News for hackers. Stuff that matters.

A comment on Apple Lightning Connector Serial Access (2015). Parent comment

Re:Apple Lightning Connector Serial Access (2015) by pfranz on Sunday September 16, 2018 @09:32PM (#18002488)
This all started because of the incredible amount of e-waste because every brand used their own standard. Things didn't seem much better when USB started becoming standard on the other end of the cable for data and charging. Apple's original compromise was to offer lightning to micro-usb adapters[1].

[1] https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MD820AM/A/lightning-to-mi...

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Apple Lightning Connector Serial Access (2015) by swiley on Sunday September 16, 2018 @11:20PM (#18002925)
I feel like micro USB may have actually made it worse because the connector has small springs which bend and fatigue very easily.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Apple Lightning Connector Serial Access (2015) by plushpuffin on Monday September 17, 2018 @12:24AM (#18003195)
The advantage of micro USB over mini is that the cheap cable's connector will wear out instead of the port on the expensive device.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_%28Physical%29

> The Micro connector is also designed to reduce the mechanical wear on the device; instead the easier-to-replace cable is designed to bear the mechanical wear of connection and disconnection.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Apple Lightning Connector Serial Access (2015) by dexterdog on Monday September 17, 2018 @12:16AM (#18003166)
I never had a micro port go bad on a phone. The c port on my Galaxy S8 has broken twice already.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Apple Lightning Connector Serial Access (2015) by ghusbands on Monday September 17, 2018 @01:49AM (#18003502)
Do you mean USB-C, which is what people are now using? Micro USB is the much older, non-reversible tech.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Apple Lightning Connector Serial Access (2015) by akvadrako on Monday September 17, 2018 @08:41AM (#18005349)
In either case it's wrong - the newer standards are rated for more abuse than the older ones.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Apple Lightning Connector Serial Access (2015) by LocalH on Sunday September 16, 2018 @11:03PM (#18002860)
I would posit that Android devices are actually worse historically than Apple ones. Many of them will not properly charge unless you either connect them to a charger manufactured by the device manufacturer, or to a PC/Mac (where they likely won't draw anything more than 500mA).

I've had far more luck using Apple devices with non-Apple chargers, than the other way around.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Apple Lightning Connector Serial Access (2015) by gst on Monday September 17, 2018 @02:40AM (#18003688)
I've used _lots_ of different Android devices since I purchased the original Android G1 device in 2009 and I never had a problem with chargers (although I don't use the original chargers most of the time).
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Apple Lightning Connector Serial Access (2015) by saagarjha on Monday September 17, 2018 @12:49AM (#18003281)
Probably a significant portion of that is the MFI program, which does quality control of third-party accessories.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Apple Lightning Connector Serial Access (2015) by walterbell on Monday September 17, 2018 @01:25AM (#18003429)
In that case, future Apple USB-C chargers may become a good solution for charging Android devices.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Apple Lightning Connector Serial Access (2015) by zaarn on Monday September 17, 2018 @02:47AM (#18003721)
Oh don't worry, Apple will now only produce lightning chargers and deliver phones with USB-C to lightning for charging.
[ Parent | on HN ]