An argument for USB-C iPhones

Yes, there are basically no reasons to not move to USB-C. Up until this point, I have been saying that it is a matter of convenience. But it is also economical.

The other day, my wife and I were out and planned to get lunch and go back home. We had outdoor seating and it was a beautiful day, so she decided to stay and work.

She did not have her lightning headphones and asked me how much a cheap pair would cost. Well, since it is lightning it would be about 3x as much as a USB-C pair.

I was so close to just pulling the trigger on an iPhone 13 since my iPhone XR is constantly freezing and has terrible battery life. This instance reaffirmed my decision to wait for a USB-C model iPhone.

If the iPhone 15 for some reason does not have USB-C or it is wildly expensive, I am just going to get an iPhone 13 and use that until is no longer works.

itsmikeyd,

Usb C iPhone and sideloading is about all I need to consider switching from Android. Can only see this as a good move.

signofzeta,

I agree. By this point, I have more USB-C cables and accessories than Lightning stuff. Let’s hope the rumor mill is right in predicting that this is the year.

NetMaze,

Lightning doesn't wiggle around, it can even hold the whole phone as a stand.

bloodfart,

Usbc has some fundamental flaws that make it a bad choice for a phone charger port.

The main problem is how much more difficult it is to clean compared to a lightning port which is literally a hole you can wiggle a toothpick around in with impunity to make lint come out. Usbc ports are so narrow around the plastic tongue that you need a thinner than normal kind of straight pin to jostle the dust out. That’s not too bad but those tongues are more delicate than the rest of the thing which is made of metal, so it’s easy to bend em or break em entirely. The pin design on the tongue is also much thinner than those on the lightning port it’s replacing and they seem to be more exposed, because they’re very likely to be damaged during cleaning compared to contacts on the lightning port.

On the other side, the cord, usbc has an annular oval that may need to be cleaned from time to time, but it’s contacts can’t be directly reached because they’re on the inside of the oval. Everyone with an iPhone or iPad knows about the tarnished black pin on their lightning cord, second one from the right, that needs to be scuffed with a pocketknife so it’ll work. Man, maybe it’s time to replace that cord. Too bad you can’t reach the v+ pin on a usbc cable when it gets tarnished.

That’s not even the bad part though.

You know how it seems like lightning cables never last as long as other cables? They always break at that little circuit board behind the connector, need to be held a certain way to charge and eventually don’t work at all and you gotta go down to the gas station and spend $5 on a replacement.

Usbc will change all that! It’s got a much tougher connection to the little board that’s connected to the wires in the cable, and the annular ring connector makes a very strong connection to the port it’s plugged into. So strong that when you accidentally bend the cable end with it plugged into your phone, it breaks the tongue or pulls the port off it’s circuit board rather than just breaking internally like a lightning cord does. Now you don’t have to go to the 24 hour gas station and get anew cord, you’ve got to wait for a microsoldering shop to open up so you can pay them $150 to put a new port in your phone.

As a computer charging port, sure. A computer or headphone data port, sure. Something that’s gonna go in a pocket? No thanks.

Umbrias,

I’ve had a phone with a USBC charger for years. Previous to that it was micro USB. I know several people who have done the same.

Nothing you have described has really ever been an issue for any of us. Your critiques are true, I suppose, but it’s important to think about how often they are practical issues and not just theoretical.

And at that, USBC ports are in general repairable. The only time they aren’t is when they are impossible to gain access to without damaging anything else.

My take away from your comment, personally, is that lightning cables burn out, are more expensive than USBC, are proprietary and not an open standard, but might be easier to clean. Though you can clean USBC ports using a needle, so not even crazy easier, just a bit.

I can understand being hesitant about change, but these feel like exaggerated critiques.

Senseibull,

My iPad is USB-C, I am expecting it to come to the iPhone due to EU regulations, they need to have USB-C on iPhones by 28 Dec 2024.

pinwurm,
@pinwurm@lemmy.ml avatar

There’s a good chance Apple would get rid of the port entirely and stick to wireless charging. My understanding is that the regulations doesn’t requires a port. Rather, if it does have a port, it needs to be USB-C.

davemacdo,

I can't imagine anyone arguing against USB-C iPhones. I've been hoping they'd make the switch for years. Having said that, I'll still be stuck with Lightning on my AirPods case and my Magic Keyboards and Trackpads. Totally worth it in the long-run to have everything on one connector.

worfamerryman,

Haha the apple subreddit has so many people who defend lightning. It’s such a toxic subreddit.

davemacdo,

I'm not saying you're wrong, but I've never seen it. All the Apple-focused blogs/podcasts I consume are unanimously in favor of USB-C.

mikeymike,

It's a given that the next iPhone is USB C. Notice that the Vision Pro also uses USB C. And for extra evidence, take a look at this Unbox Therapy short where he shows us a mold of the new iPhone 14. You can clearly see a USB C Port.

Having said that, I may be in the minority on this, but I'll miss Lightning. It's just such a small, elegant connector. It doesn't have a "tongue" like USB C so it's easier to clean both the male and female ports. USB C is great and all, and I know it has more capabilities with more pins and everything, but man I've really liked Lightning.

zomtecos,
@zomtecos@feddit.de avatar

Yeah, it’s absolutely time for USB-C. Apple itself is switching since several years. More and more products switch to USB-C. Started with the iPad (I ignore the Macs as the never had lightning), and now even the AppleTV Remote has USB-C.

But on the other hand: I have a 14 Pro and I don’t really care about the connector. Charging only wireless (MagSafe), headphone also wireless (AirPods or Beats for cycling). I could live with no connector at all. ;)

Nevertheless I expect the 15 to come with USB-C.

worfamerryman,

I had air-pods and I really loved them, but they only lasted like two years before the battery was garbage. It is a shame as they just became trash. It is too expensive for me to replace them every two years.

zomtecos,
@zomtecos@feddit.de avatar

My 1. Gen AirPods were absolutely a mess. After two years, the battery lasted maximum 5 minutes.

I currently use AirPods Pro 1. Gen, which I bought in September 2020 (but got replaced due sound problems) one year ago. Both work absolutely fine by now. I don’t know how long the battery still lasts (I’m not using them for several hours every day), but I don’t have a feeling the battery’s degraded a lot.

So, in my experience it became much better.

scrollbars,

Yes, the accessories are a major pain in the butt. I've considered buying a magic trackpad but at this point don't want to accumulate another device with a lightning port.

worfamerryman,

I just stick with wired ones. I think I can get a decent pair for about $10. If every there is a back to school promo that give out headphones or a gift card, I'd totally take the headphones though.

chillybones,

I wouldn’t be surprised if the 15 doesn’t move the USB-C. I feel like the move has been rumored for YEARS. It would be nice on so many levels, almost feels like dreaming for a utopia being able to travel with one cord for my laptop, iPad, and phone.

bdonvr,

I think most of us here agree

worfamerryman,

I love your icon btw. I made a post here earlier today about those games. I just finished played the remake of the second game.

bdonvr,

Wish they'd make an original new game!

worfamerryman,

That would be great! Maybe they these remasters are a way to gauge interest in the series.

DJDarren,

The only pause I have with USB-C is that the connection ≠ function.

The world of USB-C is a clusterfuck of differing abilities and standards that all share one common plug. I remember listening to a podcast a while back, where one of the hosts was complaining that he bought a new USB-C headphone dongle for his Samsung that didn't have a mic input, or something along those lines. Or more to the point, it did, but not for his model of phone. Meanwhile, a Lightning headphone dongle does in and out, regardless of the device you're plugging it in to.

Add to that that USB and Thunderbolt now share a common plug, and it's kind of a mess. I was trying to explain to my dad the other day that the sockets on his M1 Mini are both USB and Thunderbolt, which can be just confusing.

At least with Lightning I know that the cable / dongle I plug in to my phone or iPad will do what I expect it to. Mostly.

(As an aside, I recently replaced my old XR with a 13 Mini, which has been a wonderful upgrade)

worfamerryman,

I see my wife using her 13 and I'm itching to upgrade. I just don't want to spend on a phone so close to release of a new model.

You are right about USB-C being a bit confusing, but I will take the trade off. Then I can use one cable to charge everything. I can get quality accessories for half the price.

I am hoping that the 15 offers some sort of desktop mode like the iPad stage manager when it's connected to a display.

scrollbars,

It's true, shopping for "full" functionality USB-C cables or a good hub is a nightmare. I dread the process whenever I have to do it.

Also the 13 mini is a fantastic device :-)

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