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> The problem in one sentence: it is impossible to buy a cable, from Apple or otherwise, that let’s you plug an iPhone 6+ into the Macbook. I'm not an Apple pe

> The problem in one sentence: it is impossible to buy a cable, from Apple or otherwise, that let’s you plug an iPhone 6+ into the Macbook. I'm not an Apple person by any means and don't really keep up with their products, but I feel the Apple of years past would never have let this happen.

NeutronBoy 11y ago
Downvote me if you want, but in the past Apple's product line and releases have been extremely carefully choreographed, and they've generally been careful to make sure that their products integrate and work with each other. From a company that prides itself on having tight integration between products and an 'it just works' mentality, it seems sloppy to me that you can't buy a cable to make two of their flagship products work together.
- to3m 11y ago
  Maybe they want you to sync over wifi. Or... they want you to upload your iTunes stuff to the cloud and share it across your devices from there. Here's a Jobs speech from the late 1990s where he bangs on about this sort of thing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v0OTCl2nLI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v0OTCl2nLI
  - ulfw 11y ago
    To sync via WiFI you have to have the device plugged in at least once (in order to turn on Sync via WiFi). You cannot plug it in because there is no cable.
ghshephard 11y ago
Putting a different spin on this - it's very curious that Apple didn't release a USB-C to Lightning port cable. This was clearly a deliberate decision on Apple's part - and I'm wondering if they just decided that by released the USB-C to USB-A dongle (http://store.apple.com/us/product/MJ1M2AM/A/usb-c-to-usb-adapter http://store.apple.com/us/product/MJ1M2AM/A/usb-c-to-usb-ada...) , that would be sufficient?
- TazeTSchnitzel 11y ago
  Probably. After all, you already have a Lightning-to-USB A cable
- photojosh 11y ago
  I've plugged my iPhone into my MBP twice, I think. What will be interesting is what they do with the next model iPhone. I suspect we'll either just keep getting the USB-A -> Lightning cable or the iPhone will get a USB-C port (and come with a USB-A to USB-C cable?). The latter is inevitable, the question is 'when'.
  - MBCook 11y ago
    Remember that lightning was designed specifically for the needs of the iPhone and the iPad, not computers in general. It wouldn't surprise me if Apple kept using it on the phones since it's not like there's a huge number of third-party parts that you might want to plug in. I imagine lightning will be around for a while on the phones. It's still perfectly fit for purpose.
gcb0 11y ago
when apple launched the iphone, they went against the grain on what the industry (nokia and everybody else) was using for headset+microphone+buttons combo (unpatented, mind you). They simply copied the 4 connector headset plug, but surreptitiously switched GROUND and MIC (and patented). bam. all iphone users couldn't get a headset other than the one that come in the box, and it took some 6 mo to start shipping spare ones. and i will give apple that it was a decent one. even to this day, it is the only apple product i like. but that proves you are still in the reality distortion field left by jobs and still think apple poop is rainbows.
- NeutronBoy 11y ago
  So it took them a while to ship spares, but they gave you one in the box? It would have been a bigger problem if they didn't even give you one in the box, as you would have basically not been able to use a wired headset for that period. > but that proves you are still in the reality distortion field left by jobs and still think apple poop is rainbows. I am in no such place. For a variety of reasons, I choose not own any Apple products and am under no illusions about Steve Jobs. That said, Apple didn't get a reputation for great products (and associated hype around product launches) for no reason.
MBCook 11y ago
To play devils advocate, Why do you need to plug your phone into your laptop? Apple seems to found that tons of people don't, that was actually causing them problems. No one would update iOS because they had to be plugged into a computer, and no one would get your pictures off their phone for the same reason, so people would end up running back level versions and having your phones give them space warnings. At this point it wouldn't surprise me if the average consumer basically never plug the phone into a computer. If you want to do syncing with iTunes it can be done over Wi-Fi, but most people probably just use iCloud. Software updates can be installed over the air. A computer isn't necessary to set the phone up anymore. The existence of things like iCloud photos also means that you don't need to plug your phone into get the pictures off. People tend to have chargers all over the place, which is really the only thing people plug phones in to do. But you probably charge your phone in a cradle, or in your car, or with the charger that comes with it. Why do you need to plug it into your laptop? There's been speculation the Apple expect you to treat the new MacBook a lot like an iPad: the port is only there to charge and maybe for an occasional need, but most the time you're not expected to use it. Will most customers even use it to charge their phone on any kind of regular basis? Even if it came with the cable? Much more cynically, given the size of the battery and that it only has one port do you want to charge your phone at the expense of your laptop? I hadn't thought of the fact that there was no USB-C to lightning cable. It is an interesting omission, but then again this is an interesting laptop.
- Bahamut 11y ago
  Charging when on the go - some hotels have a dreadfully low # of open outlets, sometimes only 1-2.
  - MBCook 11y ago
    There's only one port on the laptop. To charge both the laptop and your phone you need one of the $80 adapters. Given that price, I bet a lot of people would be willing to plug and unplug things into the outlet. At least until third-party adapters come out and drop the cost a bunch.
    - 11y ago
bluthru 11y ago
The same way that the Air made a statement that the future is without physical media, the macbook is making a statement that the future is wireless.
cbhl 11y ago
TBH, I'm banking on them releasing a refreshed iPhone 7 / iPod Touch / iPad line with USB-C ports supplanting Lightning, so that all you need is more USB C-C cables.
ulfw 11y ago
Because otherwise you cannot use your iPhone with your Macbook. It's the most senseless oversight I have seen in years. In order to turn on WiFi sync between iTunes on your Macbook and your iPhone, you need to have it plugged in at least once. You cannot plug it in though, because there is no compatible USB-C to Lightning cable from Apple. D'oh.

NeutronBoy 11y ago

Downvote me if you want, but in the past Apple's product line and releases have been extremely carefully choreographed, and they've generally been careful to make sure that their products integrate and work with each other. From a company that prides itself on having tight integration between products and an 'it just works' mentality, it seems sloppy to me that you can't buy a cable to make two of their flagship products work together.

to3m 11y ago
Maybe they want you to sync over wifi. Or... they want you to upload your iTunes stuff to the cloud and share it across your devices from there. Here's a Jobs speech from the late 1990s where he bangs on about this sort of thing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v0OTCl2nLI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v0OTCl2nLI
- ulfw 11y ago
  To sync via WiFI you have to have the device plugged in at least once (in order to turn on Sync via WiFi). You cannot plug it in because there is no cable.

ghshephard 11y ago

Putting a different spin on this - it's very curious that Apple didn't release a USB-C to Lightning port cable. This was clearly a deliberate decision on Apple's part - and I'm wondering if they just decided that by released the USB-C to USB-A dongle (http://store.apple.com/us/product/MJ1M2AM/A/usb-c-to-usb-adapter http://store.apple.com/us/product/MJ1M2AM/A/usb-c-to-usb-ada...) , that would be sufficient?

TazeTSchnitzel 11y ago
Probably. After all, you already have a Lightning-to-USB A cable
photojosh 11y ago
I've plugged my iPhone into my MBP twice, I think. What will be interesting is what they do with the next model iPhone. I suspect we'll either just keep getting the USB-A -> Lightning cable or the iPhone will get a USB-C port (and come with a USB-A to USB-C cable?). The latter is inevitable, the question is 'when'.
- MBCook 11y ago
  Remember that lightning was designed specifically for the needs of the iPhone and the iPad, not computers in general. It wouldn't surprise me if Apple kept using it on the phones since it's not like there's a huge number of third-party parts that you might want to plug in. I imagine lightning will be around for a while on the phones. It's still perfectly fit for purpose.

gcb0 11y ago

when apple launched the iphone, they went against the grain on what the industry (nokia and everybody else) was using for headset+microphone+buttons combo (unpatented, mind you). They simply copied the 4 connector headset plug, but surreptitiously switched GROUND and MIC (and patented). bam. all iphone users couldn't get a headset other than the one that come in the box, and it took some 6 mo to start shipping spare ones. and i will give apple that it was a decent one. even to this day, it is the only apple product i like. but that proves you are still in the reality distortion field left by jobs and still think apple poop is rainbows.

NeutronBoy 11y ago
So it took them a while to ship spares, but they gave you one in the box? It would have been a bigger problem if they didn't even give you one in the box, as you would have basically not been able to use a wired headset for that period. > but that proves you are still in the reality distortion field left by jobs and still think apple poop is rainbows. I am in no such place. For a variety of reasons, I choose not own any Apple products and am under no illusions about Steve Jobs. That said, Apple didn't get a reputation for great products (and associated hype around product launches) for no reason.

MBCook 11y ago

To play devils advocate, Why do you need to plug your phone into your laptop? Apple seems to found that tons of people don't, that was actually causing them problems. No one would update iOS because they had to be plugged into a computer, and no one would get your pictures off their phone for the same reason, so people would end up running back level versions and having your phones give them space warnings. At this point it wouldn't surprise me if the average consumer basically never plug the phone into a computer. If you want to do syncing with iTunes it can be done over Wi-Fi, but most people probably just use iCloud. Software updates can be installed over the air. A computer isn't necessary to set the phone up anymore. The existence of things like iCloud photos also means that you don't need to plug your phone into get the pictures off. People tend to have chargers all over the place, which is really the only thing people plug phones in to do. But you probably charge your phone in a cradle, or in your car, or with the charger that comes with it. Why do you need to plug it into your laptop? There's been speculation the Apple expect you to treat the new MacBook a lot like an iPad: the port is only there to charge and maybe for an occasional need, but most the time you're not expected to use it. Will most customers even use it to charge their phone on any kind of regular basis? Even if it came with the cable? Much more cynically, given the size of the battery and that it only has one port do you want to charge your phone at the expense of your laptop? I hadn't thought of the fact that there was no USB-C to lightning cable. It is an interesting omission, but then again this is an interesting laptop.

Bahamut 11y ago
Charging when on the go - some hotels have a dreadfully low # of open outlets, sometimes only 1-2.
- MBCook 11y ago
  There's only one port on the laptop. To charge both the laptop and your phone you need one of the $80 adapters. Given that price, I bet a lot of people would be willing to plug and unplug things into the outlet. At least until third-party adapters come out and drop the cost a bunch.
  - 11y ago

bluthru 11y ago

The same way that the Air made a statement that the future is without physical media, the macbook is making a statement that the future is wireless.

cbhl 11y ago

TBH, I'm banking on them releasing a refreshed iPhone 7 / iPod Touch / iPad line with USB-C ports supplanting Lightning, so that all you need is more USB C-C cables.

ulfw 11y ago

Because otherwise you cannot use your iPhone with your Macbook. It's the most senseless oversight I have seen in years. In order to turn on WiFi sync between iTunes on your Macbook and your iPhone, you need to have it plugged in at least once. You cannot plug it in though, because there is no compatible USB-C to Lightning cable from Apple. D'oh.