the problem.
Re:Hipsterism/Contrarianism (Score:4, Interesting)
I'm not so sure about that. If you read the USB-C standard, it's full of Apple people. Somewhere in late 2016, I bought the 16" MacBook Pro, which had four USB-C/Thunderbolt ports, and nothing more (well, an audio jack). Back then, that was a novelty. I've got a 2018 iPad which also has USB-C.
They like the standard. They just don't seem to like it on their phones.
Re: Hipsterism/Contrarianism (Score:3)
Please don't talk about fragility. I'm on fourth cable in 3 years because Apple is not able to make a pin right. Oh, and it's $30 per cable.
https://ioshacker.com/iphone/w... [ioshacker.com]
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Re:Hipsterism/Contrarianism (Score:4, Insightful)
More than that, when Apple introduced lightning the alternative was micro-USB. Lightning is *much* superior to micro-USB.
The differences are less pronounced with USB-C, but people lost their shit when Apple converted to lightning, so why would they want to do it again for no clear gain in functionality?
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Back circa 2012 they either stick to the obviously limited 30-pin connector and are the villain for not keeping up with technology and the times, OR they adopt a shitty micro-USB and they are a villain for the failings of micro-USB, OR they invent a better connector and are villains for not using a standard format
Now, they either stick to their 10 year old connector and are villains for failing to adopt an at be
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User friendliness is a form of innovation. It requires creation of novel interaction models that are intuitive, or at least less confusing than what came before. Techies may not always see the value in that innovation for themselves, but then again, how many of us are still using command lines for all our interaction with computers?
And even if hardware innovation were the only form of innovation that matters, where the fuck have you been? Have you some