Finding the Right Cable for the Right Phone

"With a great smartphone, comes great need to charge said smartphone." -Someone... probably

If you've ever been confused by ports and cables and connectors, this post will hopefully help!

First off, with the advent of thinner and thinner smartphones, many companies are choosing to get rid of the headphone jack in favor of adapters or headphones that plug into the charging (and data) port. These adapters are readily available and in many different designs, however always check for compatibility and for quality before purchasing.

Lightning

Charging

All iPhones since the iPhone 5 use the Lightning connector and cable. The "wall" end of the cable is most often USB for charging the iPhone.

All iPads since the iPad 4, including all iPad Airs, iPad Minis, and iPad Pros, also use the Lightning connector.

Adapting

There are a wide variety of Lightning Adapters that allow you to connect your iPhone or iPad to different devices.
Here are some examples of common Lightning Adapters:

• Headphone Adapter, allows you to plug in traditional headphones to an iPhone or iPad using the lightning port.
• HDMI or VGA, allows you to display your iPhone or iPad on a TV or Monitor.
• SD Reader or Camera USB, allows you to connect an SD card or USB from a camera to your iPhone or iPad to transfer pictures.

*iPhones older than the iPhone 5 used a "30-Pin" connector which is still produced in small quantities, many adapters also exist for the "30-Pin" Connector. Also the iPad 1, 2, and 3 all have 30-pin ports.

USB-C

Charging

Most new Android phones of various manufactures use USB-C ports. Most USB-C cables that come with an Android phone will have a USB-C connector on both sides to allow for faster charging. While any USB-C cable should work for charging any device, there are some that are rated higher for larger devices.

Adapting

USB-C is the most powerful port/cable on the market right now. It allows for faster charging, faster data transfer, and adaptation to almost any other port on the market.

While the port and cable may look the same, not USB-C ports are made equally, many cables and adapters are made for specific devices and functions and may not work in other cases. Make sure to check reviews before purchasing any cable.

Micro-USB

Charging

A vast majority of older Android phones come with Micro-USB ports, these are unidirectional, meaning they can only be inserted one way. Some modern Android phones still have Micro-USB and are severely frowned upon for that reason.

Most rechargeable portable devices have Micro-USB ports, such as external batteries and wireless mice. Though many devices are moving to USB-C for such functions.

Adapting

You can find some adapters for Micro-USB, but without the rigidity of quality like we see with USB-C and Lightning, often times cords and adapters are cheaply made and unreliable.

More often than not, with cords, you get what you pay for.

There are a lot of other ports for smartphones and tablets, but these three are the most common and available of the bunch. 

For questions on ports, cables, and adapters (OH MY), please email BroncoTec@boisestate.edu.