Lightning (connector)
Top down view of a Lightning cable, showing the 8-pin connector
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| Type | Data and power connector | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Designer | Apple Inc. | ||
| Produced | 2012–present | ||
| Superseded | 30-pin dock connector | ||
| Pins | 8 | ||
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| Receptacle view | |||
| Pin 1 | GND | Ground | |
| Pin 2 | L0p | Lane 0 positive | |
| Pin 3 | L0n | Lane 0 negative | |
| Pin 4 | ID0 | Identification/control 0 | |
| Pin 5 | PWR | Power (charger or battery) | |
| Pin 6 | L1n | Lane 1 negative | |
| Pin 7 | L1p | Lane 1 positive | |
| Pin 8 | ID1 | Identification/control 1 | |
| Lane 0 and 1 may swap in IC of device connector (lanes don't swap if accessory identification chip connect to ID0 pin) | |||
Lightning is a proprietary computer bus and power connector created by Apple Inc. Introduced on September 12, 2012, to replace its predecessor, the 30-pin dock connector, the Lightning connector is used to connect Apple mobile devices like iPhones, iPads, and iPods to host computers, external monitors, cameras, USB battery chargers, and other peripherals. Using 8 pins instead of 30, Lightning is significantly more compact than the 30-pin dock connector and can be inserted with either side facing up. However, unless used with an adapter, it is incompatible with cables and peripherals designed for its predecessor.
The Lightning connector was introduced on September 12, 2012, as a replacement for the 30-pin dock connector, to be used for all new hardware that was announced at the same event. The first compatible devices were the iPhone 5, the iPod Touch (5th generation), and the iPod Nano (7th generation). The iPad (4th generation) and the iPad Mini (1st generation) were added as Lightning devices in October 2012.
On November 25, 2012, Apple acquired the "Lightning" trademark in Europe from Harley-Davidson. Apple was given a partial transfer of the Lightning trademark, suggesting that Harley-Davidson likely retained the rights to use the name for motorcycle-related products. Apple is the sole proprietor of the trademark and copyrights for the designs and specifications of the lightning cable.
The iPad Pro, released in 2015, features the first Lightning connector supporting USB 3.0. However, the included cable only supports USB 2.0 as it lacks the necessary extra pins, so any USB 3.0-supporting Lightning devices would be bought separately.
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