Abstract
- Lightning was initially a superior various to Micro-USB and its personal 30-pin connectors.
- Just a few years later, although, Apple discovered itself clinging to Lightning regardless of the apparent technical superiority of USB-C.
- It could have been motivated by protecting manufacturing prices down whereas reaping cash from ecosystem lock-in.
Apple has a historical past of championing new tech requirements, which most likely isn’t surprising to anybody studying this. The unique Macintosh popularized each mice and graphical person interfaces, and the iMac gave an enormous enhance to USB-A. The iPhone was a seismic shift, pulling the smartphone away from the keyboard and stylus designs favored by manufacturers like Nokia and RIM. In the event you’re younger sufficient, you won’t even bear in mind how standard RIM’s BlackBerry telephones was once.
For a short window, there was a time when Apple was main the best way in cell connectors within the type of its Lightning customary. By the tip of its life, although, Lightning was not solely outdated, however thought of an indication of larger issues at Apple. So what occurred?
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The start of Lightning
A small answer to a rising drawback (actually)
Previous to the arrival of Lightning, most of Apple’s iPhones, iPads, and iPods relied on a proprietary 30-pin connector. On the time, this was enough for energy and information, however Apple was starting to run into critical points with pace and design house. That 30-pin connector was not solely gradual to cost, however comically massive subsequent to the Micro-USB format used on different telephones — on an iPhone 4, for instance, it occupied many of the backside edge, by no means thoughts any inside elements. To maintain iPhones skinny however highly effective, the 30-pin format was going to should go.
Lightning cables and docks turned synonymous with residing within the Apple ecosystem.
Micro-USB wasn’t a great answer, although. It was nonetheless restricted in energy supply, and as anybody who’s used the usual will know, Micro-USB cables might be each fragile and onerous to plug in appropriately on the primary attempt. A Micro-USB port is a tiny goal, and the connector is non-reversible — there’s just one appropriate “up” aspect.
Lightning solved these issues in a single fell swoop, placing it forward of its time. Right now, it is typically attainable to mistake a Lightning cable for USB-C.
The primary-ever Lightning system was the iPhone 5, launched in September 2012. Apple quickly introduced the expertise to different product traces, although, transport the fifth-gen iPod contact, Seventh-gen iPod nano, 4th-gen iPad, and the unique iPad mini later the identical yr. The format turned entrenched, even making its option to headphones and Mac equipment. Lightning cables and docks turned synonymous with residing within the Apple ecosystem.
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Lightning’s downfall and demise
Dragged — kicking and screaming — into the trendy age
Arguably, Lightning’s destiny was sealed in August 2014, when the USB-C 1.0 specification was printed. The format had an edge out of the gate — whereas Lightning was solely ever a 16-pin customary at most, USB-C added one other 8 pins, serving to it ship extra energy and information.
Lightning information tops out at USB 2.0 speeds, about 480Mbps. USB-C began round 5Gbps, and right this moment helps as a lot as 80Gbps when paired with ports and cables utilizing the USB-4 model of the specification. There is a related discrepancy in energy — with out particular equipment, Lightning delivers solely 12W, nowhere close to the 60 to 240W some USB-C cables are able to. You possibly can, in principle, energy a high-end gaming laptop computer with the identical twine you employ to high off your telephone or earbuds.
For years, Apple refused to change iPhones and iPads over to USB-C, at the same time as rivals started to place the usual on their telephones and tablets, and the corporate’s personal Macs started adopting the expertise. The corporate even continued to launch new merchandise with Lightning ports, such because the AirPods Max and the primary two generations of iPad Professional.
It was onerous to disregard the writing on the wall, although, together with demand for interchangeable cables that ditched platform exclusivity. iPads slowly transitioned to USB-C, and in October 2022, the European Union handed guidelines making USB-C the default wired charging format. That meant Apple would quickly be unable to promote Lightning merchandise in Europe, and certainly the final iPhones to assist Lightning had been 2022’s iPhone 14 and SE fashions. The SE continued to linger round till February 2025, when it was lastly changed by the USB-equipped iPhone 16e.
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Why did Apple maintain on to Lightning for thus lengthy?
A probable clarification
The official story was avoiding e-waste, however in actuality, it most likely boiled down to 2 issues: elements prices and protecting individuals within the Apple ecosystem. Lightning turned so ubiquitous so rapidly that switching over to USB-C was inevitably going to contain a large provide chain expenditure, to not point out redesigning entire product lineups. Somewhat than eat that value when USB-C was new and (comparatively) costly, Apple seems to have determined to carry out for so long as attainable.
In the meantime, Lightning allowed the corporate to reap income from proprietary equipment, whereas concurrently discouraging individuals from leaping ship to Android. In the event you had a house filled with Lightning equipment, switching to Android meant changing all the things with USB-C equivalents.
That wasn’t the tip of the world, nevertheless it was a notch in opposition to Android when you had been budget-conscious.
The actual thriller could also be why Apple by no means bothered to improve Lightning in any critical method. It would’ve held on to exclusivity for some time longer, and even established Lightning as its personal common customary. Given what number of antitrust battles the corporate has needed to combat, maybe the corporate realized there could be diminishing returns.
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