For a long time, the editor who didn't pay attention to the Apple Lightning data cable also made a sample. Today, we are talking about who is better between the Apple Lightning interface and the type-c interface, who will unify the world of mobile phone charging, and who will eventually be eliminated. The following one, it used to have a great name: Universal Charging, but unfortunately now it can't charge anything, so don't take your past too seriously. The world is changing, you remain the same, In the end, you can only be eliminated, and today you can't keep up with the pace of development. The reality is so cruel or even cruel! We must lay out our products in advance in order to live forever. The mainstream data cables for mobile phone configurations in the consumer market today are Lightning cables and USB type-C cables, which occupy half of the consumer cable market. Today, we will review their development history together

The Lightning interface for Apple was released on September 12, 2012, along with the iPhone 5, which officially replaced the 30-pin Dock interface that Apple had been using for 9 years. However, Lightning has been around for nearly 10 years now, and many parameters have actually fallen behind type-c. In terms of charging capacity, which users are more concerned about, before the release of iPhone 11, the Lightning data cable had always been designed with USB 2.0+2A, That is to say, there is not much difference from ordinary USB data cables. The iPhone has never supported fast charging, and it is also related to the Lightning interface and cable specifications. Before the 4S, the iPhone used a 30pin jack, which can charge and transmit data, and has relatively complete functions. Therefore, in those years, the iPhone used a USB to 30pin data cable, paired with a USB charging head, until the release of iPhone 11 later, Apple has equipped the high-end version of the iPhone 11 Pro with a PD 18W charging kit as standard. The data cable of the PD kit is type c to lighting, and the charging head is type c. Charging the iPhone 11 Pro can achieve 50% charging in 30 minutes, which is much faster than before. Currently, Apple 12 or the upcoming 13 have already supported fast charging. Interpretation of Apple PD Fast Charging Technology.

Lightning interface: Apple's high-speed multifunctional I/O interface is an exclusive connector specification produced by Apple. Its advantages still include support for forward and backward blind insertion, and in addition to basic charging and data transmission, the Lightning interface also supports digital signal output functions such as video and audio. Apple also understands that this attribute is no longer advantageous in the existing interface system, so it has added a lightning interface to the tool with strong productivity, Compatible with type-c, such as MacBook, iPad Pro, etc., while ordinary entertainment tools continue to use the Lightning interface, because in Cook's eyes, many wired charging technologies may be phased out in a few years, and wireless transmission technology will mature. At that time, technologies such as interval charging can also be commercially available in bulk, At that time, Apple will establish a new transmission standard to replace the existing MFI system and sell chips to control the existing ATM. Currently, the MFI license for IPHONE12 wireless charging has achieved rich returns, and it is expected that a new ecosystem will soon ban the benefits of relying on chips and licenses, while also making a lot of money.

Compared to the Lightning interface, the type-c interface; The birth of type-C was not long ago, and the rendering of the type-C connector was only released at the end of 2013. The USB 3.1 standard was finalized in 2014, and it gradually became popular in 2015. It is a new specification for USB cables and connectors, a complete set of new USB physical specifications that have been vigorously promoted by Google, Apple, Microsoft, and others; However, the gradual maturity of a specification from its birth to development is far from a one-time achievement, especially in the consumer product market. The application of type-c physical interface is obtained after the latest USB specification update, initiated by large companies such as Intel. Compared with existing USB technology, the new USB technology uses a more efficient data encoding system and provides more than twice the effective data throughput rate (USB IF Association), It is fully Backward compatibility with existing usb connectors and cables. Among them, usb 3.1 is compatible with existing usb 3.0 software stack and device protocols, 5Gbps hubs and devices, and usb 2.0 products. USB 3.1 and the usb 4 specifications that are now beginning to be commercially used in batches all use type-c physical interfaces, which also indicates the arrival of the mobile The Internet Age. In this era, there are more and more devices -- computers, mobile phones, tablets, televisions Electronic book readers and even cars can be connected to the internet in different ways, gradually eliminating the data distribution center status of computers previously symbolized by type-a interfaces. USB 4 connectors and cables are beginning to enter the market.

Theoretically, the maximum data transmission speed of type-c usb 4 can reach 40 Gbit/s and the maximum output voltage is 48 V (the voltage supported by the PD3.1 specification release has directly increased from the current 20 V to 48 V), while the limit transmission speed of usb a is 5 Gbps and the output voltage is 5 V so far; The standard specification connecting wire equipped with a type-c connector can pass 5A current, and also supports a "USB PD" with USB power supply capacity, which can provide up to 240W of power. In addition to the above improvements, the type-c also integrates DP, HDMI, and VGA interfaces. Users only need one type-c cable to handle the hassle of connecting external displays and video output that used to require different cables.

Comparison and Analysis of Lightning Interface and Type-C Interface. In order to help everyone understand the comparison and analysis of the Lightning Pk Type-C King Competition, the following is a summary for your reference and learning!

1. Functional comparison analysis shows that there is not much difference in data transmission capacity. When sending photos and downloading files, most users' first reaction is to connect to WiFi instead of using a data cable. The charging capacity varies, and type-c is better than Lightning (Most of the reasons for finding a data cable are to charge the phone)

2. Technical principles: The technical principles of data transmission are all Serial Communication. In terms of charging communication, type-c has an additional CC line for charging protocol

3. Cost, the price of type-c will decrease as the market expands and more chip products are launched, far lower than the chip control cost of Lightning

4. The user experience is that both sides are pluggable, with little difference. The Lightning interface is smaller, while the two ends of the Type-C cable are interchangeable.

5. Market dynamics: Currently, Apple phones use Lightning, while other manufacturers use Type-C phone interfaces. In the future, the Type-C market will be even larger, as USB is an industry standard. Apart from the mobile phone market, Other electronic products (such as computers, televisions, and cars, why are more and more cars switching to Type-C interfaces?) can all use the charging function of Type-C and the compatibility function of other protocols (such as DisplayPort protocol, Thunderbolt interface protocol, etc.).

We believe that compared to the Lightning interface of the Apple series, type-c has larger bandwidth, stronger power supply capability, and comparable multi-protocol compatibility, and also supports forward and backward blind insertion. For our ordinary users, if the type-c interface can realize universal use of digital electronic accessories, it will undoubtedly bring more convenience and reduce unnecessary Electronic waste. Unfortunately, due to the profit margins created by MFI certified data cables, Apple has always insisted on using the Lightning interface on its phones. (Progress of EU unified type-c interface: the iPhone 12 was "perfunctory" with a single line) (PS: The Type-C interface was designed by the USB Implementers Forum. Although the Apple team also participated in the design at that time, the standard of the type-c interface did not belong to Apple.) It is worth mentioning that Apple used the type-c interface on iPad Pro 2018 and MacBook Pro products as early as possible, and abandoned the native Lightning interface, This indirectly proves that type-c has the potential to unify the world. In the future, with the increasing demand for bandwidth and power from digital electronic devices, it is not impossible for Apple to fully switch to type-c interfaces. However, the premise is that Apple has already achieved a profit margin in the wireless field that is comparable to existing chip sales and MFI licensing.

Source: Cable Industry Circle