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Apple's Ultra Accessory Connector Dashes Any Hopes of a USB-C iPhone (theverge.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Verge: Among all the iPhone 8 concepts and daydreams, my favorite scenario has always been to see Apple replacing its proprietary Lightning connector with the USB-C one that's taken over the entire rest of the smartphone world. Apple is already a strong proponent of USB-C, having moved to it aggressively with the new MacBook Pros in October, but the company also maintains Lightning for its iPhones and iPads -- which creates a lot of headaches for people desiring universal accessories that work with everything inside the Cupertino ecosystem. Alas, after yesterday's revelation of a new Ultra Accessory Connector (UAC), which is intended to ameliorate some of the pain of having both USB-C and Lightning devices, it looks like the dream of a USB-C iPhone will forever remain just that. The UAC connector is going to be used as an intermediary in headphone wires, splitting them in half so that the top part can be universal, and the bottom can be either a Lightning, USB-C, USB-A, or a regular old 3.5mm analog plug. The intent is to restore some of the universality of wired headphones -- which, until not too long ago, all terminated in a 3.5mm connector (or 6.35mm on non-portable hi-fi models designed for at-home listening). With UAC, a headphone manufacturer can issue multiple cable terminations very cheaply, making both the headphones and any integrated electronics, like a digital-to-analog converter or built-in microphone, compatible across devices with different ports. Why this matters with regard to the iPhone's sole remaining port is simple: if Apple was planning to switch its mobile devices to USB-C, it wouldn't have bothered with creating a Made for iPhone standard for UAC. It would have just made the port change.
So what if Apple won't offer a sane, standardized solution? How about you just STOP BUYING APPLE CRAP!?
Circumcision is child abuse.
Would mandate an iPhone without a single external connector.
...and just renamed itself to "Dongle". They clearly have a love affair with making you carry 12 other boxes so that your phone can be 0.1mm slimmer. Shame you need a bag for all the dongles to achieve it.
Geez, Slashdot is now so slow that they're posting rants that are already ancient news.
No, Apple is not putting out a new connector. They've had requests from industry groups to allow Apple-certified cables using this unusual somewhat connector, most likely for attaching professional cameras to IOS-based devices. Apple complied with these groups. End of story.
https://arstechnica.com/apple/...
Help save the critically endangered Blue Iguana
With this UAC, does it ask you for administrator permissions every time you plug something in?
Obligatory https://xkcd.com/927/
Seriously though, is anyone else getting tired of these smaller and smaller fragile connectors that have about a one or two year lifespan before they become loose and wobbly and malfunction?
First requirement of a connector is it should reliably stay connected even with little pulls on the cable,
Second requirement is a decent lifespan, and non-self-destructive tendencies through normal use.
Where are we going and why are we in a handbasket?
I guess the Apple haters really jumped on this right from the start which was surprising for me.
Personally, I would think that in terms of USB-C, with all the problems that have been reported in the press regarding cheap cables, there is enough of a negative to want to avoid it.
I (and, more importantly, my wife and kids) can get very cheap (two dollar range) lightning cables for our iPhones at "Dollarama" (this is a Canadian Store) and basically not worry about things burning up or not working. The same can't be said for USB-C.
Mimetics Inc. Twitter
My Windows phone has USB-C, just saying.
No it's NOT new. it's a standard USB connection used on some devices already... NIKON uses it on cameras
http://www.nikonusa.com/en/nik...
And apple is using it simply because the companies making accessories are asking for it. It's going to be on the accessory end NOT the phone.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
Shouldn't one or two dongles be enough for anybody?
What if Monster Cable became Monster Dongle?
I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
I imagine there will be cases that have everything you need built in. A shell of functionality around the phone. What a shame they do this crap. I'm typing this on a Macbook Pro where the 2 (two) USB ports are so close that I often can only plug in one device unless I use a USB hub. I don't see me buying anything else from Apple.
Whatevs.
Besides, that uses nearfield power to generate battery recharge, so it's way easier.
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
Apple should just give up on connectors for the iPhone completely. They've already removed the headphone jack in favor of wireless headphones. They should remove the lightning connector and go to wireless charging and WiFi/Wireless only for data. That would remove the last remaining open connector on the phone and make it much easier to make it really waterproof.
There's no point in questioning authority if you aren't going to listen to the answers.
Not a terrible idea (perhaps as an option). I've always thought that a sealed phone would be desirable. It would be much easier to water- and dust proof and maybe more reliable (fewer connections). Could get a much higher waterproof rating (definitely for swimming and maybe sport diving). Not sure how well bluetooth works underwater.
Charging, headphones and data sync could all be wireless. (And does anyone ever use data sync).
Maybe not for everyone, but it would seem like a way for a second-tier Android manufacturer to differentiate themselves.
Don't give them ideas. Apple fanboys are far too used to buying overpriced low quality crap to notice.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
How Apple haters love rewriting history.
FIrst, this UAC connector is not Apple's at all. In fact, accessory manufacturers asked Apple to create support for it. So Apple created the necessary cabling for Lightning (which is sticking around) to UAC. All Apple is doing is listening to accessory manufacturers who want to use this connector because it's popular and used elsewhere.
Second, Apple only used three connectors since 2001. First was FireWire, which was migrated to the 30 pin connector, and finally lightning. USB went through several as well - first was USB B (the big square connector), then mini-B, then micro-B, and now USB C. Ignoring the extra cabling you need if you want USB 3.0 versions of same since USB 3 requires a different set of cables.
Of course, I see the next Beats headphones coming with lightning to UAC (iPhone), micro USB to UAC (Android), USB-C to UAC (Android and PC), and USB-A to UAC (PC) adapters.
And where exactly is the profit in having people carry over their dongles from one generation of devices to the next?
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
Whose UID is low?
Bruce Perens.
A slightly thinner phone, and a 6-pound bag with $3000 worth of adapters and connectors? I see dollar signs in the eyes of Apple management at the suggestion.
What about a wireless charger that itself uses a proprietary charging cable, that ends in a 4-prong power plug, which then uses a set of other country-specific adapters? And how about headphones with a Bluetooth-to-lightning adapter, chained to a lightning-to-USB adapter, chained to a USB DAC, chained to headphones with an analog plug?
Oh, yeah, it's like printing money.
Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
The jack may not exactly wear out, but it could be a little more cooperative in maintaining contact with the cable's connector.
What you want is the connector to separate, not so much the connector to break.
The wireless charger is actually powered by a super small exotic heat engine that will only run reliably on a very specific formulation of fuel. Said fuel can only be purchased direct from Apple in small quarter litre titanium canisters
I suspect there's a reason this guy is posting AC - don't want to get busted leaking the work-in-progess, huh?
Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
"...which, until not too long ago, all terminated in a 3.5mm connector (or 6.35mm on non-portable hi-fi models designed for at-home listening)."
Until not too long ago my ass. It still is, and will be for a very long foreseeable future. The only idiots thinking that these standards will go away are delusional Apple fanboys who swallows all the crap Apple says on their cult gatherings.
And if we're talking about not ALL headphones and speakers using 3.5mm connectors, should I remind that USB headphones have been around for the longest time? Or that old cellphones used to pull the same crap Apple is doing today by forcing consumers to use their own connector standards for headphones and cables to connect to a pc?
I dunno how people can be so gullible... Apple pulled this once before when they switched from one lightning connector (30-pin) to another, they sold a whole lot of accessories and cables with that move, and not only they are making this a recurring fixture, they are also implementing it for wireless audio now.
Who wants to bet from now on Apple will change the lightning connector and the wireless chip required to connect to Apple devices on a regular basis with some justification based on "courage", "better technology" or "optimized music listening experience"?
Introducing the iFlea
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
"Apple’s “new” UAC port wasn’t made by Apple, and it isn’t new"
https://arstechnica.com/apple/...
This is a connector used in some digital cameras, and accessories. They are usually compatible with USB micro cables, but has additional pins for the original cable carrying video or other signals.
Apple is just allowing manufacturers to use this port on one end of their cables. i.e.: it will now be possible to connect your Sony camera to a lightning port directly.
We are DOOMed !
Totof
So please enlighten us what is the high quality versions?
Because they all seem to be the same and more or less copying what Apple did 9 years ago.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
How is this possible in the EU where it is mandatory to use USB for charging phones and tablets.
https://arstechnica.com/apple/...
Shouldn't one or two dongles be enough for anybody?
640k dongles ought to be enough for anybody. -- Bill Gates
that's how it was invented, that's what it is. not a 6.35 mm connector. so there!
correcting mistakes on The Connected Internet, that's hard work.
if this is supposed to be a new economy, how come they still want my old fashioned money?
This article and summary are coming to conclusions that are completely false. This stupid little port is just a USB variant, and the only reason Apple has even acknowledged it is that only certain connectors can be used on the ends of "MFI" certified products such as cables and accessories. They in no way intend to put this connector on the iphone, but it is in wide enough use that they dont want to exclude someone already making a product that uses one from paying them that sweet MFI license fee.
The MFI program itself is and has always been the reason to hold back from a USB-C phone; it makes huge revenue for them. With lightning they have leverage to force the MFI licensing. If it becomes valuable as a brand/mark on its own and consumers look for it when choosing accessories then maybe they can safely switch to USB-C.
The problem is that the grey market is so accessible that genuine licensed products have trouble competing even if they make a superior product and follow all the rules. The whole thing is locked into a catch-22 where consumers appear to want the change but are also the obstruction to making it, at least from a business perspective.
I can tell you though that based on the quality spread I've seen with USB3, HDMI, DisplayPort junk that's out there now I would be very delighted to see some kind of consumer-oriented quality standards program emerge. I won't buy 10GbE cables that arent properly tested and certified and these new consumer standards are all equally demanding.
...and just renamed itself to "Dongle". They clearly have a love affair with making you carry 12 other boxes so that your phone can be 0.1mm slimmer. Shame you need a bag for all the dongles to achieve it.
Mods? Insightful?
How about Idiotic?
Never have owned an Apple device, and I never will for exactly this kind of reason. It's like the whole fucking company is run by women or something, they can't make up their mind, try 14 different things, and eventually wind up settling on something different than everyone else.
I think you are confusing them with Microsoft.