Sorry, you're right of course, I meant in as much as it costs 20% out of the 100% retail price, leaving them with 80% profit.
Still, sales are such that Apple correctly predicted there was no need to change their profit model to ensure sales of the new iPhone, and as such was a smart business move, since it doesn't devalue the perception of their products. I don't agree with it in this case as a consumer, but as a shareholder, good for them.
You're both wrong. Profit is price above cost. So $100 for a $50 cost is $100 - $50 or $50 profit.
It doesn't leave them with "80%" profit. You can say that the cost is only 17.5% of the total price. Or, that with a cost of $3.50, they make (19-3.5)/3.5 *100% or 443% profit. Not unheard of in the realm of retail electronics today. That may not be a loaded cost with assembly labor, design, and shipping included, but oh well.
It's kind of amazing how online tech blogs have detached themselves entirely from the notion of journalistic integrity, and how quickly hundreds of sites will propagate an unfounded rumor posted by one of their peers.
An "authentication chip"? Seriously?
How about the far more rational explanation that Apple has gone with a solution based on MyDP for Lightning in order to enable USB OTG and HDMI/VGA over a single 8-pin connector? This would be a sensible way to counter Samsung's choice of MHL over a modified USB Micro AB connector.
I would imagine the chips are there to deMUX the USB D+ and D- signals off of the MyDP main link and perform hot plug detect and voltage regulation duties.
It's very possible that the el-cheapo Lightning cables support charging but not sync, seeing as it would be pretty easy to make a cable with VBUS, GND and HPD via simple circuitry.
It would have also been nice if AppleInsider had requested that the person who originally submitted this information finish cleaning the glue off the chip and take a proper photo of it. As it is, it's pretty much impossible to make out the chip markings and perform any reasonable identification. I've seen some claim it's an NXP device and elsewhere it's reported as being from TI. My money would actually be on Analogix as the supplier of the IP and silicon for Lightning.
And if I were to totally armchair reverse engineer this one, the pinout for Lightning goes something like:
Shield
1 C-Wire / Aux+
2 Aux-
3 VBUS
4 HPD
5 GND
6 Main Link Tx+
7 Main Link TX-
8 System Clock
Shield
Agreed, Its totally dumb for a cable company and AI to think these are some super secret "Auth" chips. It is likely to handle the various tasks for the lightning connector.
Are you sure that is an Authentication chip? I mean, I am no data cable expert but the first thing that came to my mind was the fact the connector is reversible. That means the cable is reversible on one side(Lightning side), and not on the other (usb side). A chip set in line to orientate the data would make sense to me.
Are you sure that is an Authentication chip? I mean, I am no data cable expert but the first thing that came to my mind was the fact the connector is reversible. That means the cable is reversible on one side(Lightning side), and not on the other (usb side). A chip set in line to orientate the data would make sense to me.
That's been my argument as the most likely usage for the chip, too. Welcome to the forum.
Are you sure that is an Authentication chip? I mean, I am no data cable expert but the first thing that came to my mind was the fact the connector is reversible. That means the cable is reversible on one side(Lightning side), and not on the other (usb side). A chip set in line to orientate the data would make sense to me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
That's been my argument as the most likely usage for the chip, too. Welcome to the forum.
The mirroring of the pins can be accomplished fairly easily through the use of vias since the contacts are already part of a multi-layer PCB.
However, we know this interface is capable of HDMI output, and there is no way to map an HDMI signal pin-for-pin to the Lightning connector, so we can be fairly certain that it uses an altogether different transport protocol for digital video. Likewise, there is no reason to presume that any of the pins on the Lightning connector correspond directly to the signals for USB or any other digital interface. If Lightning was based on a simple switched architecture, where the SOC selected which signals to provide based on the capabilities advertised by the attached device, just using an ID pin along with some passive circuitry would have been sufficient.
Therefore, my guess is that the chip is a Lightning to USB 2.0 protocol adapter, and that Lightning is actually using a protocol based on MyDP.
New, from Monster, the DX500304 Apple Lighting Cable, 5": $129.99*!
*10" DX500305 available in November for $159.99
EDIT: Oh, gosh, I was joking. The guy's actually selling this for $80…
A special heating process permanently straightens the cable so it is not covered in kinks like the Apple Lightning cable is when it comes out of the box.
There must be something very special about that hairdryer.
I would be shocked if the chip is an authenticator. Rather, I expect it is to handle the flexibility of the cable. If I turn it over, it still goes in, but how does the and - 5v (usb power) know where to go? The chip probably provides the logic to handle that.
Didn't the old connectors start using chips like these too? Really the only question is, is it the same chip? I remember they started doing that and old cables wouldn't work with new iPods then.
I'm the guy that did this disassembly, so let's summarize, since there's a lot of information out there and not everyone is synthesizing it fully.
The cable's chips/board is only able to interact with the USB V+ wire (the USB power line). It has no interaction with the data lines. The USB power pins are mirrored so they connect to the same place in the iphone's Lightning jack when you flip it. The data pins are different. They don't mirror, they're the same pin on the top row of pins as the bottom. So when you flip it, the iPhone itself is assigning them. The chips in the cable aren't doing that. We don't know precisely what the chips on the cable are, while they look sophisticated, they could be doing something pretty mundane, probably negotiating with the charger to see what kind of a power source it is (laptop, wall cord, car cord) then deciding if the power specifications are right to supply power.
I'm the guy that did this disassembly, so let's summarize, since there's a lot of information out there and not everyone is synthesizing it fully.
The cable's chips/board is only able to interact with the USB V+ wire (the USB power line). It has no interaction with the data lines. The USB power pins are mirrored so they connect to the same place in the iphone's Lightning jack when you flip it. The data pins are different. They don't mirror, they're the same pin on the top row of pins as the bottom. So when you flip it, the iPhone itself is assigning them. The chips in the cable aren't doing that. We don't know precisely what the chips on the cable are, while they look sophisticated, they could be doing something pretty mundane, probably negotiating with the charger to see what kind of a power source it is (laptop, wall cord, car cord) then deciding if the power specifications are right to supply power.
Why don't you post some facts rather then all assumptions. Because that's all you have been doing so far.
The presence of a chip doesn't mean it's "authentication". It may be a tranceiver, much like the chips in Thunderbolt cables. It might also be doing protocol conversion, to allow lots of different features to share the same 8 pins on the phone side of the cable.
I agree that this chip is (at least initially) going to make the cables expensive, but unless the author has tracked down the chip's model number and identified it as authentication chip (which isn't mentioned in the article), it could serve any number of purposes.
The days of cables being simple wires-and-connectors are pretty much gone. Most modern connections (especially high-speed ones) are more complicated than that.
Comments
Quote:
Originally Posted by icoco3
That is a 543% profit....
19.00 / 3.50 = 5.42857...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mac_128
Sorry, you're right of course, I meant in as much as it costs 20% out of the 100% retail price, leaving them with 80% profit.
Still, sales are such that Apple correctly predicted there was no need to change their profit model to ensure sales of the new iPhone, and as such was a smart business move, since it doesn't devalue the perception of their products. I don't agree with it in this case as a consumer, but as a shareholder, good for them.
You're both wrong. Profit is price above cost. So $100 for a $50 cost is $100 - $50 or $50 profit.
It doesn't leave them with "80%" profit. You can say that the cost is only 17.5% of the total price. Or, that with a cost of $3.50, they make (19-3.5)/3.5 *100% or 443% profit. Not unheard of in the realm of retail electronics today. That may not be a loaded cost with assembly labor, design, and shipping included, but oh well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by repoman27
It's kind of amazing how online tech blogs have detached themselves entirely from the notion of journalistic integrity, and how quickly hundreds of sites will propagate an unfounded rumor posted by one of their peers.
An "authentication chip"? Seriously?
How about the far more rational explanation that Apple has gone with a solution based on MyDP for Lightning in order to enable USB OTG and HDMI/VGA over a single 8-pin connector? This would be a sensible way to counter Samsung's choice of MHL over a modified USB Micro AB connector.
I would imagine the chips are there to deMUX the USB D+ and D- signals off of the MyDP main link and perform hot plug detect and voltage regulation duties.
It's very possible that the el-cheapo Lightning cables support charging but not sync, seeing as it would be pretty easy to make a cable with VBUS, GND and HPD via simple circuitry.
It would have also been nice if AppleInsider had requested that the person who originally submitted this information finish cleaning the glue off the chip and take a proper photo of it. As it is, it's pretty much impossible to make out the chip markings and perform any reasonable identification. I've seen some claim it's an NXP device and elsewhere it's reported as being from TI. My money would actually be on Analogix as the supplier of the IP and silicon for Lightning.
And if I were to totally armchair reverse engineer this one, the pinout for Lightning goes something like:
Shield
1 C-Wire / Aux+
2 Aux-
3 VBUS
4 HPD
5 GND
6 Main Link Tx+
7 Main Link TX-
8 System Clock
Shield
Agreed, Its totally dumb for a cable company and AI to think these are some super secret "Auth" chips. It is likely to handle the various tasks for the lightning connector.
That's been my argument as the most likely usage for the chip, too. Welcome to the forum.
Quote:
Originally Posted by toastydoc
Are you sure that is an Authentication chip? I mean, I am no data cable expert but the first thing that came to my mind was the fact the connector is reversible. That means the cable is reversible on one side(Lightning side), and not on the other (usb side). A chip set in line to orientate the data would make sense to me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
That's been my argument as the most likely usage for the chip, too. Welcome to the forum.
The mirroring of the pins can be accomplished fairly easily through the use of vias since the contacts are already part of a multi-layer PCB.
However, we know this interface is capable of HDMI output, and there is no way to map an HDMI signal pin-for-pin to the Lightning connector, so we can be fairly certain that it uses an altogether different transport protocol for digital video. Likewise, there is no reason to presume that any of the pins on the Lightning connector correspond directly to the signals for USB or any other digital interface. If Lightning was based on a simple switched architecture, where the SOC selected which signals to provide based on the capabilities advertised by the attached device, just using an ID pin along with some passive circuitry would have been sufficient.
Therefore, my guess is that the chip is a Lightning to USB 2.0 protocol adapter, and that Lightning is actually using a protocol based on MyDP.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
New, from Monster, the DX500304 Apple Lighting Cable, 5": $129.99*!
*10" DX500305 available in November for $159.99
EDIT: Oh, gosh, I was joking. The guy's actually selling this for $80…
A special heating process permanently straightens the cable so it is not covered in kinks like the Apple Lightning cable is when it comes out of the box.
There must be something very special about that hairdryer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by scootermafia
No, you won't be able to charge your iPhone with the fake cables.
And you know this because you have these fake cable to hand, right?
That is why microusb can only be put in one way.
I'm the guy that did this disassembly, so let's summarize, since there's a lot of information out there and not everyone is synthesizing it fully.
The cable's chips/board is only able to interact with the USB V+ wire (the USB power line). It has no interaction with the data lines. The USB power pins are mirrored so they connect to the same place in the iphone's Lightning jack when you flip it. The data pins are different. They don't mirror, they're the same pin on the top row of pins as the bottom. So when you flip it, the iPhone itself is assigning them. The chips in the cable aren't doing that. We don't know precisely what the chips on the cable are, while they look sophisticated, they could be doing something pretty mundane, probably negotiating with the charger to see what kind of a power source it is (laptop, wall cord, car cord) then deciding if the power specifications are right to supply power.
Quote:
Originally Posted by scootermafia
I'm the guy that did this disassembly, so let's summarize, since there's a lot of information out there and not everyone is synthesizing it fully.
The cable's chips/board is only able to interact with the USB V+ wire (the USB power line). It has no interaction with the data lines. The USB power pins are mirrored so they connect to the same place in the iphone's Lightning jack when you flip it. The data pins are different. They don't mirror, they're the same pin on the top row of pins as the bottom. So when you flip it, the iPhone itself is assigning them. The chips in the cable aren't doing that. We don't know precisely what the chips on the cable are, while they look sophisticated, they could be doing something pretty mundane, probably negotiating with the charger to see what kind of a power source it is (laptop, wall cord, car cord) then deciding if the power specifications are right to supply power.
Why don't you post some facts rather then all assumptions. Because that's all you have been doing so far.
I agree that this chip is (at least initially) going to make the cables expensive, but unless the author has tracked down the chip's model number and identified it as authentication chip (which isn't mentioned in the article), it could serve any number of purposes.
The days of cables being simple wires-and-connectors are pretty much gone. Most modern connections (especially high-speed ones) are more complicated than that.