7 ms·

I was disappointed the article didn’t include details about the physical connector. Lighting’s performance specs might be outdated, but I’ve always liked it’s p

I was disappointed the article didn’t include details about the physical connector. Lighting’s performance specs might be outdated, but I’ve always liked it’s physical interface. It’s rugged, reliable, simple, and pops in with satisfying but subtle tactile feedback.

t3rabytes 4y ago
Agree, I do enjoy the feeling of plugging in a Lightning cable more than a USB C cable, but the spring-loaded mechanism wears over time and eventually there’s no snap at all.
- xvaier 4y ago
  From my experience, when there is no more snap it tends to be an accumulation of dust and grime in the port preventing the cable from fully seating. I usually clear it out carefully with a sim card ejection tool.
  - mikepurvis 4y ago
    Yup, have done this many times; my phone is definitely due for it.
  - plasticchris 4y ago
    I use a sharpened wooden toothpick to prevent any possibility of shorting the pins
    - jmkb 4y ago
      I've had good luck with poster-tack goo... just have to make sure not to leave any behind.
    - somehnguy 4y ago
      Probably a good precaution to take - but I've always recklessly used a paperclip. Been doing it since the first Lightning connector devices came out and have never had any negative effects from doing so. Seems pretty robust.
    - RKearney 4y ago
      Look closely at a lightning cable. The edge is metal. When you plug in a lightning cable, you briefly short every single pin together. There's probably a greater risk of bending a pin inside the port than there is shorting pins out.
      - brookst 4y ago
        Yes, it’s a similar design to RJ45, where angled pins are lifted by the leading edge of the connector. Lightning doesn’t have the grooves to guide pins, but the tight tolerance and setback of pins means you really can’t land a pin on the wrong connector, let along short across them.
  - KingLancelot 4y ago
    [dead]
scarface74 4y ago
Lightning is capable of doing USB 3 speeds. The first gen iPad Pro had lightning ports and had usb 3 speeds.
- kmeisthax 4y ago
  Right. And likewise I doubt the USB-C iPhone is going to have USB 3 capability - given that Apple's had the opportunity to put USB 3 in those phones for a while now. For whatever reason it's not a cost they feel like paying, even on the Pro phones that shoot in ProRes and presumably could benefit from quick offload.
  - scarface74 4y ago
    I agree. We already see that in the latest low end iPad that has USB C. But only transfers data at USB 2 speeds. Maybe the Pro models will have the full USB C capabilities - video over USB C and full USB 3 speeds like the iPad Pro.
  - brookst 4y ago
    Rightly or wrongly, Apple is driving to pure wireless and portless devices. Best hope for USB-3 will be an updated MagSafe connector on a portless phone, using 60ghz networking from phone to MagSafe and usb-C from MagSafe out.
    - scarface74 4y ago
      Are they? The only device that is pure wireless is the Watch. The AirPods Pro2 would have been the perfect opportunity to go wireless. It already works with both standard Qi chargers and the non standard Watch charger
      - shagie 4y ago
        I'm sure they are. It reduces the attack surface (you can't break into the phone by plugging something into it)... which also means that jailbreaking will be a bit more difficult. It also completely removes them from the debates and regulation of connectors. Lightening? micro usb? usb-c? All of that goes away. By removing cords and cables it also removes the "my device doesn't work because I was using a flaky 3rd party cable" ongoing support questions.
osigurdson 4y ago
>> It’s rugged, reliable In my experience it works well for 2-3 years then wears out and charging becomes very difficult after that. The connector also breaks easily as it is essentially a totally exposed fragment of a circuit board. The design was light years ahead of everything else for a long time but these days, everything should be USB-C.
- dev_tty01 4y ago
  Charging issues after a couple of years are usually due to lint accumulation in the phone opening. A little careful time with a toothpick will usually get it sorted.
  - osigurdson 4y ago
    It isn't just that. It physically wears out as well.
    - thedrbrian 4y ago
      My first gen iPad Pro and iPhone 6s Plus say otherwise.
    - muxamilian 4y ago
      One pin on the cable (male part) becomes oxidized (black) after time. One can rub the black stuff away using a regular rubber and it usually works again.
      - falsenapkin 4y ago
        I've used contact cleaner and toothpicks to solve this problem before. It only works so many times, eventually it's just totally shot. I've never had a cable fray but I've had 3 or 4 lightning connectors become useless.
- brookst 4y ago
  I’ve never found Lightning connectors to fail, but the cable to connector junction does seem to wear out after a few years, especially on Apple cables with that terrible vinyl-like stress relief material. But USB-C is pretty young. It remains to be seen if cables and connectors are really durable forever. I am still suspicious of the complexity of the nested male/female design with the inner male blade being part of the device and hard/impossible to fix if broken. . . but have not seen any problems on my increasing number of USB-C devices yet.
dangus 4y ago
I agree. I still use the iPhone dock that supports the whole weight of the phone with the lightning port. I've had no issues. It was totally designed to enable a minimalist Apple retail store aesthetic. I'm convinced that's the only reason for the design. Totally unnecessary design constraint, but very cool...talk about a company with a holistic view of their products, thinking about how details of the design will aid retail display. I'm still looking forward to a USB-C iPhone, if Apple doesn't go portless (fingers crossed on that).
- Mikeb85 4y ago
  The male part of the connector isn't the issue. It's the spring inside the device that keeps it plugged in (obviously doesn't matter with the dock because gravity does that) that wears down.
stared 4y ago
Reliable? I find these cables broken over, and over. Many last only 2 months or so. At the samy time, my USB-C cables just work.
Mikeb85 4y ago
You must switch devices every year or two... Every old iPhone or iPad I've seen, it eventually wears out and becomes loose.

t3rabytes 4y ago

Agree, I do enjoy the feeling of plugging in a Lightning cable more than a USB C cable, but the spring-loaded mechanism wears over time and eventually there’s no snap at all.

xvaier 4y ago
From my experience, when there is no more snap it tends to be an accumulation of dust and grime in the port preventing the cable from fully seating. I usually clear it out carefully with a sim card ejection tool.
- mikepurvis 4y ago
  Yup, have done this many times; my phone is definitely due for it.
- plasticchris 4y ago
  I use a sharpened wooden toothpick to prevent any possibility of shorting the pins
  - jmkb 4y ago
    I've had good luck with poster-tack goo... just have to make sure not to leave any behind.
  - somehnguy 4y ago
    Probably a good precaution to take - but I've always recklessly used a paperclip. Been doing it since the first Lightning connector devices came out and have never had any negative effects from doing so. Seems pretty robust.
  - RKearney 4y ago
    Look closely at a lightning cable. The edge is metal. When you plug in a lightning cable, you briefly short every single pin together. There's probably a greater risk of bending a pin inside the port than there is shorting pins out.
    - brookst 4y ago
      Yes, it’s a similar design to RJ45, where angled pins are lifted by the leading edge of the connector. Lightning doesn’t have the grooves to guide pins, but the tight tolerance and setback of pins means you really can’t land a pin on the wrong connector, let along short across them.
- KingLancelot 4y ago
  [dead]

scarface74 4y ago

Lightning is capable of doing USB 3 speeds. The first gen iPad Pro had lightning ports and had usb 3 speeds.

kmeisthax 4y ago
Right. And likewise I doubt the USB-C iPhone is going to have USB 3 capability - given that Apple's had the opportunity to put USB 3 in those phones for a while now. For whatever reason it's not a cost they feel like paying, even on the Pro phones that shoot in ProRes and presumably could benefit from quick offload.
- scarface74 4y ago
  I agree. We already see that in the latest low end iPad that has USB C. But only transfers data at USB 2 speeds. Maybe the Pro models will have the full USB C capabilities - video over USB C and full USB 3 speeds like the iPad Pro.
- brookst 4y ago
  Rightly or wrongly, Apple is driving to pure wireless and portless devices. Best hope for USB-3 will be an updated MagSafe connector on a portless phone, using 60ghz networking from phone to MagSafe and usb-C from MagSafe out.
  - scarface74 4y ago
    Are they? The only device that is pure wireless is the Watch. The AirPods Pro2 would have been the perfect opportunity to go wireless. It already works with both standard Qi chargers and the non standard Watch charger
    - shagie 4y ago
      I'm sure they are. It reduces the attack surface (you can't break into the phone by plugging something into it)... which also means that jailbreaking will be a bit more difficult. It also completely removes them from the debates and regulation of connectors. Lightening? micro usb? usb-c? All of that goes away. By removing cords and cables it also removes the "my device doesn't work because I was using a flaky 3rd party cable" ongoing support questions.

osigurdson 4y ago

>> It’s rugged, reliable In my experience it works well for 2-3 years then wears out and charging becomes very difficult after that. The connector also breaks easily as it is essentially a totally exposed fragment of a circuit board. The design was light years ahead of everything else for a long time but these days, everything should be USB-C.

dev_tty01 4y ago
Charging issues after a couple of years are usually due to lint accumulation in the phone opening. A little careful time with a toothpick will usually get it sorted.
- osigurdson 4y ago
  It isn't just that. It physically wears out as well.
  - thedrbrian 4y ago
    My first gen iPad Pro and iPhone 6s Plus say otherwise.
  - muxamilian 4y ago
    One pin on the cable (male part) becomes oxidized (black) after time. One can rub the black stuff away using a regular rubber and it usually works again.
    - falsenapkin 4y ago
      I've used contact cleaner and toothpicks to solve this problem before. It only works so many times, eventually it's just totally shot. I've never had a cable fray but I've had 3 or 4 lightning connectors become useless.
brookst 4y ago
I’ve never found Lightning connectors to fail, but the cable to connector junction does seem to wear out after a few years, especially on Apple cables with that terrible vinyl-like stress relief material. But USB-C is pretty young. It remains to be seen if cables and connectors are really durable forever. I am still suspicious of the complexity of the nested male/female design with the inner male blade being part of the device and hard/impossible to fix if broken. . . but have not seen any problems on my increasing number of USB-C devices yet.

dangus 4y ago

I agree. I still use the iPhone dock that supports the whole weight of the phone with the lightning port. I've had no issues. It was totally designed to enable a minimalist Apple retail store aesthetic. I'm convinced that's the only reason for the design. Totally unnecessary design constraint, but very cool...talk about a company with a holistic view of their products, thinking about how details of the design will aid retail display. I'm still looking forward to a USB-C iPhone, if Apple doesn't go portless (fingers crossed on that).

Mikeb85 4y ago
The male part of the connector isn't the issue. It's the spring inside the device that keeps it plugged in (obviously doesn't matter with the dock because gravity does that) that wears down.

stared 4y ago

Reliable? I find these cables broken over, and over. Many last only 2 months or so. At the samy time, my USB-C cables just work.

Mikeb85 4y ago

You must switch devices every year or two... Every old iPhone or iPad I've seen, it eventually wears out and becomes loose.