5 ms·

I 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

I 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 ago
  9 years of 30-pin and 11 years of Lightning. Not too shabby.
  - Dork1234 3y ago
    I 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 ago
    It'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.
    - carstenhag 3y ago
      Honestly, they should have said: Hey folks, in 2 years all new products will be USB-C. Then manufacturers of accessories and consumers could have chosen whether to buy Lightning stuff or to wait.
      - diebeforei485 3y ago
        This would lead to two years of the Osborne effect.
- bsimpson 3y ago
  Weren't the original iPods FireWire?
delecti 3y ago
That reputation for switching connectors frequently always felt unearned. The 30-pin and Lightning connectors were each used for a solid decade, which is longer than the time between USB Mini and Micro, or Micro and C. The 30-pin kinda sucked, but so did USB-Mini, and Lightning came out before USB-C. My criticisms of Apple are vast, but their proprietary connectors never made the list.
- masklinn 3y ago
  It was unearned, but the 30-pin's ecosystem of accessories was so huge it was a pain in the ass to switch away from it, even tough it also was very long in the tooth by then. It's a lot less of an issue now a lot of stuff is wireless (even against one's desire), and USB-C's been there for a decade and has had time for accessories to surface with Android being mostly on there, even if the PC side remains mostly dreary. Plus since Apple has been slowly switching ipads over for a few years now I'd assume even in their galaxy there's a bunch of type C accessories available.
  - appplication 3y ago
    In that sense Apple was a victim of their own success. The iPod (and maybe early iPhones had the 30-pin, I can’t remember) we’re so successful half of the hotels in America outfitted themselves with alarm clocks with the same connectors. 3rd party accessories for it became sort of ubiquitous, but it’s s big wild to think the alternative (should Apple have listened to the complains) would be to just… never improve their connectors? You really can’t please some folks, any change breaks someone’s mojo.
  - squeaky-clean 3y ago
    > but the 30-pin's ecosystem of accessories was so huge it was a pain in the ass to switch away from it It's going to be even worse switching away from USB-C in 2033.
- ars 3y ago
  One difference is all the USB transitions could have simple adapters that are not electrically active, so incredibly inexpensive and small. Apple always tends to overcomplicate their stuff, and tends to make it very expensive.
masklinn 3y ago
> didn't Apple commit in 2012 to sticking with Lightning for something like ten years after people complained about them switching connectors frequently? I think it was less "switching connectors frequently" and more having to replace an entire ecosystem of devices, there were a ton of accessories with hardwired 30-pins which people had to throw out in the switch to lightning. But yes, they did basically promise they would stick to it for a decade.
taylodl 3y ago
Yes, yes they did. They promised the lightning connector would be used for 10 years and they fulfilled that promise. Meanwhile, people have been making fun of/complaining about Apple using USB C for the rest of their product line for two to three years now and how hard that's been to work with the iPhone.
philistine 3y ago
It's been 11 years, and what Apple said was very far from a promise. They said it was a connector for the next decade.

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 ago
9 years of 30-pin and 11 years of Lightning. Not too shabby.
- Dork1234 3y ago
  I 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 ago
  It'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.
  - carstenhag 3y ago
    Honestly, they should have said: Hey folks, in 2 years all new products will be USB-C. Then manufacturers of accessories and consumers could have chosen whether to buy Lightning stuff or to wait.
    - diebeforei485 3y ago
      This would lead to two years of the Osborne effect.
bsimpson 3y ago
Weren't the original iPods FireWire?

delecti 3y ago

That reputation for switching connectors frequently always felt unearned. The 30-pin and Lightning connectors were each used for a solid decade, which is longer than the time between USB Mini and Micro, or Micro and C. The 30-pin kinda sucked, but so did USB-Mini, and Lightning came out before USB-C. My criticisms of Apple are vast, but their proprietary connectors never made the list.

masklinn 3y ago
It was unearned, but the 30-pin's ecosystem of accessories was so huge it was a pain in the ass to switch away from it, even tough it also was very long in the tooth by then. It's a lot less of an issue now a lot of stuff is wireless (even against one's desire), and USB-C's been there for a decade and has had time for accessories to surface with Android being mostly on there, even if the PC side remains mostly dreary. Plus since Apple has been slowly switching ipads over for a few years now I'd assume even in their galaxy there's a bunch of type C accessories available.
- appplication 3y ago
  In that sense Apple was a victim of their own success. The iPod (and maybe early iPhones had the 30-pin, I can’t remember) we’re so successful half of the hotels in America outfitted themselves with alarm clocks with the same connectors. 3rd party accessories for it became sort of ubiquitous, but it’s s big wild to think the alternative (should Apple have listened to the complains) would be to just… never improve their connectors? You really can’t please some folks, any change breaks someone’s mojo.
- squeaky-clean 3y ago
  > but the 30-pin's ecosystem of accessories was so huge it was a pain in the ass to switch away from it It's going to be even worse switching away from USB-C in 2033.
ars 3y ago
One difference is all the USB transitions could have simple adapters that are not electrically active, so incredibly inexpensive and small. Apple always tends to overcomplicate their stuff, and tends to make it very expensive.

masklinn 3y ago

> didn't Apple commit in 2012 to sticking with Lightning for something like ten years after people complained about them switching connectors frequently? I think it was less "switching connectors frequently" and more having to replace an entire ecosystem of devices, there were a ton of accessories with hardwired 30-pins which people had to throw out in the switch to lightning. But yes, they did basically promise they would stick to it for a decade.

taylodl 3y ago

Yes, yes they did. They promised the lightning connector would be used for 10 years and they fulfilled that promise. Meanwhile, people have been making fun of/complaining about Apple using USB C for the rest of their product line for two to three years now and how hard that's been to work with the iPhone.

philistine 3y ago

It's been 11 years, and what Apple said was very far from a promise. They said it was a connector for the next decade.