Without a port - not the job: 14 useful adapters for the iPhone and MacBook
Sometimes progress in understanding Apple looks strange. For example, Steve Jobs never liked wired interfaces and tried to remove them in the first Macbook Air, but then the market was completely unprepared for this. However, since then the industry has made great strides, new wireless protocols have appeared, the cloud industry has blossomed, which has significantly reduced dependence on wired infrastructure. Accordingly, the connectors on the cases of new laptops are becoming less and less from generation to generation.
And nevertheless, can all interfaces for working with peripherals be replaced with invisible Wi-Fi or Bluetooth? Not yet. We made a selection of useful adapters for different models of Macbook and iPhone.
Let's be frank - this adapter will be useful to you only if you managed to get (extremely expensive) peripherals for the Thunderbolt interface for previous generations of MacBooks or, for example, a docking station (which also stand decently). If you only need a video output, then it makes sense to take the adapter directly to HDMI, especially since this adapter does not output a signal through the MiniDP. By the way, the adapter itself is also expensive. Therefore - only the fifth place.
Despite the wireless networks that surround everything, it can still be useful to you. For example, sometimes you need to configure the router by wire, or in the office there is only a wired network for security reasons. And in general, let's be frank, there are so many Wi-Fi networks in homes now that sometimes in the evening wireless communication works disgustingly. And the wires are the reliability of the connection and high speed, even if they are underfoot. In general, just in case, quite a fit.
By the way, there are not so many adapters with USB-C on the market yet, and sometimes problems arise with them when working. And if you decide to use a traditional USB-LAN, which is cheaper and more common, and works fine, you will have to use a second adapter for a regular USB. Yes, we are not looking for easy ways.
Sometimes (and someone often) you need to display a picture on an external monitor. Photos and videos, especially at a party or in a company, are more pleasant to watch from the big screen of the TV, and not from a small laptop. Yes, and in the second monitor, no, no, yes, and useful.
In general, if, reading the paragraph above, you caught yourself thinking “yes, it would be nice,” such an adapter would not be superfluous. And "just in case," you should choose the option with HDMI, because This interface is very widespread, and in home appliances, on the same TVs, only HDMI is used.
Doc, he's a multifunctional adapter . If you work a lot on your Macbook, then sooner or later such a dock will come in handy, since very few people manage to do without connecting peripherals at all. A dock and can recharge, and a full USB on it, and there is an HDMI for an external monitor.
Minus - a short USB-C cable. When connected, the entire structure, including the cables and the connected devices, will stick out on the side of your laptop and will enrich your eyes. If the wire were longer - it could be hidden behind the MacBook itself, and the workplace would look clean and tidy. But alas.
By the way, there are options with VGA . They may be required when working with outdated projectors, which are still full in different conference centers.
There are many informal adapters with a reasonable price and often quite good sets of ports. But they still have an open question of quality. The assurance that “digital interfaces are all the same” can sometimes play a cruel joke.
It seems that USB devices use almost everything. Perhaps in the future everything will be connected via USB-C and transmitted through the clouds, but so far the good old rectangular connector is our everything. And do without it with the active work with the new Macbook will not work, which means that you will need such an adapter .
Which is better to carry. There is no situation more stupid than when you pull a flash drive with the words "here is all you need" - and there is nowhere to insert it.
Despite the fact that Macbook Pro and Air (especially Pro) of previous generations were equipped with ports much more generously than the last generations, sometimes adapters are required for them. But let's be frank, here we were able to pick up only three adapters that are of more or less mass interest.
For a Macbook, especially a Pro, the wired network still remains a hot issue. A thick connector will not fit into a thin, beautiful body, and not everyone needs it, so such an adapter or dock is an adequate solution. The main thing - do not forget it.
But here, unlike in the previous case, you can do with one adapter by directly inserting it into the laptop.
Adapter 3.5 mm to two connectors. Actually, such an adapter is useful not only for old MacBooks.
As it turned out, it is quite in demand - especially among young people - for example, for two pairs of headphones while simultaneously watching a video on YouTube. They say that with the help of such adapters it is convenient for two to listen to music from one iPhone. But, as it seems, such a coincidence of tastes is a rarity.
Macbook Pro and Air are equipped with Thunderbolt ports, which can work as Mini Displayport (because of the horse prices for peripherals with Thunderbolt, they are used most often), but the Macbook Pro has an HDMI port on the case. However, if necessary, and with it, you can use an adapter from one of the two ports of Thunderbolt.
The market has enough cables and adapters for every taste from MiniDP to DP, DVI or HDMI. If you know exactly what you are connecting to, then choose the right one, but if you need an adapter “just in case”, and especially for home use (show photos or videos on TV), then you should stock up with an adapter or a MiniDP-HDMI cable . Please note that such cables are often expensive, and cheap options may turn out to be of poor quality, which leads to various problems with the image. For example, in our practice, one of the cables caused a blink of a picture every half minute.
If you bought a new iPhone or iPad, then here the adapters can help out.
With the transition from the old 30-pin connector to the Lightning, the field left a lot of peripheral devices, docking stations and acoustics. In the latter case, it is especially insulting, because sometimes it cost a lot of money. Accordingly, a reasonable question arises - what to do with a suitable periphery? If you throw a pity at all, you can purchase an adapter from the new standard to the old one. The only thing: note that because of the adapter, the new device will be located higher.
In fourth place, we put an interesting third-party adapter, aka charging cable. In fact, this is a regular Lightning charge, but with a special magnetic adapter, like Magsafe. With it, it is more convenient to put an iPhone on charging and especially to remove it: you do not need to pull out the plug - it is easy enough to pull the phone, or even to bring it to your ear and, stretched, the wire will free itself. Trifle, but when you often call - very convenient.
Adapter Lightning Digital AV Adapter is suitable for you in case you want to show photos or videos from your phone on the big screen.
Such an adapter has an HDMI interface and supports resolutions up to 1080P, i.e. It allows you to get a clear and detailed picture on your home TV.
In theory, wireless broadcast via Airplay is more convenient, but it is not supported everywhere and needs to be configured (yes, the setting is simple, but still), so it is sometimes easier in the old way - with wires. Almost any TV has an HDMI cable (after all, something external is connected to it anyway), and with this adapter it’s enough to plug the cable from the TV into it - and you can show the hat, photos from the holidays or videos about your children to relatives on the big screen.
If you want to slightly expand the capabilities of your iPhone and, especially, the iPad, then a USB or SD adapter can be very useful to you.
Formally, using such an adapter, you can only connect the camera to view photos from it on the screen of the gadget and copy the necessary ones into a photo application. SD cards work without problems, but flash drives may not have enough power. In addition, a flash drive or SD card will work only if the folder structure is similar to the one created by the camera: DCIM> 100DICAM ... and the files themselves should be called something like DSC ... or IMG_ ... if this does not stop you , you can encode the series with the H264 codec with such names and watch it from an external card without transferring the video files to the device through iTunes. Maybe in some situations it will be more convenient ...
Also through such adapters you can connect peripheral devices - for example, a USB keyboard or even a high-quality USB microphone. According to rumors, even the LAN will work. And for some it may be a great find.
Of course, this is an adapter for a headphone jack for the latest generations of the iPhone, where there is no audio jack. It is clear that there are other options ... For example, Bluetooth-headphones are good lack of wires, but the battery often sits at the most inopportune moment. A headset with a Lightning interface is not so much, besides, you can not use them with anything other than the iPhone.
In general, starting with the iPhone 7 - either such an adapter, or special headphones for your smartphone.
Outside the competition is an adapter, which many, to our surprise, did not know.
Standards of sockets are different around the world, and instead of changing the power supply depending on the region, Apple made a block with a removable plug on it (for the Macbook and for the iPad, and the small power supplies for the iPhone are solid), i.e. You can remove and put the plug under any region. Americans are especially lucky - an American plug with two flat contacts can fold, then the power supply becomes just a brick, which is very convenient. Alas, this number will not work with the euro socket, since it is wider than the power supply and the contacts are longer.
For our standard, the removable part looks like this:
And travelers in general can buy an original kit for all occasions :
Many Russian buyers of Apple equipment from the USA do not know about the possibility of replacement and buy an external adapter for the American plug, or go abroad with an external adapter for local outlets, as a result, the size and weight of the power supply are huge - sometimes more than the device itself.
For makbukov in official supplies is a thick European cable, like this :
It is heavy and big - it weighs more than the adapter itself and takes up as much space as the Macbook itself. Instead, you can also buy the same adapter, which allows you to insert the power supply into the socket itself - it is much more convenient and saves space. Yes, the wire becomes shorter, but in most cases it will still suffice.
By the way, life hacking. If you remove the plug from the power supply of the Macbook laptop, the inside uses a “eight” connector, the same as that of a significant part of household appliances (for example, such a connector and cable are often found in battery chargers for photographic equipment). Yes, such a connection looks unaesthetic, but somewhere on the road can help out, and you charge your Macbook anywhere without long and drop-down adapters.
And nevertheless, can all interfaces for working with peripherals be replaced with invisible Wi-Fi or Bluetooth? Not yet. We made a selection of useful adapters for different models of Macbook and iPhone.
Top five adapters for Macbook Pro 2016 or Macbook
Fifth place. USB-c to Thunderbolt adapter
Let's be frank - this adapter will be useful to you only if you managed to get (extremely expensive) peripherals for the Thunderbolt interface for previous generations of MacBooks or, for example, a docking station (which also stand decently). If you only need a video output, then it makes sense to take the adapter directly to HDMI, especially since this adapter does not output a signal through the MiniDP. By the way, the adapter itself is also expensive. Therefore - only the fifth place.
Fourth place. LAN adapter
Despite the wireless networks that surround everything, it can still be useful to you. For example, sometimes you need to configure the router by wire, or in the office there is only a wired network for security reasons. And in general, let's be frank, there are so many Wi-Fi networks in homes now that sometimes in the evening wireless communication works disgustingly. And the wires are the reliability of the connection and high speed, even if they are underfoot. In general, just in case, quite a fit.
By the way, there are not so many adapters with USB-C on the market yet, and sometimes problems arise with them when working. And if you decide to use a traditional USB-LAN, which is cheaper and more common, and works fine, you will have to use a second adapter for a regular USB. Yes, we are not looking for easy ways.
Third place. USB-C to HDMI adapter
Sometimes (and someone often) you need to display a picture on an external monitor. Photos and videos, especially at a party or in a company, are more pleasant to watch from the big screen of the TV, and not from a small laptop. Yes, and in the second monitor, no, no, yes, and useful.
In general, if, reading the paragraph above, you caught yourself thinking “yes, it would be nice,” such an adapter would not be superfluous. And "just in case," you should choose the option with HDMI, because This interface is very widespread, and in home appliances, on the same TVs, only HDMI is used.
Second place. Multifunctional adapter
Doc, he's a multifunctional adapter . If you work a lot on your Macbook, then sooner or later such a dock will come in handy, since very few people manage to do without connecting peripherals at all. A dock and can recharge, and a full USB on it, and there is an HDMI for an external monitor.
Minus - a short USB-C cable. When connected, the entire structure, including the cables and the connected devices, will stick out on the side of your laptop and will enrich your eyes. If the wire were longer - it could be hidden behind the MacBook itself, and the workplace would look clean and tidy. But alas.
By the way, there are options with VGA . They may be required when working with outdated projectors, which are still full in different conference centers.
There are many informal adapters with a reasonable price and often quite good sets of ports. But they still have an open question of quality. The assurance that “digital interfaces are all the same” can sometimes play a cruel joke.
First place. USB-C - USB
It seems that USB devices use almost everything. Perhaps in the future everything will be connected via USB-C and transmitted through the clouds, but so far the good old rectangular connector is our everything. And do without it with the active work with the new Macbook will not work, which means that you will need such an adapter .
Which is better to carry. There is no situation more stupid than when you pull a flash drive with the words "here is all you need" - and there is nowhere to insert it.
Top Three Adapters for Macbook Pro Earlier Versions and Macbook Air
Despite the fact that Macbook Pro and Air (especially Pro) of previous generations were equipped with ports much more generously than the last generations, sometimes adapters are required for them. But let's be frank, here we were able to pick up only three adapters that are of more or less mass interest.
Third place. Thunderbolt-LAN or USB-LAN
For a Macbook, especially a Pro, the wired network still remains a hot issue. A thick connector will not fit into a thin, beautiful body, and not everyone needs it, so such an adapter or dock is an adequate solution. The main thing - do not forget it.
But here, unlike in the previous case, you can do with one adapter by directly inserting it into the laptop.
Second place. Double 3.5 mm
Adapter 3.5 mm to two connectors. Actually, such an adapter is useful not only for old MacBooks.
As it turned out, it is quite in demand - especially among young people - for example, for two pairs of headphones while simultaneously watching a video on YouTube. They say that with the help of such adapters it is convenient for two to listen to music from one iPhone. But, as it seems, such a coincidence of tastes is a rarity.
First place (but only for Air). Thunderbolt - HDMI
Macbook Pro and Air are equipped with Thunderbolt ports, which can work as Mini Displayport (because of the horse prices for peripherals with Thunderbolt, they are used most often), but the Macbook Pro has an HDMI port on the case. However, if necessary, and with it, you can use an adapter from one of the two ports of Thunderbolt.
The market has enough cables and adapters for every taste from MiniDP to DP, DVI or HDMI. If you know exactly what you are connecting to, then choose the right one, but if you need an adapter “just in case”, and especially for home use (show photos or videos on TV), then you should stock up with an adapter or a MiniDP-HDMI cable . Please note that such cables are often expensive, and cheap options may turn out to be of poor quality, which leads to various problems with the image. For example, in our practice, one of the cables caused a blink of a picture every half minute.
Adapters for iPhone and iPad with Lightning connector
If you bought a new iPhone or iPad, then here the adapters can help out.
Fifth place. 30 pin - Lightning
With the transition from the old 30-pin connector to the Lightning, the field left a lot of peripheral devices, docking stations and acoustics. In the latter case, it is especially insulting, because sometimes it cost a lot of money. Accordingly, a reasonable question arises - what to do with a suitable periphery? If you throw a pity at all, you can purchase an adapter from the new standard to the old one. The only thing: note that because of the adapter, the new device will be located higher.
Fourth place. Magnetized connector
In fourth place, we put an interesting third-party adapter, aka charging cable. In fact, this is a regular Lightning charge, but with a special magnetic adapter, like Magsafe. With it, it is more convenient to put an iPhone on charging and especially to remove it: you do not need to pull out the plug - it is easy enough to pull the phone, or even to bring it to your ear and, stretched, the wire will free itself. Trifle, but when you often call - very convenient.
Third place. Lightning - Digital AV
Adapter Lightning Digital AV Adapter is suitable for you in case you want to show photos or videos from your phone on the big screen.
Such an adapter has an HDMI interface and supports resolutions up to 1080P, i.e. It allows you to get a clear and detailed picture on your home TV.
In theory, wireless broadcast via Airplay is more convenient, but it is not supported everywhere and needs to be configured (yes, the setting is simple, but still), so it is sometimes easier in the old way - with wires. Almost any TV has an HDMI cable (after all, something external is connected to it anyway), and with this adapter it’s enough to plug the cable from the TV into it - and you can show the hat, photos from the holidays or videos about your children to relatives on the big screen.
Second place. SD or USB adapters
If you want to slightly expand the capabilities of your iPhone and, especially, the iPad, then a USB or SD adapter can be very useful to you.
Formally, using such an adapter, you can only connect the camera to view photos from it on the screen of the gadget and copy the necessary ones into a photo application. SD cards work without problems, but flash drives may not have enough power. In addition, a flash drive or SD card will work only if the folder structure is similar to the one created by the camera: DCIM> 100DICAM ... and the files themselves should be called something like DSC ... or IMG_ ... if this does not stop you , you can encode the series with the H264 codec with such names and watch it from an external card without transferring the video files to the device through iTunes. Maybe in some situations it will be more convenient ...
Also through such adapters you can connect peripheral devices - for example, a USB keyboard or even a high-quality USB microphone. According to rumors, even the LAN will work. And for some it may be a great find.
First place. Headphone Adapter
Of course, this is an adapter for a headphone jack for the latest generations of the iPhone, where there is no audio jack. It is clear that there are other options ... For example, Bluetooth-headphones are good lack of wires, but the battery often sits at the most inopportune moment. A headset with a Lightning interface is not so much, besides, you can not use them with anything other than the iPhone.
In general, starting with the iPhone 7 - either such an adapter, or special headphones for your smartphone.
Timeless classics
Outside the competition is an adapter, which many, to our surprise, did not know.
Standards of sockets are different around the world, and instead of changing the power supply depending on the region, Apple made a block with a removable plug on it (for the Macbook and for the iPad, and the small power supplies for the iPhone are solid), i.e. You can remove and put the plug under any region. Americans are especially lucky - an American plug with two flat contacts can fold, then the power supply becomes just a brick, which is very convenient. Alas, this number will not work with the euro socket, since it is wider than the power supply and the contacts are longer.
For our standard, the removable part looks like this:
And travelers in general can buy an original kit for all occasions :
Many Russian buyers of Apple equipment from the USA do not know about the possibility of replacement and buy an external adapter for the American plug, or go abroad with an external adapter for local outlets, as a result, the size and weight of the power supply are huge - sometimes more than the device itself.
For makbukov in official supplies is a thick European cable, like this :
It is heavy and big - it weighs more than the adapter itself and takes up as much space as the Macbook itself. Instead, you can also buy the same adapter, which allows you to insert the power supply into the socket itself - it is much more convenient and saves space. Yes, the wire becomes shorter, but in most cases it will still suffice.
By the way, life hacking. If you remove the plug from the power supply of the Macbook laptop, the inside uses a “eight” connector, the same as that of a significant part of household appliances (for example, such a connector and cable are often found in battery chargers for photographic equipment). Yes, such a connection looks unaesthetic, but somewhere on the road can help out, and you charge your Macbook anywhere without long and drop-down adapters.
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