Apple's new Lightning connector is 80% smaller, orientation independent

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  • Reply 21 of 45


    Well, PhilBoogie was the one challenging the 'orientation independent' bit (and I agree).  I was just trying to explain it for him.  :)

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  • Reply 22 of 45


    Ouch, $29 for 30-pin to 8/9-pin adapter, but only $19 for Lightning cable itself.

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  • Reply 23 of 45
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,715member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by silverpraxis View Post


    Ouch, $29 for 30-pin to 8/9-pin adapter, but only $19 for Lightning cable itself.



    From what I gather, the adapter has circuitry in it, while the cable doesn't.

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  • Reply 24 of 45
    irelandireland Posts: 17,802member


    USB should have been orientation independent.

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  • Reply 25 of 45


    Originally Posted by melgross View Post

    I imagine it's USB 3…


     


    But the cable is only Lightning to USB 2…  Which then starts to beg the question why they even bothered doing this.

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  • Reply 26 of 45
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,715member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


     


    But the cable is only Lightning to USB 2…  Which then starts to beg the question why they even bothered doing this.



    What do you mean "only to USB 2"? Do you mean only when compared to USB 2? If so, that fine enough. We're talking a ten times increase in speed. and that increase is more real than you may think because of the adoption of new technologies that bring it much closer to how FW handles audio, video, and data transfer.


     


    Otherwise, we don't know if it's USB 2. I suspect it's USB 3. Otherwise, why name it Lightning at all?

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  • Reply 27 of 45


    Originally Posted by melgross View Post

    What do you mean "only to USB 2"?


     


    The cable only goes to a USB 2 port from Lightning, so there's no increase of anything.

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  • Reply 28 of 45

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by HazMatt View Post


     


    The new connector has two possible orientations…  North facing and South facing, if you will.  A headphone jack is round, so it can face any direction on the compass.  It would be better to refer to the new dock connector as reversible, as someone else suggested earlier in the thread.



    This only works if you ignore all but one 3D axis.


     


    Either connector depends on being specifically aligned along two other axes, whether or not they're rotationally symmetrical about the third.


     


    People are overthinking this stuff.

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  • Reply 29 of 45

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


     


    But the cable is only Lightning to USB 2…  Which then starts to beg the question why they even bothered doing this.



    I really don't see this as being the case, rather that current devices released today that use it are USB2-class.


     


    Unless the Lightning cable is an active, rather than plain passive device.

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  • Reply 30 of 45


    Originally Posted by steveH View Post

    I really don't see this as being the case, rather that current devices released today that use it are USB2-class.


     


    … The cable specifically says USB 2.

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  • Reply 31 of 45
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,715member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


     


    The cable only goes to a USB 2 port from Lightning, so there's no increase of anything.



    Apple's USB 3 ports are also USB 2 ports, as they are compatable. So the end of the cable means nothing. I guess we'll just have to wait until tests of speeds are done.

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  • Reply 32 of 45


    Originally Posted by melgross View Post

    Apple's USB 3 ports are also USB 2 ports, as they are compatable. So the end of the cable means nothing.


     


    … Yeah. But if the cable supported USB 3, it would say that, don't you think?

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  • Reply 33 of 45

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by NexusPhan View Post


     


    Hmm. It says 8-signal. Does that mean 9 or 8 pins?



    There are eight pads on the connector. The connector body is ground, for a total of 9 connections. Power must be routed through at least one of the signal connections, so during charging, there may be less than eight "signals". As mentioned during the keynote, the Lightning interface is adaptive, so what's carried on each pin (power, USB, audio, etc) will depend on the situation.

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  • Reply 34 of 45
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,715member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


     


    … Yeah. But if the cable supported USB 3, it would say that, don't you think?



    Yeah, I would think. But there's wishful thinking involved here, and that, along with the name, still gives me hope. Also, it wouldn't be the first time there was a typo on their site.

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  • Reply 35 of 45


    Originally Posted by melgross View Post

    Also, it wouldn't be the first time there was a typo on their site.




    I was hoping for a fair number of typos today, but as there weren't, I dismissed that idea. You're right; we'll need it in our hands.

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  • Reply 36 of 45


    I'm pretty sure that Lightning does NOT include USB 3 compatibility.  If it did, then 1) Apple would have said so in the introduction, 2) they would not have emphasized wireless syncing, 3) USB 3 needs 9 pins on its own, leaving nothing else for the plug.  


     


    I am concerned that we are going to loose HDMI/analog video out due to this pin.

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  • Reply 37 of 45


    Don't you imagine they will come out with a "new-improved" AV connnector (for another $70 or so), for those of us who have tried AppleTV, and taken it back, again and again, due to disappointment.  I will miss not having the iphone-TV HDMI connectivity, but will just hang onto my ipad3 for connection, when playing back slide-shows and movies, since I have all pics and movies synced on both devices.


     


    HDMI wired connectivity is certainly a pain, but beats the wireless capabilities of the current AppleTV hands-down on quality of playback, on everything but basic slideshows.


     


    Unless (and this is a BIG doubt) the next version of AppleTV is functional for 1080p playback (wirelessly), then I will not upgrade to the new ipad next year, which will undoubtedly do away with the 30 pin connector also.

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  • Reply 38 of 45
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member


    IT is pretty obvious which way Europe is going.   In a very literal sense the Union is falling apart under the weight of excessive regulation.   It would not be a surprise at all to find them trying to legislate the requirement for a flash player.   However much of this baloney from the European union is about protectionism wrapped with environmental trappings.


    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Bagman View Post


    Wish they would - that way no one in Europe can get one - more for the world to buy, since they sell all they can make anyhow.  What next - "European Union requires Flash Players on all i-devices"?


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  • Reply 39 of 45

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by wizard69 View Post


    IT is pretty obvious which way Europe is going.   In a very literal sense the Union is falling apart under the weight of excessive regulation.   It would not be a surprise at all to find them trying to legislate the requirement for a flash player.   However much of this baloney from the European union is about protectionism wrapped with environmental trappings.



    Yeah - for sure.


     


    Anyone know the difference in thickness/size between micro-USB and the new 9pin connector?  Are both digital?  I remember the recent ultra-book that had a VGA connector, which stuck out as the thickest part of the housing - looked horrible, all in the name of using video projectors which had not been updated to HDMI.


     


    Warning: Old Fart Reminiscence:  Sheesh.  How come the ipad3 doesn't have a 5 1/4 inch floppy disk tray?  I really miss playing all my old Sierra games (King's Quest/Space Quest/Leisure Suit Larry, etc).image

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  • Reply 40 of 45


    Originally Posted by Bagman View Post

    Anyone know the difference in thickness/size between micro-USB and the new 9pin connector?


     


    See for yourself.


     


     


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