welcome to 2014 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB-C
this post was submitted on 13 Sep 2023
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No π€£
It WAS a good cable about 6 years ago when even flagship phones still used micro USB. I would have killed for lightning on my old android phone. However, usb c just takes the cake, every cake. It has its own problems but the tradeoffs are miniscule compared to lightning.
Prefacing this question with the fact I'm an Android user and have never owned an iPhone. Saying this in the hopes people won't think I'm an Apple fanboi trying to make a point...
I haven't been that interested in the EU legislation around this until now; I'm curious what happens when something comes out that is better than USB-C? Are companies stuck until new legislation is passed or is there some sort of auto update to the standard written in?
It is expected that the industry will continue the work already carried out on the standardised interface under the auspices of the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) with a view to developing new interoperable, open and uncontroversial solutions.
Kinda how the web industry comes together in the W3C to set standards for the web, so websites work the same on all devices and browsers and there's been LOTS of improvements.
The law is ready for that. If and when the USB association agrees on a new standard thats not USB-C, then the new standard will be required after a transitional period. Right now it doesnt seem likely that this will happen in the near future, but in 10 years? Maybe
I may be stupid.
But I have no idea how people are comparing "better" or "worse" cables. I always just assumed they were just cables.
Edit: for people downvoting me, I'm not saying they are just cables, I'm just saying I don't know what the difference is, and asking for an explanation. Please calm down.
There are different dimensions for this, balance of importance differs between users and application:
- data transfer rate
- power transfer rate
- durability
- reusability with other products
- length
- price
- someone made it white and engraved a pictogram of an incomplete apple on it
Don't worry, apple is still limiting data transfer to usb2 protocols except on the pro models
Oh I always expect them to find a loop hole to sell their ridiculously expensive peripherals. My best bet is a chip that forces you to use an apple usb c cable.
Lightning is/was actually pretty great. Also remember that it was introduced before USB-C even existed.
Yeah alternative was MicroUSB which is dogshit.
Connection technology was good, but materials used in cable and design of strain release was horrible. Never seen a cable disintegrate without any reason after couple of years.
Funnily enough my first ever Lightning cable that came with my iPod Touch 5G is so worn out you can see the 4 wires in it. Insulation and shield are completely gone at one end but it still works fine.
Thats how fires start.
Incidentally, I have a micro USB cable that came with my Nokia N97 (must be 2012 or something).
It's flawless still and even after more than 10 years of service (now charging my xbox controller) it's working fine.
I've tried purchasing identical "original" cables of same kind since then, but they all last a few months before getting lose our stop connecting.
5v are not going to start a fire π
Fun fact: Apple was part of the group that designed USB-C
Also why is it awesome on iPad Pros since years but no good on iPhones? The marketing was always contradicting itself.
The reason is money.
They never would if switched if it wasnβt forced on them. Iβm glad they were forced no matter how apple spins it
would if
Lighting's connector itself is great - cables should absolutely be male and USB messed up in that regard. The locking mechanism is also far superior, and overall I've had 4 USB C ports fail, 2 due to the locking mechanism and 2 due to the inner male part of the port breaking - these are issues far less with lightning.
That said, the restrictive data speeds and restriction on who can use it, both of which are down to apple, do have a hit on it.
If it was possible to do something along the lines of USB 3.2 (which it should be as USB A manages it with 5 pins vs lightning's 8/16) over a lightning connector that'd be way better than USB C but you can't really force apple to give everyone else a proprietary component
Type C can't be similar to lightning wrt the advantages you're describing because apple prevents it through patents. So you can thank apple for a worse type c design than necessary.
the iPhone 15 still only supports USB 2.0 speeds over the USB-C port. only the Pro models get bumped up to USB3.
Exactly, that just evidences that it's Apple under Tim Cook that's bad, not Lightning as a port
I'm not sure. I haven't looked into this, but it might be that the USB controller sits on the SoC. Non-Pro iPhone 15 uses the same SoC as the 14 Pro. To get USB 3 speeds you need to re-engineer the SoC, which adds a huge amount of cost. I expect the iPhone 16 to have USB 3 across the board.
Somewhat unpopular opinion: Lightning was by far the better connector.
It was the better connector of its time.
Not fair. It was a great cable. It came out when everyone else was using mini and mico usb which both sucked hard ass. They werenβt reversible, and they broke easily.
Yeah, I still think it's a great mechanical interface, if not the best. Would've been great if rather than killing it, regulatory bodies had forced USB to adopt the lightning design for the C type.
Lightning doesn't have near the capabilities of USB C. Lightning had its time but it's pretty clear that USB C is superior.
Lightning doesn't have near the capabilities of USB C. ... pretty clear that USB C is superior.
Are you talking about the capabilities of the USB protocol 3.x, or the mechanical design like I was? I don't know a single property where the mechanical design of USB is superior to Lightning, but I'm ready to be enlightened.
For example having 3x the pins is a big plus. I don't know why you are so focused on not including the protocols a port can use. Apple will most likely use USB to make connections between PCs and their Phones possible. And you have to have connectors capable of carrying the signals for those protocols.
The huge speeds of USB 3.0 (USB 3.2 Gen 1x1) and up are because of added twisted pairs carrying the signals in duplex (Plus a new USB A connector). Anything above USB 3.2 (USB 3.2 Gen 1x2 and USB 3.2 Gen 3 2x2) needs to use USB-C because the older USB-A Connector doesn't have enough pins to allow a connection to a cable with 4 twisted pairs (plus one for backwards compatibility).
I think the lighting connector is enough to allow for a USB 3.0 connection, but you would have to switch the signals after it comes out of the port somehow, as the 3rd pair is not used during FullSpeed (I think there's an adapter that does this)
Even if they don't use USB and develope their own protocol, it's gonna benefit from more parralel connections
The mechanical design was patented by apple, THEY decided that others were not allowed to use it (unless they pay).
And technically the connector itself is way beter by clicking into place.
No, if the clamp-mechanism breaks, you habe to replace the connector on the phone while with UsbC you only have to use a different cable.
I am on my third usb-module on my phone. Luckily it is replaceable. I would really like the concept of sticking a . in a o (as it is with lightning) than to have an . in a O and fiddling a o between both (as in USB-C). I have never lost a cable through wear and tear so far though...
And they made sure no one else could develop a design with the same characteristics by patenting the fuck out of it. Thanks apple
Iβm all for the switch to USB C but Lightning as a connector is objectively better. Itβs smaller, more durable, feels better to use and even looks better.
If it hadnβt been proprietary, it would have pretty much been the perfect connector.
Edit: hey guys instead of mindlessly downvoting without saying anything, Iβd love to hear your point of view, Iβm always open to changing my mind.
The biggest issue with it, was its data transfer limitations compared to usb c standards. Though, if it werenβt proprietary, then it could have been made better in that area.
Definitely! Weβll probably never know why they decided to stay on USB 2, itβs such a weird decision. Maybe there really were hardware limitations, but that sounds weird
The lighting connector only features two differential pairs. But as I understand it, USB 2.0 can only use one of those. The next upgrade would be USB 3.0 (Officially USB 3.2 Gen 1x1, but let's not get into that) which uses 2 differential pairs but also keeps the USB 2.0 connections untouched, so it needs 3 pairs.
Maybe you could cheat and get a non compliant USB 3.0 device connected via lighting to USB A, using one of the pairs for setup, then going into SuperSpeed mode and using the two pairs in full duplex (both ways at the same time). Maybe that's what the Lightning to USB3 Camera Adapter does.
USB-C has the capacity for 4 shielded differential pairs, the 2.0 comparability pair and two pins for alternate mode, which makes it not only capable of, but necessary for USB 3.2 (USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 and USB 3.2 Gen 1x2) and upwards. (Don't ask me about USB4 (not named USB 4 for some reason))
Lightning has some other quirks like being able to carry UART, JTAG and other Debugging stuff, which is communicated with a chip inside the phone/tablet etc. But since that's closed source, it's only been reverse engineered
Lightning was a good cable. Itβs just that Apple didnβt improve it any for a decade and never opened it up so it could have been a standard.
Itβs smaller and more durable. Itβs just slow and proprietary.