Hacker News Reader

Comment by Ph0X | Hacker News Reader

See, I would agree with you, and I definitely agree with their decision on the new MBP to put four Thunderbolt 3, but I don't understand why they didn't use a USB-C connector on the iPhone 7, which just came out.

They removed the headphone jack and called it "courage", but real courage would've been to switch to USB-C. That is the future of connectors, and if you believe in it, why wouldn't you preach it across all your devices.

View on HN

Easy...iPhone 8 won't have a charging port, no point changing it for one generation.

That... actually makes sense.

Sort of except charging ports are kind of handy for charging the things.

Given the Apple Watch has wireless charging and this https://9to5mac.com/2016/10/31/foxconn-iphone-8-wireless-cha...

And Apple's obsession with removing holes, I would put money on it.

I would be pretty damn surprised if they got rid of wired charging completely... unless they get near-field charging really good, where my phone doesn't need to be in contact with the charger. Otherwise that makes external batteries way less useful.

I think going to USB-C is much more likely. That said, a lot of new devices and headphones are using Lightning, so... who knows. Maybe Lightning has more life ahead of it.

Yeah, and I need to be able to use my phone (like, hold-up-to-my-ear using) while it's charging.

Hell, I need to charge my phone whilst driving because I use the GPS and Google's traffic options. And Internet Radio and often podcasts.

That must be what the wireless headphones are for.

It could still attach magnetically like the Watch charger, just no actual hole.

Then it might just mean that you are holding it wrong

"Unless they get near-field charging really good"

There's another option, you throw it out and buy a new one when the battery dies. I really wouldn't be too surprised at this point.

https://9to5mac.com/2016/10/31/foxconn-iphone-8-wireless-cha...

If they had used a usb-c plug on the iPhone 7 there would be a lot of blow back when iPhone's port fried since people were using third party cables that weren't regulated. It doesn't matter if Apple tells them not to use it. Media will put the blame on Apple even though it's the manufacturer's responsibility. This is why they require lightning cables to be certified.

There are many more iPhone users than MacBook Pro users out there. My guess is there will still be some people bringing in fried ports to the Apple store, but it'll be a lot less than if they had released usb-c on the iPhone.

http://phandroid.com/2016/10/14/recommended-usb-c-chargers-f...

By the wrong cable, fry your phone.

You do know why, if you think about it for a bit.

Look at the backlash Apple got for removing the 30 pin port on the iPhone. There are so many docks and devices out there which supports the lightning port, way more users than macbook users.

Sure, but if they were following that logic there'd still be a headphone jack, no?

The outcry would be worse if they changed both at the same time. And delaying the death of Lightning, if its death is indeed Apple's plan, will make it older at the time of the announcement, make it feel less like a bait and switch.

USB-C being the industry standard means they no longer can gouge fools for their riddiculously shitty cables without strain reliefs

Well, the cynical side of me says that they least have all these lightning-port apple-only headphones by beats to sell..

This is a consistent complaint about the new systems but it ignores the history of Apple's device connectors. Macs are distinguished from iOS devices by a level of complexity; Mac users should be OK if they encounter a cable or device that isn't digitally compatible, its been that way since the beginning of consumer PC's. iOS isn't and never has been about those types of considerations.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com