Lightning to USB Cable (2 meters) - Still Available Anywhere?

Belkin, Anker, and StarTech are very reliable quality cable makers that will have what you need.

https://www.belkihttps://www.startech.com/en-us/cables/usblt2mb

https://www.startech.com/en-us/cables/rusbltmm2mb

https://www.startech.com/en-us/cables/usblt2mw

https://www.startech.com/en-us/cables/usblt2mb

Since you didn’t specify “which USB” I intentionally included one of each.

The 1st (white) cable is a USB-C to Lighting cable.

The 2nd (black) cable is a USB-A to Lightning

(USB-A being the “old-style” — circa late 1990s — rectangular connector)

BOTH cables can be used to charge ANY Lightning-fitted device. (iPhone or iPad)

The USB-A / USB-C “choice” depends on the form factor of the power source being used.

Older power adaptors and computers have USB-A ports; while most newer adaptors and computers have USB-C ports.

Like I suspect many here at ASC … my drawers contain a mix of both; all of which are still in-use.

Unfortunately, language can be used imprecisely “in the wild.”

In fairness, USB-A was the ONLY “USB” most users encountered for about two decades.

Marketing always simply called it “USB” (sans the “-A”) and it generally didn’t matter …

… except on printers and scanners (USB-B) and folks just called that a “USB Printer Cable.”

So imprecisely or not, “USB” is still often taken to mean USB-A.

(I’ve sometimes heard it called “Plain ol’ USB” too)

USB-A and USB-C are BOTH USB.

Some clarification of USB terminology may help everyones understanding... in particular the OP seeking clarification.

• USB-D doesn't exist - at least not yet.

• USB is a family of connection technologies.

• USB Type-A connections (sometimes incorrectly abbreviated as USB-A) are used by devices that incorporate a USB Root Hub/Controller. USB Type-A will always connect to a USB Type-B device or other proprietary connection - such as Apple Lightning.

• USB Type-B connections (of which you may encounter several physical variations, including mini-B and micro-B) are used by peripheral equipment - such as a Printer, Document Scanner, or USB Storage devices that connect using a USB cable.

• A USB Type-A host device will connect to a USB Type-B ancillary device. You cannot directly connect USB Type-A to USB Type-A. Similarly, you cannot directly connect USB Type-B to another Type-B device as neither have a USB Controller.

• USB-C is an entirely different USB connection that supersedes earlier USB Type-A and USB Type-B connections and interfaces; for avoidance of doubt, USB-C is not referred to as USB Type-C.

• USB-C differs in many ways from the earlier USB interface specification. USB-C actually refers to the physical connector - and supports an entire family of connection interfaces of which USB is only one. USB-C provides a fully reversible connection that greatly simplifies interconnection - as both the physical connector and underlying interface is fully reversible. For USB, two host controllers can be directly connected; interconnected devices will mutually negotiate and determine which device will become the interface controller.

Apple's original product description for USB to Lightning cables pre-existed the introduction of the much more recent USB-C nomenclature. The product description will be more accurately expressed as USB Type-A to Lightning.

Newer Lightning cables that utilise a USB-C connection should be explicitly identified as USB-C to Lightning.

Additional information about USB naming can be found within this useful primer:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB-C

LotusPilot wrote:

Apple's original product description for USB to Lightning cables pre-existed the introduction of the much more recent USB-C nomenclature. The product description will be more accurately expressed as USB Type-A to Lightning.

"The product description will be more accurately expressed as USB Type-A to Lightning."

When? They still call it USB on their UK website.

USB-C to USB Adapter - Business - Apple (UK)

Zurarczurx wrote:

LotusPilot wrote:

"The product description will be more accurately expressed as USB Type-A to Lightning."

When? They still call it USB on their UK website.

USB-C to USB Adapter - Business - Apple (UK)

As I have already outlined, Apple continue to use their original product description for their USB [Type-A] to Lightning cables.

We can only speculate as to Apple's reasoning for maintaining the original product description in favour of what is now a more appropriate (and technically correct) description of the cable. Other products that employ a USB Type-A connection may be similarly identified by Apple as "USB".

It is perhaps a notable but subtle point that Apple still makes distinction between "USB" (without qualification) and "USB-C". Within Apple product descriptions, you might therefore reasonably imply that "USB" actually refers to USB Type-A.

You. I interpreted your first repsonse to me as USB-A no good and your second one as USB-C no good, hence my confusion.

I also don't understand why the OP couldn't find either one of these cables. Maybe they or Google aren't available wherever they are - or maybe they need USB-D

Chattanoogan wrote:

Thanks for providing this VERY well-written piece.

While I have attempted to keep the description as non-technical as practicable, I hope others will find the explanation helpful in better understanding the naming and function of the various USB connection types.

I have intentionally confined the explanation to physical connections and basic interface information; I made a conscious decision to avoid the additional complications of USB generations and their technical differences/implementation.