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Apple ditches the Lightning connector in favor of USB-C after 11 years
- seydor 3y agothey didnt even mention him or his death, poor guy
- jnrk 3y agoWho?
- reustle 3y agoMany languages refer to items as gendered, so instead of "it" it would be "him" or "her". This is a pretty common thing to hear in English when in those regions. The post is likely referring to the lightning port (from the post title).
- kshacker 3y agoLesson in how to take an L and move on
- derefr 3y agoLightning's potentially not fully dead yet — they made no mention of removing Lightning from peripherals (keyboards/mice/touchpads).
- hbn 3y agoThankfully those are all things you leave on your desk. I have a lightning cable always plugged into my MacBook Pro for charging my keyboard and mouse, but I don't even bother with it for my phone since it's pretty slow charging from a Mac's port compared to the 67W charger that came with the laptop.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- xoa 3y agoSo long and sooner into the landfill for a thermal camera, higher end environmental noise monitoring microphone, decent wrap around game controller pad, etc, and repurchasing all of the above. This must be some of that "reducing ewaste" and "saving us money" thing I've heard so much about on HN. Yay. Edit: as I replied below, some accessories are form fitting, so no, can't use an adapter. Gamepad example I have (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08FFPKRYW/ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08FFPKRYW/). And even for those that can work with an adapter, for anything but cables the result is longer/flimsier/more awkward/another point of failure, and what are adapters if not more ewaste? And is everyone supposed to by adapters for even lightning cables? I'm fairly certain lightning cables are all going to get tossed too, or at least a very high percentage as people switch. I'm resigned to it and I can afford it, just feels like this time was itself a waste and not based on data and carefully thought through tradeoffs but populism.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- zuminator 3y ago> and repurchasing all of the above ? https://www.amazon.com/xPOWR-3-Pack-Lightning-Adapter-iPhone/dp/B0C9HL5W1J https://www.amazon.com/xPOWR-3-Pack-Lightning-Adapter-iPhone...
- Symmetry 3y agoIf you have that between the phone and the add-on the phone won't be held securely by the add on as a rigid unit.
- 05 3y agoThose are charging adapters, you would need different ones for peripherals. I'm sure they'll show up soon enough. EDIT: see e.g. here https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/663707 https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/663707
- xoa 3y agoHuh, I was going to respond to someone else but the post was deleted. So upvoting you, and here is what I wrote out when it was only a single reply: ---- A lot of accessories, docks etc are form fitting for good reason, and in that case no there will be no adapters, there just physically is no room. For anything handheld adapters tend to be more awkward and crappier if they work at all for anything that isn't a cable, hard to avoid in a that kind of space constrained scenario. For accessories like the mic yes an adapter likely could work, though it'll still be an extra half inch or whatever more fragile stuff stuck on the end. An irritation and extra expense for no value but not the end of it. The conversation around it has been pretty annoying and self righteous though by promoters, even as it also felt like fait accompli as regulators started forcing it. Lots of braying about "ewaste" without any sort of analysis of what percentage of the waste stream that is (looks pretty minuscule) or the ROI on sweeping away all the enormous existing capital investment the public has made. I could even accept some sort of "yes this will mean more junk and cost in the near term but it'll pay off in 20 years". But for some reason all the conversations I've seen have brushed it aside with "uh adapters" or "well I only use cables myself". Anyway, just consider my post a grumpy resigned last bit of pushback. I still don't really feel like government forcing Lightning -> USB-C was really worth it, if we were forcing a change I'd have preferred it at least going to something really thought through, ground shifting, and future proof forever like an optical hybrid. I think (I sure hope!) USB-C isn't "the end of history" in terms of peripheral connectors. But it's also all water under the dam at this point, and younger me may have been less grumpy, not like I haven't seen lots and lots (and lots)^n of connectors come and go over the decades already.
- _bohm 3y agoWas really hoping they'd add back the headphone jack with this change, but no such luck this time around :(
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- bodge5000 3y agoKnew it wouldn't happen but was hoping for the same thing. I really like the iOS software, but I have no plans to buy a phone without USB-C and a headphone jack. Close but no cigar
- wvenable 3y agoWith Airpods being essentially an industry onto itself, this seems very unlikely. I used to care about the headphone jack but wireless earbuds have become so good and so convenient that it seems a bit anachronistic now. I have a UBC-C to headphone adapter for emergencies and it's permanently affixed to my wired headphones but I can't remember the last time I used it.
- ghaff 3y agoI still use my wired Bose earphones in a plane (and presumably I'll get a USB-C adapter for them to replace my Lightning one whenever I get around to upgrading my phone) but really Airpods are fine for most everything else.
- _bohm 3y agoYeah I'm not really a fan of wireless headphones, personally. I'd just like to use my DT 770s to listen to music on my phone without having to bring an extra adapter with me everywhere, and while being able to charge the phone at the same time if necessary.
- ghaff 3y agoI assume a version exists for USB-C but my Lightning to 3.5mm headset adapter also includes a Lightning charger port so I can charge my phone at the same time.
- happytiger 3y agoThank you European regulators.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- throwaway858748 3y ago[flagged]
- stirlo 3y agoJust had to wait for the Pro announcement. Pro model gets USB 3 support. "20x faster" so that would make it 10Gbps.
- throwaway858748 3y agoI think that implies the non pro is USB 2.0 which came out in 2001.
- Dylan16807 3y agoWow, someone or more got really aggressive flagging you, they even flagged this comment for some reason.
- throwaway858748 3y agoApparently USB 3.0 is a pro feature. lmao
- stouset 3y agoI would wager that in the current age of iCloud backups, easily 95% of users have never used the cable to transfer data on/off their phone. I don't think I've use the cable for data transfer in maybe ten years?
- throwaway858748 3y agoThat's assuming you pay a not insignificant sum to have more than a paltry 5GB of iCloud space. To me it's pretty ridiculous that the iPhone can't match features that android phones have had for a decade.
- 3y ago
- intsunny 3y agoMaybe I missed something, but I don't think Apple discussed speed, charging, USB-PD/PPS/etc support in regards to USB-C as a connector and an ecosystem. The discussion on iphone moving to USB-C is far from over.
- stirlo 3y agoSpeed for iPhone 15 Pro is USB 3 20x faster than the regular iPhone 15. This implies 10Gbps (USB 3.1 gen 2x1 or 3.2 gen 1x2) on the pro and 480Mbps (USB 2.0) on the standard phone.
- sebazzz 3y agoThe iPhone 15 Pro can even directly record video to an external storage device (4k60).
- faeriechangling 3y ago10Gbps is perfectly reasonable given the devices cap out at 1tb. If people can tolerate iPhones taking hours to charge, I doubt they're going to mind the minutes a wired data transfer takes. 480Mbps is so bad you're better off using Wifi in every situation I can think of.
- the_pwner224 3y agoIt's 1 terabyte vs 10 gigabits. It would take 13.5 minutes to flush the entire disk out via the USB port.
- terramex 3y agoAs for Speed: USB 2 on regular iPhone, USB 3 on Pro models. No word on PD yet.
- hbn 3y agoThe new processor featured in the Pro models adds support for USB 3.0 transfer speeds. Apple started doing a thing last year where the non-Pro phones get last year's processor, and only the new Pros get the new one. So it's likely next year the entire lineup will get the faster transfer speeds.
- rimunroe 3y agoI imagine this was forced by the EU's decision, but didn't Apple commit in 2012 to sticking with Lightning for something like ten years after people complained about them switching connectors frequently?
- hbn 3y ago> after people complained about them switching connectors frequently If they complained about that, they're wrong. Lightning was their first switch in connector after the original 30-pin, and this is their second switch ever. But I'm sure we can strap in for a year or 2 of people complaining about how "Apple always changes the connector" even though it's been twice in a couple decades (30-pin started with the iPod)
- SllX 3y ago9 years of 30-pin and 11 years of Lightning. Not too shabby.
- Dork1234 3y agoI remember the days when every single device had a different cable to connect/power (looking at you sony laptops and cameras). Apple has always been one of the better companies for limited unneeded changes.
- hbn 3y agoIt's also worth noting that when USB-C was finalized, Apple had only made the switch to Lightning a couple years prior. People were already upset over that switch because all of their cables and accessories were suddenly incompatible (this was at a time when people used their port for a lot more). I think if Apple immediately changed out their port for USB-C in 2015 like a lot of Android manufacturers did, they would have gotten a LOT of flak. While I'm sure they certainly enjoyed the selfish benefits of Lightning until now, there's something to be said that it's a pro-consumer move to let people continue to use their cables and accessories for a decade before making the jump. Even after doing this now, I'm already preparing to hear people complain about how this move is a money grab.
- faeriechangling 3y agoGood riddance. Apple created so much e-waste by refusing to play ball with USB-IF despite starting to use usb-c 8 years ago. Praise to the EU for forcing their hands. If they really wanted to they could have always waited for USB-C to mature to jump straight from the iPod connector straight to USB-C. Or they could have made Lightning an open standard. They did neither.
- Simulacra 3y agoThey will find another way to make it up
- sebazzz 3y ago> Praise to the EU for forcing their hands. The Brussels effect once again.
- someonehere 3y agoLightning connector was introduced in 2012. Probably sat in the lab being developed for a year or two before publicly announced. It made it easy for someone to plug in no matter which way the cable was seated. It also provided phones, iPads, and iPods quicker speeds. USB-C was published and finalized in August 2014.
- SllX 3y agoLightning was a better, smaller, simpler and reversible electrical connector, but for almost all devices that ever used it (the very first iPad Pro is the exception), it unfortunately offered no improvement in USB transfer rates over 30-pin. Pour one out though. It’s still a fine connector. 11-12 years-ish ain’t too bad, shame that Apple never prioritize data transfer rates though and to be honest, still don’t seem to care that much judging by the base models.
- matthewtse 3y agoI loved lightning when it first came out. And, perhaps a contrary opinion, but the I still think lightning is easier to insert than usb-C. The curved edges and smaller size mean you can begin inserting it at an odd angle and finish the insertion easily. Whereas you need to insert usb-C nearly straight on for it to get in. Also because the lightning cable's male end is solid, there's no way for dust to collect in there, unlike USB-C where dust can collect inside both the cable end and the peripheral end. Though overall I would trade that for 1 fewer cable/port that I need to manage in my life.
- WD40forRust 3y ago[dead]
- mensetmanusman 3y agoMy usb C to hdmi Apple adapter has had a much higher number of ease of use issues with TVs during presentations compared to my older iPad’s HDMI to lightning. (One I diagnosed and sent to Apple Engineers involved cables above a certain length failing to transmit to the TV with usbC but not with lightning). I hope these are growing pains and not a step back.
- bee_rider 3y agoGlad my phone is holding up, definitely going have to defer buying a new one to put off this annoying dongle switch. I guess not buying a new phone will save the world some e-waste, so mission accomplished.
- ta8903 3y agoSo you would have bought the new one for no reason if it came with lightning? Looks like the switch to usb-c really is reducing e-waste.
- mikerg87 3y agoI don’t know. Europe still seems to be living the USB-A life. Only the 2023 Volvo I rented had USB-C in it. Planes, trains, hotel rooms, coffee shops across Germany, France and Belgiums where I travelled were all using the old connector. What good is having a universal cable if I have to carry a dongle to use it ?
- thomond 3y agoI don't think that'll change any time soon. The directive is for the socket on devices to be USB-C not the socket on the "charging" end.
- fsckboy 3y agodo you mean the "charger" end?
- diebeforei485 3y agoAs usual, Europe regulates the industries that non-European countries dominate. We see this with social media as well. They could have easily had a similar directive for cars, that they should have a USB-C port unless they don't support wired charging of phones at all.
- GhostWhisperer 3y agoi rented a mercedes class A this summer in europe, it was a usb c connection
- JohnTHaller 3y agoThe fine print of the USB-C connector: iPhone: still USB 2.0 (480Mbps) iPhone Pro: USB 3.1* (10Gbps) * technically either USB 3.2 Gen 1x2 or USB 3.2 Gen 2x1 because of the silly naming conventions
- feintruled 3y agoFirst phone I got with a USB-C connector it was still quite new, and my heart sank when I realised all my existing micro-USB leads wouldn't work. Another damn charging cable. Then I went to plug it in and wondered which way up it went, then I realised... it didn't matter. A manly tear of joy welled in my eye.
- diebeforei485 3y agoIn my opinion it is extremely unfortunate that they are making this change. We have so many Lightning cables and they all work perfectly fine. Transfer speeds are because of the iPhone hardware itself, not because of Lightning. The early iPad Pros had high transfer speeds. And case in point the new non-pro iPhone 15 still has slow transfer speed over USB-C. They should've seriously waited a bit longer. This is annoying. Lightning is a better connector design, easier to use, smaller form factor, generally thinner cables, and "just works". USB-C on the other hand is "just because it fits, doesn't mean it works".