If you have any of Apple’s new iOS devices — the iPhone 5, the fifth generation iPod touch, the iPad mini, the fourth generation iPad — or for that matter a new seventh generation iPod nano, then you have the new, small Lightning connector on your device. The Lightning connector replaces the 30-pin connector that Apple had been using since it was added to the third generation iPod that was introduced in April of 2003:
The 30-pin connector was pretty cool back in 2003, much slimmer and more convenient than the Firewire connector that had been on the top of the first two iPod models introduced in 2001 and 2002. But it is now almost 10 years later, and I consider the new Lightning connector a vast improvement. First, it is very small and thin, helping Apple to make the newest iPhones, iPads and iPods even thinner and lighter. Second, it is reversible, so you never again need to be annoyed when you try to make a connection only to discover that you need to flip over the connector. Third, it seems much more durable than the prior connector.
The only problem is that we are still waiting for third party manufacturers to update their devices to work with a Lightning connector. And if you already have peripherals that you used with your prior Apple devices, you cannot use them with the newest Apple devices without a connector.
Apple sells two 30-pin to Lightning connectors: the $29 Lightning to 30-pin Adapter and the $39 Lightning to 30-pin Adapter (0.2 m). I purchased both of them when I purchased my iPhone 5 and I have been using them since late September with my iPhone 5, and more recently with my iPad mini.
If you are trying to use an iPhone 5 in a device that features some type of dock connector in which the iPhone stands up, you may or may not have much luck with these connectors. For example, on my nightstand I have an iHome alarm clock that includes an iPhone dock. I place my iPhone in that dock every night so that it is fully charged the next morning, and if I want to listen to music or a podcast on my iPhone while I am in my bedroom, the speakers on the iHome clock sound much better than the built-in iPhone speaker. For this device, I find that the $29 connector works well. The connector makes the iPhone 5 sit up much higher than an older iPhone would sit without the connector, but fortunately the iHome has a small nib that supports the back of an iPhone so that the iPhone 5 remains stable. The only problem is that when I lift my iPhone out of the iHome dock, more often than not the adapter comes up as well, so I need to disconnect it from the iPhone and put it back in the dock so that it is ready to use the next time. I’m sure that at some point iHome will release an alarm clock with a Lightning connector, but the $29 adapter works well enough that I doubt I would ever get a new iHome device just to get the Lightning connector.
On the other hand, I also have a Bose SoundDock Portable Speaker Dock in my living room. It lacks any support for the back of the iPhone, so when I use the $29 adapter, the iPhone sits up very high and leans back, so much so that I worry it will break the 30-pin connector on the Bose. Fortunately, the Bose has an audio input in the back so I can run a cord from my iPhone 5’s headphone jack to the back of the Bose — not nearly as elegant as the dock, but it works. I’m also testing a Bluetooth solution for the Bose that I’ll review in an upcoming post. [UPDATE 1/30/13: Here is that review.]
The $29 adapter works well when you want the iPhone to stand up and rest on the connector. However, if you just have a cord to connect to the iPhone or iPad, such as a cigarette lighter to iPhone charger in your car, I prefer the $39 adapter that includes a small cord. Placing the large edge of the $29 adapter next to the iPhone or iPad certainly works, but it looks and feels awkward because it is so large. The $39 adapter has a tiny Lightning connector (similar to the USB to Lightning cord that comes with the iPhone and iPad for charging and syncing) that is much more enjoyable to connect to the device.
For example, at my desk in my office, I have an Apple USB power adapter plugged in to an outlet, then I have a USB extender cable to reach all the way to my desk, and then I have a standard Apple USB to 30-pin cable on the edge of my desk so that I can charge an iPhone or iPad while I am working at my desk. I could have purchased another $19 Lightning to USB cable from Apple, plus another $19 Apple power adapter, plus spent a few more bucks for another USB extender cable, but then I would have to have two cables on my desk (one for my third generation iPad and one for my iPhone 5 and iPad mini). I’d rather just have one cable on my desk, and for the same amount of money, I can use Apple’s $39 Lightning to 30-pin Adapter (0.2 m). When I’m charging one of my newer devices, I just plug in the $39 adapter. When I’m charging my third generation iPad, I just disconnect the $39 adapter.
The $39 adapter also gives you a little more flexibility if you are using an older accessory that was created to fit around or mold to the iPhone 4/4S. That accessory might not fit the taller iPhone 5, but the 20 centimeter (almost 8 inch) cord on the $39 adapter gives you an (awkward) way to make the device work. It won’t look pretty, but it will work in a pinch. For example, here is my iPhone 5 connected to a PowerSkin battery case:
The $39 version of the adapter also might be necessary if you have a case on your iPhone or iPad. The cord on the $39 adapter might fit in an opening that the larger $29 adapter will not accommodate.
The Lightning to 30-pin adapters will not always provide a solution. In my car, I use a Kensington AssistOne to listen to music or a podcast from my iPhone through my car stereo. I can still use the device for that purpose with my iPhone 5 because the AssistOne communicates with an iPhone via Bluetooth. I just keep my iPhone in my pocket and press one button on the AssistOne to make the connection. However, my iPhone 5 is too long to fit into the dock of the AssistOne so I cannot charge my iPhone using the AssistOne while I am driving, nor can I use the AssistOne as a holder so that I can view maps on the iPhone screen while I am driving. Ultimately I’m just going to have to get another solution for the car, and I’m sure that companies like Kensington are busy working on new products for the car with Lightning connectors.
Note that these adapters will not send video from a 30-pin connector to a Lightning connector. Also note that with some very old accessories made for the iPod, charging is not supported becuase those devices used Firewire charging and these adapters only support USB charging. And if you have an accessory that supports the special iPod-out mode in which the iPhone generated a menu that was displayed on a device such as a car, that also doesn’t work with these adapters.
While I focus here on the Apple adapters, I see that some third parties will be selling cheaper adapters. However, these are not licensed by Apple, and until they undergo rigorous testing, I myself wouldn’t want to trust those products with my expensive iPhone or iPad. For now, if want an adapter, I recommend buying one sold by Apple.
You no longer hear anyone complaining that the iPod lacks a Firewire connector, and before long there will be little reason to worry about the lack of a 30-pin connector on the iPhone and iPad. For now, however, we are in a transition period in which you might have the latest Apple device, but the accessories on the market require an adapter. Hopefully my experiences will help you decide whether an Apple Lightning adapter is a good solution for you and, if so, which one to get.
Click here to get the Apple Lightning to 30-pin Adapter from the Apple Store ($29).
Click here to get the Apple Lightning to 30-pin Adapter (0.2 m) from the Apple Store ($39).
I haven’t used the new connector on my Apple devices yet because I have the iPhone 4S. I do feel, however, that part of Apple’s strategy is to boost revenue.
Yesterday, I used the 30 pin Lightning Adapter with my iPod Nano and my Bose Sounddock and it worked just fine. Well, that was yesterday. Today, I’m getting a message, “Accessory not supported” and I’m very frustrated!
Can I use accessories like the ipad camera connection kit that I bought with the original ipad with the new ipad using the adapter?
Can u listen to music with the lightning adapter….because i have the same Ihome and my adapter only chargers the iphone and i dont which to adapter to buy to listen to music from the ihome to the iphone.
Yes, I can listen to music on my iHome using the Apple adapter.
-Jeff
Susan, That happened to me too. Have you got a solution?
Regards
Jill Wright
Hi just wondering what year you’re Bose dock is because my iPhone 5 doesn’t seem to work with my 2006 dock. I think it is because apple slightly changed the 30 pin connector. It may be that I brought a broken lead.
Thanks.
I bought my Bose SoundDock Portable in July of 2008 at a Bose outlet store. I don’t know what model year it is so I’m not sure if we have the same one.
I’m experiencing the same issues…super frustrating! Sometimes it works and other times it says “accessory not supported”. I’m totally confused. Can anyone tell me the secret solution to this problem?
Laura
I have just purchased a lightning to 30-pin adapter which charges my new Iphone 5 but does not allow me to play audio through the dock (Grundig iPod Docking DAB+ Radio
GDR710DABIP). Any thoughts?
Two thoughts. (1) Did you buy the Apple adapter described in this post? Some third party adapters don’t work as well. (2) Even with the Apple adapter, some audio docks don’t pass audio through the 30-pin adapter in a way that some adapters can understand. I believe that the Apple one does include the necessary circuitry so it will work more often, but some other brands don’t have the internal chip to convert the analog audio out to digital.
That’s a long way of saying that these convertors don’t always work, but the Apple converter seems to work better than ones sold by third parties (and that is why the Apple one is more expensive).
-Jeff
I tried to use and lightning adapter on my bose sound dock for previous versions of iphone/ipod, and all that works is the energy connection. I can’t get the music to work. ……………
The original Bose SoundDock (series I) was designed for use with the original iPods. The series I SoundDock can be used with, and will charge any iPod manufactured before 2008. This is because Apple removed the firewire circuitry from iPods manufactured after 2008.
I havent been able to test the 30 pin to Lightning adapter with a Series I SoundDock, but it would stand to reason that it would not work with the Series I because it is lacking the Firewire circuitry.
I’ve had that problem when trying to play my Nano with the 0.2m connector in my car but using the smaller connector on my JBL stage speakers it plays fine but doesn’t charge. All very frustrating
I have a new dock designed for the lightning connector, and the issue I have is that I would like to charge older iPhones and other devices with the 30 pin connectors using this same dock, and I can’t find a “downward compatible” adaptor (one that the lightning connector on my dock plugs into where the other end is the 30 pin connector which can then be inserted into an older device). Any suggestions?
I haven’t seen one of those yet but perhaps someone else has.
-Jeff
I bought one and then another I phone adapter and both don’t fit my iPhone 5. My charger cable connector snaps into my phone. The iPhone adapter fits loosely, doesn’t snap in, like my iPhone charging cable does. I will be bringing them to a dealer this weekend.
I bought a lightning to 3 pin adaptor today, plugged into my speakers and then plugged my ipod touch 5th generation in. In connects and it charges, but it won’t play any music… Is it ios7 uncompatible? Or how can I fix it?
Just an observation: Apple changed the specs on the 30pin connectors some years ago. Older iPods that could be charged/sync’d with a Firewire-30 pin work natively with my Sony car stereo. I found that the iPhone 4 and newer iPods could NOT be controlled with the older stereo with the native 30pin leash. Pretty sure that change was in 2005 or 2006.
Bought an adapter that did (for a while) work as a stop-gap, allowing the stereo to both charge and control the iPhone 4S and the nano. Sadly, my little adapter died a pin death a few months into use, as did its replacement. Seems the connector pins on the female side of things are a weak point for many of these adapters. (The device is the Scosche passPORT Charging Adapter for iPod).
I suspect many of you with devices made or engineered before the firewire-to-usb switch by Apple are having most of your issues because of that, or a connector-contact nightmare. FWIW, sometimes a grumpy i-device will play nice with its accessory if one gently repositions it forward or backward until a sweetspot of contact is made. Or, it’s all engineering planned obsolescence. Good luck.
I need advice on the reverse problem. I just bought a new Panasonic mini stereo unit that has the new Lightening connection in the dock. I have older 32 Pin Apple devices (iPod / iPhone / iPad)that I want to play on the new Panasonic docking station.
I haven’t seen a way to do that.
-Jeff
I was burgled recently and my old iPod (probably about 10 years old) was stolen. So I went and got a Nano, and bought the necessary adapter so that I could still use my Bose sound dock (also about 10 years old).
I am horrified to discover that the Nano won’t charge while I’m playing my music on the Bose. Why are Apple allowed to do this? Is there nothing I can do to make the Nano charge whilst on the dock?
I think you are out of luck. The older Bose systems used a different charging mechanism (FireWire?) that doesn’t charge newer Apple devices. Apple changed its specifications after many of the older speakers were produced.
-Jeff
Actually I have today received the solution! Cable Jive’s dockStubz+ charge converter passes through the charge from the original Bose Sound dock – you still need the apple 30-pin to lightning adapter, but I’m now listening to my iPod on my Bose sound dock and it’s charging at the same time!
Hurrah!
I have older models of iphones and ipods. Are there adp to use on the new ihome?
Karen,
I believe you are asking if there is a way to use a product with a Lightning connector when you are using an older iPhone/iPod with a 30-pin connector. I haven’t tried any device like that, but I know that third parties make them, such as:
http://www.guuds.com/product/iP5-9020__Lightning-8-Pin-Female-to-30-Pin-Male-Adapter-for-iPhone-4S-iPad-3-iPod-Touch-4-Black.html
I’m sure they are not Apple certified, and I cannot vouch for this particular one or any others like this.
-Jeff
Jeff,
I have an older iHome too (iD99). I presume you can still use the iHome buttons and it’s remote control to control the iPhone’s playlist, skip to next song, etc. correct? But did you lose any functionality with the adapter while controlling the iHome with the iPhone? In other words, are you still able to use your iPhone to control the playlists, play/pause, volume, etc.? Thanks!!
Adam — regarding your question about the iD99, I don’t use many buttons on the iHome itself. I use a big button to turn on the speaker, so that if I am listening to a song or podcast on my iPhone and I use this adapter to connect it to my iHome, the iHome works as an external speaker. I don’t believe that my iHome has a remote control; if it does, perhaps I lost it. However, when I use a connector with my Bose SoundDock, which does have a remote, only some of the buttons work. The simple ones like play/puase, FF/RW and volume work, but I don’t believe that the playlist buttons work.
-Jeff
Cool – thanks! When using the adapter, can you use your iPhone’s touch screen functions to control play/pause, FF/RW as before?
-Adam
Yes. The controls on the iPhone screen still work when the iPhone is connected to the iHome via the Lightning to 32-pin connector.
-Jeff
Very informative! Thanks for sharing this one. Good read!
I bought this case for my iPod 5th generation but it doesn’t fit in my iHome. What should I do? What should I buy?
Bennyman, I don’t understand your question. If you have an iPod, it already has a 30-pin slot so it will work with an iHome with a 30-pin connector. Are you saying that you own an iHome with a Lightning connector and you need a way to make it work with an iPod? I’m not aware of such an adapter. You should still be able to play your iPod through the iHome by using the AUX-in port that most speakers have, but it won’t charge while it is playing. But again, I may not be understanding your question.
-Jeff
I have a Bose sound doc speaker and a newer iPod Nano. I bought a third party adapter because I want to use my newer Nano rather than the older one with space issues. It doesn’t play… everything fits but no sound. I am reading about the Lightning adapter and think this might be a solution, even if it doesn’t charge while playing (b/c of the changes Apple made to Firewire). Is this true? I’d hate to buy another adapter and find out it doesn’t work either. I got confused with the comments when we moved from Bose to iHome.
Thanks in advance!
Kate, I can’t be certain but I strongly suspect that this will work for you.
-Jeff
I have a Panasonic system that I used with my iPod nano 7th generation for a few years with no problems, and suddenly, it stopped working! Why all of a sudden? Then it randomly started working, and then stopped again! Why?
i have the same problem .when i call apple i pod tech support they tell me try buying a new adapter or bring it to the local apple store. it seems like they are trying to force their customers to buy additional product
I have recently bought an Apple Lightning to 30-pin adapter so that I could play songs from my iPod nano (7th generation) using my car audio system (Alpine). But the problem with the adapter is that it helps play songs but the iPod does not get charged. I wonder why.
For Bose, this stabiliser works great. It fits the lightning adapter firmly to the Bose Sounddocks:
https://www.shapeways.com/product/WNMPDJ343/lightning-adapter-dock-universal?optionId=10120035
I feel your pain, Susan. I have a Bose Wave Music System that I bought in 2012. I bought the seventh generation iPod nano a year ago. I found that I had to use the 30 pin to lightning connector to play my iPod through the Bose sound dock. QVC, the seller, told me that the dock will also charge the iPod. If its the new iPod, no such luck. I would plug the device in through the 30 pin to lightning adapter for several hours. I found it still needed to be charged! A sales person at my school book store told me that these adapters reduce the necessary voltage. Its better to get the original lightning cord that came with the iPod, plug it into your computer, or a approved plug. Also, for playback of the iPod through your Bose, I was told to use the 3.5mm. male plug to 3.5mm. male plug audio cable. Insert one end to the iPod headphone jack. Insert the other end to the audio output jack in the Bose Wave Music System. Good luck!