Lightning cables are used to connect the usb 3 cables or the other size usb cables that can connect your Apple products to your computer. Either that or it can be connected to the power adapter in order to charge it from the wall outlet. The lightning cables are specific to the iPhone 5 and newer. It is a much smaller charger cable so it takes up a lot less room on the phone itself. This works with the phone because the battery is a lot bigger in order to support the 4G LTE service. Cell phone cables are not all the same so here are some pros and cons regarding lightning cables.
Pros
- Lightning cables are significantly smaller than their previous counterparts as far as real estate goes. They are all digital and have an eight signal design that is actually stronger than the older 30 pin connector.
- The newer cables are reversible so they don’t go into the charger in a specific way. You can now plug in the charger either way; there’s no wrong way to connect your phone.
- These new lightening cables have been made more intelligent this time around. They can actually figure out what kind of device they are being plugged into so that they can appropriate the correct pin functionalities. This is only the beginning of how the lightning interface may get even better and more intelligent over time.
- This one could be a pro or a con, but the lightning cable to harder to copy on the black market. Picking up a charger from random stores isn’t an option for lightning cables anymore.
Cons
- The lightning actually only uses USB 2 technology instead of USB 3 which is the latest version. There is actually a four and a half second difference in transfer speed.
- The lightning cable is specific to iPhones, it can not be used for anything else. Apple was among a few different companies that were pushing for a universal USB charger because the lightning isn’t compatible with anything else.
- When you buy a new iPhone, it doesn’t automatically come with the ability to adapt to any 30 pin accessory. You’ll probably have to purchases a lightning to USB cable separately.
- The newer adapters do not actually support a video output area.
- Connectors are a little more flimsy and seem to break easier than the old 30 pin connector that they replaced.
When you first look that the lightning connector, it seems like it’s simple; only 8 pins and symmetrical in shape, etc. however, the connector itself can be pretty complicated after the first initial glance. These chargers are continually being made more durable and able to handle higher speeds because of progressing technology. While the phone design was fairly limited when it had to use the 30 pin connector, the design decisions can be focused around different factors which benefit the customers and users.
The lightning cables are known to break fairly easily so many people have come up with home remedies in order to keep them from fraying. Here are a few ideas:
- Take the spring from an old pen and wrap it around the cable, just below the plug. This keeps the cable in line with the plug, much like a sort of cast when you fracture your wrist. However, be careful with the size of spring you use because one that is to small could pinch the cable and cause more damage than if it wasn’t there at all.
- Embroidery floss or yarn is also sometimes used to wrap the entire cable in order to protect the cord at each end. While it does take a while to do yourself, it’ll cause your cord to last a lot longer. If you don’t feel like making it yourself, there are some places online that will sell them. Keep in mind that they will be a little pricier since they are hand woven.
- Electrical tape always works for fraying cables or even synthetic rubber coating. It doesn’t look as pretty as the embroidered cord, but it works just as well.
Taking care of your cords is important. We forget out fragile they can be and yanking them around isn’t going to help. iPhones cables are pretty short and get a lot of abuse so try to remember to be careful.
