Earlier quoted context omitted.
There’s wireless Carplay today.
Really? Neat, I hadn't heard about that. I will have to look it up. I wonder if my car supports it.
I think only BMWs support it right now.
Apple may have to abandon Lightning connector cable
81–90 of 156 posts
Re: Apple may have to abandon Lightning connector cable
#82Earlier quoted context omitted.
Lightning cables are by far the most fragile. Either they get frayed, tarnished, or just plain stop working. Edit: it's not just me, a simple Google search turns up the following: [0]. Apple phone/tablet hardware is great but the cables they ship are unfortunately not very good. [0]: https://www.cnet.com/news/these-are-the-lowest-rated-product...
In my experience, the connector has never been implicated in a failing Lightning cable; it’s always been the cable itself. By contrast, the average lifespan of a micro USB cable in my household is a couple months, before the connectors themselves get bent beyond repair.
I don't know how much you abuse cables but I never had a USB cable fail. I understand there's a variable quality of cables out there but failing after 2 months sounds exaggerated
Re: Apple may have to abandon Lightning connector cable
#83Earlier quoted context omitted.
In my experience, the connector has never been implicated in a failing Lightning cable; it’s always been the cable itself. By contrast, the average lifespan of a micro USB cable in my household is a couple months, before the connectors themselves get bent beyond repair.
I don't know how much you abuse cables but I never had a USB cable fail. I understand there's a variable quality of cables out there but failing after 2 months sounds exaggerated
I have small kids who are prone to tripping over cables while trying to squeeze into tight spaces. Lightning connectors handle that stress just fine, but micro USB is no match!
Re: Apple may have to abandon Lightning connector cable
#84Earlier quoted context omitted.
If their goal was to crush them in the market they seem to have failed.
While on the face of it that's true, it's no accident that USB-C basically looks like a Lightning connector turned inside-out. The design of Lightning definitely influenced the design of the USB-C connector.
The power connectors to Mac mini’s in 2007 and 2008 look just like oversized USB-C connectors. I always wondered if there was any relation between the two.
Re: Apple may have to abandon Lightning connector cable
#85Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yes? That depends on the device, of course. I think another good argument for phones is that it's surely much easier to clean lint out of a lightning port than a USB C port. Edit: But probably, I'd guess, right now the main reason Apple has stuck to lightning to whatever extent it is is because it's more convenient for its customers. USB C is already the standard, and Apple would benefit from switching to USB C acros…
> Apple would benefit from switching to USB C across its product line if its customers would like that more. Regarding this specifically, I think it's because Apple makes money from licensing Lightning cables and lightning accessories.
Well that is a factor which tilts the curve, certainly.
Re: Apple may have to abandon Lightning connector cable
#86Does anyone know if there's any merit to Apple's claim that USB-C isn't compatible with the iPhone's slim dimensions? (From the article: "Apple insisted that its slimmer devices would be unable to fit the then-new USB-C technology ...") Just looking at the tech specs for the iPhone 11 (lightning) [1] versus iPad Pro (USB-C) [2], the former is actually thicker at 8.3 mm compared to 5.9 mm, and yet the iPad Pro can hav…
You'd have to compare volume (not just thickness). iPhones are way smaller, so the difference is more significant than in an iPad.
Re: Apple may have to abandon Lightning connector cable
#87Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is a rather pointless stat though. None of the cables currently available are rated for 9 years and most have a ridiculously short lifespan of 1-2 years anyway. In fact it probably works against Apple as it demonstrates that the churn of innovation doesn't really exist if new advances only occur every 9 years.
How is it pointless? The article talks about trying to cut down on electronic waste: > The regulator is determined to cut down on electronic waste being created by obsolete cables, which it estimates generate more than 51,000 tonnes of waste per year. It's surely much less wasteful to extend the life of the cable standard than to ensure longer cable lifespans. Even if you had a cable that lasted 7 years, chances are…
Obsolete cables are not just technology marching forward, but also customers buying other makers’ devices that make them useless.
An iPhone user buying an android phone will need a new set of cables, his old lightning ones have no purpose anymore.
Re: Apple may have to abandon Lightning connector cable
#88So basically some subset of EU Parliament legislators have an opinion about something. In Apple's defense, the lightning connector and previous iPod connector both served as a charging cable and computer interface cable. So it was never the same situation as the old devoted phone chargers. And they invented them without any standard alternatives available. If this passes, the next time you think about inventing an in…
I'm reminded about 30 times a day when dismissing a cookie popup of the stupidness of EU regulations. When considering the lifetimes wasted recreating that popup on countless websites, I'm ready to go full Libertarian.
Re: Apple may have to abandon Lightning connector cable
#89That would be pretty bad for anyone with a bunch of apple devices and a bunch of chargers, as during a period of several years you would no longer be able to charge any device using any charger in your home. It’s like the switch from the wide connctor to lightning all over again.
I really don’t care what plug Apple uses (their own or something else) but I do want them to use a single one and stick with it.
Re: Apple may have to abandon Lightning connector cable
#90While I'm fraustrated with the connector diversity in my home, I'm not at all keen to have technology design mandated. Would this forbid a certain type of product from using something better, and force new design to be via committees? I mean, it's not like Europe uses all the same mains power plugs. Well, I guess UK leaving will help there.
I think it comes down to the maturity of an industry, a bit like how cars have regulated designs.
At some point there are aspects that see little innovations, are “good enough” for their purpose, while having sizeable impact on their user or their environment.
We’re not forbidding phone makers to make holographic displays, just to settle on one standard plug because nothing happens there for years now and they don’t seem invested in making leaps forward in the domain either.
The day there is something revolutionary they can ask for an exception.