iphone

USB-C-Lightning-Cable

If you’re like me, you probably have several USB Lightning cables lying around your house, or in your car, or at your office.  Why?  Because you never know when you’re going to need to charge your iPhone.  But, you might be out of luck in the near future as its rumored that Apple will be changing the type of charging cable for their new iPhone Xs.  But why?  Well, because it’s Apple, and they seem to do this every few years.  The rumor is that Apple will start using the USB-C combined with a Lightning cable as this will enable fast charging of iPhone devices, and move us one step closer to a totally USB-C future.

That said, we’ve heard these rumors before, but a new report from Macotakara corroborates previous reports, as well as supplies us with new details.  Apple reportedly told partners in its Made for iPhone program that they’ll be able to sell licensed USB-C to Lightning cables in the near future, according to the outlet.

Per the report, the cables will be able to deliver 18 watts of power to devices that support it, which is consistent with the USB-C to Lightning fast-charging that we’ve already seen on the iPhone X. Fast charging is one area where Android has consistently been beating the iPhone; device manufacturers have quick-charge standards that can go up to 40 watts in some cases, allowing users to juice up their batteries in minutes.

If you’re upgrading to an iPhone X, there is good news – Apple is going to allow third-party cables.  Well, kind of.  As you’re probably aware, Apple cables are notoriously expensive, and while other cables are rarely cheap, they at least give you a somewhat less expensive option.  I feel like a broken record when I continually ask the question of why.  Why is Apple doing this again?  It wasn’t that long ago that Apple went from the 30-pin connector to Lightning.

One theory is because there are limitations with the Lightning standard, and another theory is because Apple has already moved their MacBook Pros to USBC.  So it seems to only make sense that they would be doing it for the iPhone as well.

I mean, on one hand, I am not against this kind of shift in technology if it means that I will be able to charge my device faster.  But on the other hand, it just seems like Apple is always doing something to keep us hooked.  Don’t get me wrong, I am a huge fan of their products, but these cables start at $25.  Sure, that’s not a ton of money, but like I said – I have these cables stashed in different locations because I always feel like I need to charge up my phone.

I don’t often argue against the price of the iPhone either, but if you’re spending $1,000 or more on it, who then wants to spend another $50-$100 on cables?  Ok, well I have 3 for sure, and a backup in my laptop bag as I am paranoid that I will run out of juice.  My point is that it seems like Apple is trying to take advantage of consumers, under the guise that it will mean faster charging times.

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