Your Thoughts on Apple Switching to USB-C on Newest iPhones

TidBITS Talk
21

To answer Bill K’s original question, I overall prefer when the industry uses the same cables for daily, common tasks such as physical connections for data/charging. Interchangeability helps prevent waste and allows for greater versatility.

Look at USB. When Mac/Windows/Linux/Unix systems moved to USB it opened a floodgate of options that did not require converters and custom dongles. Everything connected the same way and it only improved when more devices cooperated with common driver standards (where possible). I can connect almost any mouse, keyboard or black & white laser printer via USB and be working almost instantly. Granted, the extra features on a printer may not function with out extra software, but I can print a document very quickly.

That being said, the Lightning connector does have a couple advantages over USB-C:

  1. Smaller connector – Allows more space to do other things in small devices (ie. phones). A little more space can go a long way when you are trying to cram in sensors, battery and other things. Granted, this is not a big difference, but in pocket devices every mm counts.
  2. Easier to clean – Lightning cables have just a tab. The socket is much easier to clean because it is essentially a hole. I have successfully cleaned them (carefully) with a toothpick to get the lint out. This is not remotely as easy with USB-C because the hole has a thin “card” in the center that could break. Additionally, with USB-C, both the cable and socket have a hole that can collect dust and debris. With Lighting, the exposed contacts can even be cleaned if they get a little dirty. Of course, the soiling is more likely to happen due to it being more exposed to touching and other contact.

So with out a lot of data on failure rates and longevity, the Lightning connector appears to win just in the category of physical maintenance.

Beyond that, USB-C “wins” just about every other category.

[Edit: fixed typo]

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22

As a former and current EU (+ US) citizen I just can’t help comment a tad more on the political side of things. Hopefully, Adam, you will give me a little bit of slack here; it’s a one-off. I promise. :slight_smile:

The European Commission initiates legislation that affects nearly 450 million people living in the 27 member states of the European Union. They’ve had their fair share of duds, but they also rolled out key legislation around traffic safety, environmental protection, and consumer rights. The latter, of course, includes the General Data Protection Regulation that vigorously protects’ consumers’ data in ways that we in the US can only dream of.

Considering how the Commission’s work tends to reliably put consumers’ interests over corporations’ desires, I can totally see how someone would compare this to “schoolyard bullying.”

Then again, the European Commission has democratic legitimacy and mandate, whereas corporations, in contrast, serve their investors’ interests above all else. So there’s that…

All politics aside, having witnessed the complete chaos of 1990s PC ports, I love the fact that we’ve — finally, after all these years! — arrived at a “One Connector to Rule Them All” situation.

Since Apple was wise enough to also adopt the same physical connector for Thunderbolt, we can even hook up external monitors with resolutions that were deemed technically impossible to drive via cable just a few years ago. And charge the digital device from the monitor via the very same cable. That is pretty neat, no?

As a final comment, and exactly like Adam also pointed out, the legislation only requires that mobile devices support charging via USB-C. There is no mandate whatsoever that a company can’t build additional connectors — already existing or yet to be developed — into a digital device. (Microsoft actually does this in their Surface tablets.)

Then again, the fact that Apple first equipped an iPad with (just) a USB-C port five years ago, sort of speaks for itself.

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23

I believe this is the greatest disapprobation I’ve ever sustained on TidBits… :innocent:

I would love to know the specific aspects of my mini-rant that prompted such – are you just big Lightning fans or just dismayed by my welcoming of regulation to get us USB-C more quickly that the “markets” would have?

24

Everyone’s experiences vary, but I’ve never had issues with Lightning. Some cords frayed, but that was generally my usage – like trying to use a phone while it was plugged in and bending the cable.

I do agree that USB-C has taken way too long to be adopted. I had the first Apple laptop that used USB-C, the 12" MacBook in 2015, and it left a bad impression of the connector on me because back then it was almost impossible to find cables and they were ridiculously expensive (like $50 for the cheapest cable you could find). Buying charging bricks and adapters was even worse.

(I was at a conference trying to do a presentation and the expensive USB-C to HDMI adapter I’d bought didn’t work. Fortunately, I was able to borrow one from someone and it worked. For another conference I bought an official Apple HDMI one for over $100 and returned it as I didn’t really need it beyond that one use.)

Add to that the plethora of USB variations and I have a cabling nightmare. I must have a dozen different digital devices that each use a different kind of USB connector. None are labeled in any way and it’s just a matter of grabbing a rat’s nest of cables and trying each one until you find the one that actually goes in – and then you hope that the other end connects to a charger and that the cable isn’t defective.

Lightning was nice because it was consistent and universal. Sure, proprietary to Apple in a sense, but I never had issues finding inexpensive cables on Amazon and even in regular brick and mortar stores (when I was desperate).

I know that C will get there eventually, but right now it’s still a mess. I still have those dozens of devices that use those USB-micro or whatever connectors (kindles, cameras, etc.) and quite a few Lightning things. It will take a decade for them all to be replaced.

So a lot of the gripe isn’t just about the connector itself – it’s just the hassle when the benefits are minimal.

I wonder if Apple had offered a choice of USB-C or Lightning on their 15 phones, which would have sold better? Perhaps a poll, Adam? :wink:

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25

Thanks for this well thought out response, all of which I fundamentally agree with but for the part of it being your “usage” that caused them to fail; I worked in an Apple authorized reseller for a while and the constant reality of those cables failing was so congruent with my own experience that I learned to tell people to go back to the Apple Store when the cable was useless after < a year and ask for $ or a replacement.

Also, props to you and, grudgingly, Apple for the policy that is truly no questions asked returns, albeit for a brief 14 day window – wise to return that crazy $ adapter. I was traveling recently and forgot my watch cable and a helpful employee in an Apple Store suggested I buy one and return it!

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26

That may be your experience and the experience of some. But is it the experience of the majority of Lightning users? I don’t have any data to say one way or the other. But like most things, those who are happy don’t post to forums. I like Lightning cables and if given a choice between USB-C and Lightning I would choose the latter.

Never had a problem with charging using a Lightning cable. Plug it in and it works.

Never had a problem with a Lightning cable—or any other Apple-supplied cable—failing. Ever.

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27

I have certainly seen issues with Lighting cables not charging or glitching data transfers. Sometimes this was due to cheap cables that broke down quickly, but I have seen it with Apple cables that looked in good condition (but were used). However, the most common cause is due to a buildup of debris or lint. Just about any socket will be prone to this depending on the locations they are carried and how well they are cared for.

Forgive this odd example, but I worked with someone who cleaned their belly button 2-3 times a day because they had so much build-up. The little bit of body hair around that area was enough to rub off and collect fibers from any kind of clean t-shirt (except silk) either tucked in or loose. He began collecting it in a ziplock bag for a couple weeks and it was startling how much gathered. :scream:

OK, strange example, but it makes the point about how pocket lint can gather in the sockets of phones when carried in pockets, let alone what might get in there when carried and used openly.

28

Outside the TidBITS audience, I think Lightning would have won hands down because most people aren’t likely to have other USB-C devices that they’re juggling in addition to Lightning. Those people would see no benefit at all, and there are an awful lot of them.

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29

Yes, I’d be in that category. I do have some USB-C devices in the house, but all of my iDevices use Lightning. Lightning is fast enough for my needs, and I find connecting Lightning cables to require marginally less fidgeting than USB-C cables. I’m not going to lose sleep at all over switching to USB-C, but Lightning just feels a little smoother to me.

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30

Really? :flushed:

Our household is chock full of USB-C devices these days: presentation pointer/clicker, battery packs, emergency solar panels, LED closet light, Macs/iPads, external drives, mouse, trackpad, printer, Gigabit dongles, portable vacuum cleaner, heck even that weird little defuzzer thingy my wife uses on her expensive pullovers! — all that stuff charges over USB-C and so we have a bunch of USB-C chargers around the house and the lightning chargers—if anything— were only competing for wall outlet real-estate. I’ve even added USB-C to our wall outlets just to get enough charging ports and make it easier to charge all of these USB-C devices.

Is that really just because I’m a nerd who reads TidBITS and runs a nerd household? (I can already hear the Mrs. raise a stern objection to such characterization of our home.). :rofl:

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31

Umm, yeah? :slight_smile:

Like you, I believe, I live in a university town, and despite that, the level of technology usage I see in my local friends is really low for the most part. People (usually) have smartphones and are of course computer-literate, but they don’t go beyond the basics or purchase accessories. And if they did at one time buy something beyond the norm, they don’t upgrade until forced to.

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32

I found it interesting that my car, purchased in spring 2023, did not have any USB-A ports for media input or charging; all the ports were USB-C.

33

I consider myself something of a tech nerd but do not have strong feelings about the change to USB-C. The annoyance of two different connector types is slight for me and I have no problem with adaptors when called for. The amount of emotion raised by this is at odds with the real significance of the issue, which I think is relatively unimportant.

I suppose that I am an “atypical” nerd.