7 ms·

Apple’s like “oops, sorry we made 4 billion lightning cables that don’t work with new phones now!”

by stevenpetryk 2y ago

asalahli 2y ago
Thanks to an EU regulation mandating type-c connectors
- talldayo 2y ago
  To be honest, Lightning was always dead in the cradle because of it's licensing fee. Apple tried to take the high road for so long, but vendors actively avoided Lightning unless they could buy bootleg, unlicensed connectors. Apple basically took a serial standard hostage, and then insisted that it was okay because they did it before USB-C was finalized. There's no way Apple didn't know from the offset that they were diverging from the standard and creating e-waste, they helped design USB-C. The creation of Lightning was an exploitation of 30-pin's depreciation.
  - riscy 2y ago
    The plethora of crappy, bootleg cables with USB-C connectors that are single purpose (power only, low-speed data only, etc) has created plenty of e-waste, in addition to confusion. I don’t see how this is an improvement over the licensing model, where you know every cable works the same.
    - MBCook 2y ago
      The number of “USB-C” things I have that aren’t is infuriating. Won’t use a real charger or PD, only works with an A to C cable, only works when plugged in “right side up”, etc. At least with Lightning and Micro-B you knew the score. The good USB-C stuff is great. The rest is worse than B ever was.
      - dzikimarian 2y ago
        What are they exactly? I haven't see such issue in years.
        MBCook 2y ago
        They’re not “real” computer devices but other things with charge ports. One is an air duster, for example. I also have some credit card payment hardware that is clearly USB-B and they just swapped the port. The computer world seems fine. It’s everyone else.
    - talldayo 2y ago
      The licensed model failed. I own multiple gas-station Lighting cables with no data, only (5w) power. Ultimately everyone converges on the "fuck it, what's the cheapest thing on Amazon" mindset and licensing doesn't help.
    - Dylan16807 2y ago
      But that's what all lightning cables are. Low power limit, low speed data only.
      - thedrbrian 2y ago
        I can put 12w through a lighting cable. That’s fine for most if not all of their iPhones and iPads. Hell it’d be ok for my MacBook
        sgerenser 2y ago
        You can put 12W through all USB-C cables as well (AFAIK). The crappy ones might be limited to something between 12-50W, while decent ones allow for 100W or more.
        dzikimarian 2y ago
        > Hell it’d be ok for my MacBook If you keep it turned off for entire day to charge then sure.
  - archagon 2y ago
    According to DannyBee, it was Google, not Apple, that helped design the USB-C connector: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30033799 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30033799
mcphage 2y ago
I’m impressed how fast people on HN switched from “Apple is terrible for not dropping lightning cables for USB-C!” to “Apple is terrible for dropping lightning cables for USB-C!” Talk about a zero-downtime migration!
- readthenotes1 2y ago
  Apple is terrible for using lightning cables in the first place.
  - yoz-y 2y ago
    Not really. Lightning was better than micro USB-B connector, which was Lightning’s contemporary.
    - r00fus 2y ago
      Lightning was the first decent phone connector. USB-C learned good lessons from it.
      - deleted 2y ago
        [deleted]
      - wao0uuno 2y ago
        USB-C is still mechanically inferior. Lightning feels better to use and lasts longer. It always clicks, it’s always snug, it lasts forever. I wish Apple wasn’t so greedy and made it an open standard. Maybe now we would have better connectors on all of our devices.
        mcphage 2y ago
        Eh, having had a lightning connector snap off inside my phone, I don’t mind moving away from it.
    - acomjean 2y ago
      It’s wasteful because it contains a chip to verify the cable’s fee was payed to Apple. They’re small but there are a lot of them and they are uneccessary and annoying when they fail and you can’t charge your device.
throwaway48476 2y ago
Firewire cables are obsolete now too. Their right to repair and cloud locking of devices is a way more egregious waste issue.
justinator 2y ago
Lightning to USB-C adapters are a product that exists, https://www.amazon.com/Lightning-Adapter-MacBook-Samsung-Monitorand/dp/B0CPSK8699/ https://www.amazon.com/Lightning-Adapter-MacBook-Samsung-Mon... I have a rat's nest of cables for almost any situation (as any accessory comes with a cable), but my daily drivers are just USB-C cables with adapters at the end.
mvanbaak 2y ago
Not their fault. They are forced by EU law

Apple’s like “oops, sorry we made 4 billion lightning cables that don’t work with new phones now!”

asalahli 2y ago

Thanks to an EU regulation mandating type-c connectors

talldayo 2y ago
To be honest, Lightning was always dead in the cradle because of it's licensing fee. Apple tried to take the high road for so long, but vendors actively avoided Lightning unless they could buy bootleg, unlicensed connectors. Apple basically took a serial standard hostage, and then insisted that it was okay because they did it before USB-C was finalized. There's no way Apple didn't know from the offset that they were diverging from the standard and creating e-waste, they helped design USB-C. The creation of Lightning was an exploitation of 30-pin's depreciation.
- riscy 2y ago
  The plethora of crappy, bootleg cables with USB-C connectors that are single purpose (power only, low-speed data only, etc) has created plenty of e-waste, in addition to confusion. I don’t see how this is an improvement over the licensing model, where you know every cable works the same.
  - MBCook 2y ago
    The number of “USB-C” things I have that aren’t is infuriating. Won’t use a real charger or PD, only works with an A to C cable, only works when plugged in “right side up”, etc. At least with Lightning and Micro-B you knew the score. The good USB-C stuff is great. The rest is worse than B ever was.
    - dzikimarian 2y ago
      What are they exactly? I haven't see such issue in years.
      - MBCook 2y ago
        They’re not “real” computer devices but other things with charge ports. One is an air duster, for example. I also have some credit card payment hardware that is clearly USB-B and they just swapped the port. The computer world seems fine. It’s everyone else.
  - talldayo 2y ago
    The licensed model failed. I own multiple gas-station Lighting cables with no data, only (5w) power. Ultimately everyone converges on the "fuck it, what's the cheapest thing on Amazon" mindset and licensing doesn't help.
  - Dylan16807 2y ago
    But that's what all lightning cables are. Low power limit, low speed data only.
    - thedrbrian 2y ago
      I can put 12w through a lighting cable. That’s fine for most if not all of their iPhones and iPads. Hell it’d be ok for my MacBook
      - sgerenser 2y ago
        You can put 12W through all USB-C cables as well (AFAIK). The crappy ones might be limited to something between 12-50W, while decent ones allow for 100W or more.
      - dzikimarian 2y ago
        > Hell it’d be ok for my MacBook If you keep it turned off for entire day to charge then sure.
- archagon 2y ago
  According to DannyBee, it was Google, not Apple, that helped design the USB-C connector: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30033799 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30033799

mcphage 2y ago

I’m impressed how fast people on HN switched from “Apple is terrible for not dropping lightning cables for USB-C!” to “Apple is terrible for dropping lightning cables for USB-C!” Talk about a zero-downtime migration!

readthenotes1 2y ago
Apple is terrible for using lightning cables in the first place.
- yoz-y 2y ago
  Not really. Lightning was better than micro USB-B connector, which was Lightning’s contemporary.
  - r00fus 2y ago
    Lightning was the first decent phone connector. USB-C learned good lessons from it.
    - deleted 2y ago
      [deleted]
    - wao0uuno 2y ago
      USB-C is still mechanically inferior. Lightning feels better to use and lasts longer. It always clicks, it’s always snug, it lasts forever. I wish Apple wasn’t so greedy and made it an open standard. Maybe now we would have better connectors on all of our devices.
      - mcphage 2y ago
        Eh, having had a lightning connector snap off inside my phone, I don’t mind moving away from it.
  - acomjean 2y ago
    It’s wasteful because it contains a chip to verify the cable’s fee was payed to Apple. They’re small but there are a lot of them and they are uneccessary and annoying when they fail and you can’t charge your device.

throwaway48476 2y ago

Firewire cables are obsolete now too. Their right to repair and cloud locking of devices is a way more egregious waste issue.

justinator 2y ago

Lightning to USB-C adapters are a product that exists, https://www.amazon.com/Lightning-Adapter-MacBook-Samsung-Monitorand/dp/B0CPSK8699/ https://www.amazon.com/Lightning-Adapter-MacBook-Samsung-Mon... I have a rat's nest of cables for almost any situation (as any accessory comes with a cable), but my daily drivers are just USB-C cables with adapters at the end.

mvanbaak 2y ago

Not their fault. They are forced by EU law