Lightning - page 2

Charging an iPhone used to be so simple. You’d grab your 30-pin dock connector cable, the one that was almost as big as an AirPods charging case, and you’d jam it into the huge slot on the bottom of your iPhone. Then you’d wait.

Today, the kids don’t know how easy they have it. They can plug in a svelte, skinny Lightning cable to charge their iPhones, but they can also opt for several other ultra-modern (and probably fashionable) charging methods. Hell, even the olde worlde cable method has some high-tech, high-speed alternatives.

Let’s get right into it. Here are six different ways you can charge your iPhone.

Apple reportedly is working on a number of big design changes for the 2020 iPhone lineup. It wants to shrink the notch (finally!) and add wider antenna bands that will support 5G connectivity.

The company is said to be testing a number of prototype designs — all of which feature smaller notches. Apple also is planning for a future without Lightning connectivity.

The YubiKey 5Ci is the first security key that combines USB-C and Lightning connectors in a single device. It provides iPhone or Mac users with very strong security access to Dashlane, 1Password, LastPass and other password storage apps.

Everyone knows about the risks of phishing email, dodgy downloaded software, and accessing sensitive data while using public Wi-Fi. But how about third-party Lightning cables?

According to a new report, these are a risk as well — with security experts noting that it’s possible for malicious Lightning cables to grant access to your Mac to a remote attacker.

The USB port on your iPad has gotten a massive update in iOS 13/iPadOS. You can now plug in pretty much everything except a printer, and have it Just Work™. We already know this from Apple’s own PR and WWDC announcements. But what exactly does work when you plug it in? I decided to try it. I took my old test iPad (a 1st-generation iPad Pro) on a tour around various friends’ homes, and plugged stuff in. Here’s what happened.

You may soon be able to transfer photos, videos, contacts, and more from an old iPhone to a new one using a cable.

The latest iOS 13 beta hints at the ability to connect two iOS devices for wired data transfer. The move could significantly speed up the upgrade process, which currently relies on wireless connectivity.

But it’s not exactly clear how you’ll be able to marry two iPhones with a cable.

Apple is looking for better options for transmitting data than wires or wireless connections. One possibility mixes the two: sending high-speed data down waveguides.

The result would something capable of transferring data much more quickly than a wire and without requiring a port on the iPhone.

Target is recalling around 90,000 Lightning cables over concerns they could cause fires or electric shocks.

The “heyday” branded cables, which feature a nylon braided cable and metal connectors, “can become electrically charged,” according to a recall notice.

Target has so far received 14 reports of the cables “smoking, sparking or igniting.”

It’s been impossible to get the Lightning earbuds that come with the iPhone XS, XS Max or XR to work on the USB-C ports of the new MacBook and MacBook Pro. Luckily, Anker is out here doing God’s work and has finally come up with a solutions: another dongle.

Freshly leaked details about the 2019 iPhone lineup claim customers can expect faster-charging capabilities right out of the box.

While Apple added faster-charging powers to the iPhone since the iPhone 8, it’s been giving customers the same 5W charger that has been used for years. That is finally set to change this year though as Apple is reportedly planning to include an 18W charger in the box with new 2019 iPhones.

The 2019 iPhone lineup will not be making the switch to USB-C, according to a new report.

Apple is expected to retain the Lightning port for this year’s upgrade, and it will continue to bundle the same 5W charging adapter in the box as a cost-saving measure.

The dark days of dongle hell might finally be over thanks to a brilliant new accessory that packs five different ports in one cable.

Vonmählen, a smartphone accessory maker based in Germany, revealed its new creation called the High Five. The company claims it’s the first ever 5-in-1 cable that’s so small it fits on your keychain. Best of all, it’s super cheap too.

One rumored change to the 2019 iPhone might not happen: a generally reliable source indicates that Apple’s next handset will hold onto its Lightning connector.

And the same source says the iPhone XI will have very high-resolution front- and rear-facing cameras.

Despite its drawbacks, USB-C is the future of the iPad. But just what is USB-C? Well, it’s a connector, but not all USB-C connectors are the same. And in fact, not even everything that looks like a USB-C connector is a USB-C connector.

Confused? I was. Today we’ll find out what USB-C is, why it looks just like Thunderbolt, and what hubs you might want to buy.

Every 2018 iPad Pro review I’ve read seems to be written by someone who doesn’t use the iPad like a pro. Most of the reviewers focus on using Apple’s new tablet they way most people do: reading the internet, doing some mail and watching lots of video.

Which is a shame, because there’s a lot to like in this iPad for “power” users, aka folks whose everyday carry is an iPad. People like me. The iPad has been my most-used device for years. I do everything on it. (Everything, ironically, except writing articles — but that’s because my ancient 27-inch iMac still works fine, and I like to use a trackpad for editing text.)

Rather than reviewing the iPad Pro from the point of view of a “normal,” I’m going to talk about this gorgeous new device like someone who uses an iPad for work every day.

At this point, it seems that everyone is agreed that the next iPad will replace the excellent Lightning connector with an inferior USB-C connector. But I’m not so sure. Not only is the “evidence” for this huge change sketchy and speculative at best, but USB-C would bring almost no benefit to anyone — not users, and not Apple.

On Tuesday, Apple is almost certainly going to unveil the first iPad with a USB-C port. This could easily mark the beginning of the end for the Lightning connector across all iOS devices.

USB is a welcome addition to the iPad, but Apple should take a more radical step for the iPhone line. Instead of exchanging the Lightning connector for another data/power port, maybe these handsets shouldn’t have one at all.

On paper, it sounds kind of surprising, but the reports claiming that Apple will include a USB-C port instead of its proprietary Lightning are certainly racking up.

Recently, notable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested that this would be the case. Now a new report citing multiple accessory makers at the Global Sources Mobile Electronics Trade Fair in Hong Kong reported that they have heard much the same thing.

It is looking increasingly likely that Apple will deliver a new iPad Pro lineup before the end of 2018. A new report, citing a number of sources familiar with the company’s plans, reveals some things we can look forward to.

Here’s what to expect from the next-generation iPad Pro’s display, Face ID, Apple Pencil, and more.

Back in the distant mists of 2012, everyone needed an adapter to plug their collection of 30-pin charging cables into Apple’s new Lightning port. Fast forward to today and this once crucial accessory is no longer necessary. To the point where it’s been dropped from the online Apple Store.

Apple’s first beta for iOS 12.1 is starting to be a fountain of leaks regarding the new iPad Pros set to come out this fall.

After revealing yesterday that new iPads are on the way, it appears that iOS 12.1 beta 1 has also confirmed the long-cited rumor that the new iPads will come with a USB-C port.

Third-party hardware manufacturers have finally been given the green light from Apple to start making USB-C to Lightning cables.

The new Made For iPhone (MFi) certification should open the door for a bunch of faster-charging solutions to come out for iPhone owners, but according to the report out of Asia, the new cables will be a little bit more expensive.

What do you want from Apple’s next iPhone? A faster processor? A better camera? A truly edge-to-edge screen without the controversial notch?

All of these things would make for nice improvements, but they’re not what most fans are asking for from their next iPhone. Better battery life is actually what tops the wish list in a survey of 1,665 Americans.

Square, the payments company that makes it easy for small businesses to accept credit card payments wherever you go, is finally catching up with the times today by updating its tiny card reader.

Starting today, customers can now get a Square Card reader that connects via Lightning port instead of the traditional 3.5mm audio jack that Apple is trying to hard to kill.

Apple’s decision to do away with the iPhone’s headphone jack in 2016 still causes some fans great pain. The free Lightning-to-headphone jack adapter found inside every iPhone box helps by ensuring you can still use your favorite cans with the latest models — but not for long.

Apple will stop bundling the adapter with its next-generation iPhone lineup later this year, according to a new report. If you don’t already have one, you’ll have to pay to obtain one.