USB is short for Universal Serial Bus, which defines the cables, connectors and communications protocols used in a bus for connections, communication, and power transfer between computers and electronic devices. Since the beginning USB has developed and advanced from V0.7 to 3.1. USB 3.1 is currently the fastest protocol than ever before, however, it’s gaining more attention since the arrival of the USB Type-C connector.
USB Type-C is a new, tiny physical connector. The Type-C is known as having the fast transmission speeds, lightweight and user-friendly reversibility. It was first used in a LeTV Android phone and more smartphone manufacturers are joining this coming tide.
The Lightning port was first released to the public with the iPhone 5 in 2012 and then used in all later iOS devices like the iPad, Mac and iPod. It’s also known to be backwards compatible. So what’s the difference between the Type-C connector and the Lightning port?
1. Appearance
Personally speaking, the Lightning port is more beautiful and easier to recognize by its appearance. While the Type-C connector looks similar to the Micro USB connector from its shape.
2. Cost
The Lightning port is more expensive than the Type-C connector as manufacturers need to get MFI authorization (Made For IOS) and purchase the connectors from Apple. The connectors are verified by Apple and have chips inside. The unverified connectors produced by non-authorized factories are incompatible with Apple products and a pop-up warning will appear when plugged in or even when turning on Airplane mode. So, it certainly costs more to make a Lightning connector than a Type-C connector. If you’re buying an extremely cheap Lightning cable or adapter, watch out!
3. Design
In the picture below, we can see that the Apple’s Lightning connector features 8 pins, while the USB Type-C features 24 pins. The reversibility of Apple’s Lightning cable is laid on the data cable end, that’s to say, both sides of a Lightning port and the data cables are the same. However, as for the USB Type-C, it’s the charging end not the data cable end that’s reversible.
4. Popularity
The Lightning port has been used in iOS devices since the iPhone 5, while the USB Type-C connector has only been used in a few Android phones like the LeTV Max, Nokia N1 and Oneplus Two. However, with lower cost, bigger bandwidth, more power supply capacity and better compatibility, USB Type-C has gained more popularity than Apple Lightning. There will be more devices whether for smartphones or tablets that will support USB Type-C.
