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Lightning is a better connector for small devices and it's more durable in my experience. USB-C is way better than micro as a connector but you end up with the

Lightning is a better connector for small devices and it's more durable in my experience. USB-C is way better than micro as a connector but you end up with the issue of many kinds of cables that look similar but are not interchangeable. What speed? PD support? Power only? Who knows! Maybe switching to a less durable connector or no connector is fine given that Qi support has gotten pretty good. Most of the Lightning cables I've purchased are still in circulation, I'd prefer not to replace them. If the EU really cared about solving a problem they'd ban micro, that connector is really fragile and totally superseded by type C.

themitigating 4y ago
They are interchangeable but may not charge as fast or transfer data as fast. So they are still useful.
- hedgehog 4y ago
  They're not interchangeable, of the C cables I have now some will drive my monitor and some won't, and some don't even carry data. The type C connector is a big step up vs the older micro and A+B connectors, it just doesn't really make using USB simpler or easier to figure out.
jonny_eh 4y ago
> Lightning is a better connector for small devices it's more durable in my experience It's less durable in my experience. I can do this all day.
- gruez 4y ago
  I don't see how USB-C can be more durable considering there's a plastic post on the female side holding the pins. That's an obvious failure point.
  - jonny_eh 4y ago
    The large hole in the lightning female port traps lint, I have to clean it out with a toothpick every couple of weeks. USB-C's gaps are too small for lint to collect.
    - toast0 4y ago
      > USB-C's gaps are too small for lint to collect. That's not true, as my phone would be happy to attest. However, I think I cleaned it in the 12-18 month range, when charging stopped working and the cable no longer clicked. There's almost certainly lint back in there, but not enough to necessitate cleaning.
  - wffurr 4y ago
    Black 4th pin seems like a somewhat common failure mode: https://ioshacker.com/iphone/why-the-fourth-pin-on-your-lightning-cable-turns-black https://ioshacker.com/iphone/why-the-fourth-pin-on-your-ligh...
    - gruez 4y ago
      Is there reason to believe it's not an issue on usb-c? On usb-c the terminals aren't exposed, so even if it did occur you wouldn't notice it.
      - wffurr 4y ago
        The cable stops working in one orientation, so I'd expect it to be quite noticeable. There's a few posts in that regard, so I suspect it has the same or similar problems. Certainly doesn't seem in favor of Lightning cables being any more durable.
klempner 4y ago
There is no such thing as a C to C cable that is "power only" or doesn't support PD, unless it is grossly spec incompliant. The minimal spec C to C cable is USB 2 data and supports power delivery with currents up to 3 amps (i.e. 60 W at 20V 3A) This is enough for most phones, and almost all of the exceptions use proprietary charging that isn't going to work on a C to C cable anyway. The labeling issue of all these cheap shit cables is a serious problem, but it is a nonissue in the phone charging context.
- hedgehog 4y ago
  I already have three kinds of C to C cables, some that will work with my laptop+monitor and some that won't, then some power-only ones for random accessories. We can no-true-Scotsman all day but so far type C hasn't simplified my life and as far as I can tell it won't in the near future. iPhones switching for me will just mean throwing out a decade of Lightning cables and buying USB-C cables.
  - klempner 4y ago
    Are these "power only" C to C cables something you're explicitly going out and buying or something that comes with these random accessories?
    - hedgehog 4y ago
      They are charge cables that come with random accessories, I think I bought some long ones as well. Also A to C cables. As long as they're only used for low-draw devices it should be safe but requires keeping track.
      - klempner 4y ago
        The vast majority of C to C "charge" cables are USB 2 cables. I don't believe I have ever received or even seen a "charge only" non-captive C to C cable. A to C cables are a lot more common. Do you have reason to believe that the C to C cables you got/bought don't support USB 2? It doesn't make sense for a random accessory to come with a charge only C to C cable because USB 2 C to C cables are a dime a dozen. They're almost certainly paying more money to produce a spec violating cable.

themitigating 4y ago

They are interchangeable but may not charge as fast or transfer data as fast. So they are still useful.

hedgehog 4y ago
They're not interchangeable, of the C cables I have now some will drive my monitor and some won't, and some don't even carry data. The type C connector is a big step up vs the older micro and A+B connectors, it just doesn't really make using USB simpler or easier to figure out.

jonny_eh 4y ago

> Lightning is a better connector for small devices it's more durable in my experience It's less durable in my experience. I can do this all day.

gruez 4y ago
I don't see how USB-C can be more durable considering there's a plastic post on the female side holding the pins. That's an obvious failure point.
- jonny_eh 4y ago
  The large hole in the lightning female port traps lint, I have to clean it out with a toothpick every couple of weeks. USB-C's gaps are too small for lint to collect.
  - toast0 4y ago
    > USB-C's gaps are too small for lint to collect. That's not true, as my phone would be happy to attest. However, I think I cleaned it in the 12-18 month range, when charging stopped working and the cable no longer clicked. There's almost certainly lint back in there, but not enough to necessitate cleaning.
- wffurr 4y ago
  Black 4th pin seems like a somewhat common failure mode: https://ioshacker.com/iphone/why-the-fourth-pin-on-your-lightning-cable-turns-black https://ioshacker.com/iphone/why-the-fourth-pin-on-your-ligh...
  - gruez 4y ago
    Is there reason to believe it's not an issue on usb-c? On usb-c the terminals aren't exposed, so even if it did occur you wouldn't notice it.
    - wffurr 4y ago
      The cable stops working in one orientation, so I'd expect it to be quite noticeable. There's a few posts in that regard, so I suspect it has the same or similar problems. Certainly doesn't seem in favor of Lightning cables being any more durable.

klempner 4y ago

There is no such thing as a C to C cable that is "power only" or doesn't support PD, unless it is grossly spec incompliant. The minimal spec C to C cable is USB 2 data and supports power delivery with currents up to 3 amps (i.e. 60 W at 20V 3A) This is enough for most phones, and almost all of the exceptions use proprietary charging that isn't going to work on a C to C cable anyway. The labeling issue of all these cheap shit cables is a serious problem, but it is a nonissue in the phone charging context.

hedgehog 4y ago
I already have three kinds of C to C cables, some that will work with my laptop+monitor and some that won't, then some power-only ones for random accessories. We can no-true-Scotsman all day but so far type C hasn't simplified my life and as far as I can tell it won't in the near future. iPhones switching for me will just mean throwing out a decade of Lightning cables and buying USB-C cables.
- klempner 4y ago
  Are these "power only" C to C cables something you're explicitly going out and buying or something that comes with these random accessories?
  - hedgehog 4y ago
    They are charge cables that come with random accessories, I think I bought some long ones as well. Also A to C cables. As long as they're only used for low-draw devices it should be safe but requires keeping track.
    - klempner 4y ago
      The vast majority of C to C "charge" cables are USB 2 cables. I don't believe I have ever received or even seen a "charge only" non-captive C to C cable. A to C cables are a lot more common. Do you have reason to believe that the C to C cables you got/bought don't support USB 2? It doesn't make sense for a random accessory to come with a charge only C to C cable because USB 2 C to C cables are a dime a dozen. They're almost certainly paying more money to produce a spec violating cable.