Hey guys, it’s Greg with Apple Explained, and today we’re going to explore the history
of Apple’s proprietary ports. And if you don’t know what proprietary technology is,
it’s basically anything a company invents and only uses on their own products. This
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So through the years, Apple has featured quite a few different ports and connectors in their
products. From USB in their older computers, to the lightening connector in todays iPhones.
But most of the controversy surrounding Apple ports stems from their long history with proprietary
technology. But even switching ports on new products is enough to ruffle some feathers.
So in this video I want to discuss three connectors: Thunderbolt, Lightning, and Magsafe. But also
talk about some controversial transitions from one technology to another.
For example, in 2016, Apple switched to USB-C ports in their MacBook Pro and removed every
other port previously available. USB-A was gone, HDMI was gone, the SD card slot was
gone. And the absence of these ports is why most people had a problem with the 2016 MacBook
Pro, despite USB-C being an industry standard port rather than a proprietary one, many people
thought it was a step backward. Skeptics felt that Apple got rid of all those ports to boost
sales of their expensive adapters, but others feel it was what had to be done to keep moving
the industry forward.
Now I should also mention that many consider the removal of the SD card slot to be one
of the biggest detriments to the MacBook Pro line. Photographers, especially, say the lack
of an SD card slot has hindered their ability to quickly transfer photos from their camera
to their computer, and that the SD card adapter was too cumbersome to use. But Apple disagreed.
Since they feel that the future of data transfer is wireless.
But this is only the latest example of Apple removing ports. Back in 2008, consumers noticed
there was no longer a FireWire port on the MacBook or the MacBook Air, although the MacBook
Pro at the time still had it. Now the FireWire port was used for connecting camcorders, external
hard drives and other devices to your MacBook. But in its place Apple featured a faster USB
port, called USB 3.0, and also a new connection called Thunderbolt, which Apple developed
in partnership with Intel. It combined PCI Express and Displayport into a single connection
and it was introduced in 2011, with the MacBook Pro line being the first computers to utilize
this new technology. But the change was not immediately noticeable by some consumers as
the port looked very similar to its predecessor, except for a “thunderbolt” icon next to
it.
In June 2013, the second generation Thunderbolt 2 was released. And again, this port was first
featured in the MacBook Pro line. The 2013 Retina MacBook Pro was the first product to
contain Thunderbolt 2 ports, and others soon followed. Thunderbolt 2 had a 20 Gbit/s transfer
rate, compared to the first generation Thunderbolt’s 10 Gbit/s, although the bandwidth of both
the first and second generation Thunderbolt ports were the same. Now this was a great
upgrade since users were now able to transfer a 4K video while simultaneously playing it
on an external monitor. Something that was impossible before Thunderbolt 2. Another advantage
was that the port was backwards compatible, so all Thunderbolt 2 cables could be used
with the original Thunderbolt 1 ports. Now I should mention that Apple wasn’t the first
company to feature Thunderbolt 2 in a product. Asus created the first notebook to utilize
Thunderbolt 2, and then on October 22, 2013, Apple released their Retina MacBook Pro, which
included two Thunderbolt 2 ports.
Now in December 2013, various machines were released with the upgraded Thunderbolt 3 port.
These included PC notebooks running Microsoft Windows, motherboards, and a 0.5m Thunderbolt
3 passive USB-C cable. It wasn’t until October of 2016 that Apple announced the updated MacBook
Pro, which included two or four Thunderbolt 3 ports, depending on the model. In June 2017,
new iMac models featuring two Thunderbolt 3 ports were introduced, as well as the iMac
Pro, which had four. Now compared to Thunderbolt 2, Thunderbolt 3 doubled the bandwidth to
40 Gbit/s, cut power consumption in half, and could simultaneously drive two external
4K displays at 60 Hz or a single external 4K display at 120 Hz. By 2013, the FireWire
Port was eliminated from all Mac computers, replaced by the faster and more capable Thunderbolt
3 port.
But there were issues with Thunderbolt connectors. Since it is a high-speed expansion bus, Thunderbolt
is potentially vulnerable to both direct memory access attacks and Option ROM attacks. If
a user extends the PCI Express bus with Thunderbolt, it allows for very low-level access to the
computer. Because of this, attackers can physically attach malicious devices which could potentially
bypass almost all security measures implemented on the operating system, allowing a potential
attacker to read and write system memory. Also, when a computer with Thunderbolt boots
up, it loads and executes Option ROMs from other attached devices. A malicious Option
ROM could potentially allow malware to execute before the operating system is started, invading
the kernel, logging keystrokes and stealing encryption keys. Because it is easy to connect
Thunderbolt devices to notebooks, this makes the environment ideal for malicious software
attacks.
But Apple’s knack for proprietary ports isn’t limited to their Macs. The company
has also introduced a few proprietary connectors to their handheld devices like the iPod and
iPhone. The iPod featured a 30-pin connector which was introduced in 2003 with the third
generation iPod classic. This replaced the FireWire port and was on the bottom of the
device instead of the top. Now the 30-pin connector was used on dozens of devices for
the next eleven years. Including the iPod nano, iPod touch, and iPhone. But there was
a big drawback to this connector, and that was its size. You see, all of Apple’s devices
were shrinking with each new generation, and the 30-pin connector was taking up valuable
real estate that could be used for other internal electronics and components.
So on September 12, 2012, Apple replaced the 30-pin connector on the iPhone 5 with the
Lightning connector. Their justification for this was that, in order to make the iPhone
5 as thin and small as customers wanted, Apple had to use a smaller, more compact connector.
But there were plenty of people who weren’t happy with the change, and some had hoped
Apple would adopt the industry standard MicroUSB on the iPhone, but instead were disappointed
to see the release of yet another proprietary connector. Now the Lightning port and connector
use eight pins instead of the previous 30 pins, and it had the added benefit of being
reversible. But there was a big issue during the transition between the previous 30-pin
connector and the new lightning connector. And it had to do with accessories. Millions
of customers had accumulated different docks, speakers, and cables that were made to work
with the 30-pin connector. And that meant their new iPhone 5 wasn’t compatible with
their collection of accessories, and this sparked quite a bit of outrage. Especially
after they heard that Apple’s solution to this problem was a $29 adapter that converted
the 30-pin port to the new Lightning port. But again, this was yet another cost that
customers believed they shouldn’t have to pay when purchasing an expensive new device.
In fact, many people thought Apple should’ve included at least one adapter with the iPhone
5, but that never happened. Now although this transition didn’t go smoothly, the Lightning
port has become standard on Apple’s mobile devices including the iPod touch, iPad, iPhone,
and AirPods.
Another change that caused perhaps even more outrage than the Lightening connector, was
the removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack from the iPhone 7. It was the first smartphone
ever made to not include a headphone jack, and it came as a shock since no one really
expected Apple to make such a move. Now Apple likely anticipated the backlash that their
decision would cause, so this time, they included 3.5mm to lightning adapters with every iPhone
7 so customers could still connect their favorite headphones to their new iPhone. But for many
customers, this didn’t address the wide range of functionality that the headphone
jack provided. Also, it wouldn’t be possible to charge the iPhone while listening to music,
since the lightning port would be occupied by the headphones. When asked why they decided
to remove the headphone jack, Apple claimed it was necessary in order to make room for
the Haptic feedback engine. But some customers believed Apple had ulterior motives. Because
the AirPods were introduced alongside the iPhone 7, and it kind’ve made sense for
Apple to boost their AirPod sales by removing the headphone jack from their new iPhone.
And if that was part of their plan, then it worked very well, since the AirPods have been
selling way beyond market expectations since their release.
Now the last thing we’ll discuss is the MagSafe connector which was introduced on
January 10, 2006. This was really an amazing connector that used to be a pretty big selling
point for Apple’s notebooks. MagSafe was a power connector which attached magnetically,
and would safely disconnect if accidentally tugged or pulled, preventing your expensive
MacBook Pro from being yanked to the ground because someone tripped over the power cable.
Now this idea was actually borrowed from power connectors used for countertop cooking appliances
in Japan. But that wasn’t the only cool feature of MagSafe. Because of the magnet,
users no longer had to search around for the port while connecting the cable, since the
magnet quickly pulled the connector into place. And MagSafe was reversible.
Now MagSafe 2 was introduced at Apple’s Worldwide Developer’s Conference on July
11, 2012, and the connector was made thinner for use on the new MacBook Air and the MacBook
Pro with Retina Display.
And while the MagSafe connector was easy to use, it did have its share of issues. For
example, the plug could easily fray and separate from the cord, the transformer itself could
short out, and the pins on the connector could lose elasticity over time. This led to customers
wrapping the cable with either tape or protective plastic in an attempt to make it more durable.
Now although MagSafe is probably one of Apple’s best connectors, they decided to replace it
with USB-C, as I mentioned before at the beginning of the video.
Now I want to point out a common theme that was shared across almost all the transitions
we discussed. And that, is simplicity. With every new product Apple creates, they strive
to make it even simpler for customers, and even easier to use. Take the MacBook Pro for
example. It began as a notebook with an array of different ports and connectors and slots,
but today features just one type of port: USB-C. And this means you can power your MacBook
Pro using any port and you don’t have to compromise on thinness because Apple is trying
to fit in a bunch of extra ports that you don’t even use. Now this is a controversial
topic and will continue to be, but I have a feeling Apple is and will continue making
the right decision for the future of technology.
So that is the history of Apple’s proprietary ports, and if you want to vote for the next
video topic, don’t forget to subscribe. Thanks for watching, and I’ll see you next
time.