Lightning is a small, reversible connector that Apple introduced in 2012 for iPhone, iPad and various accessories, replacing the older 30 pin dock connector. Unlike USB-A or micro-USB, Lightning was proprietary to Apple, so cables and accessories needed a Lightning specific design or an official adapter.
Lightning supported data transfer and charging, though its data speeds on most devices stayed well below what USB-C with USB 3 can achieve. Its reversible design was notable at the time, since most other connectors of that era, such as micro-USB, only worked one way round.
Following the EU common charger rules, phones sold in the EU have needed a USB-C port since the end of 2024, and Apple moved its iPhone line to USB-C accordingly. Lightning accessories still work with older iPhones and some current Apple products, but new devices are converging on USB-C. See the EU common charger guide for the background.
