Apple should kill Lightning, just like it did the 30-pin connector

However, a decade after Apple unveiled the Lightning port and associated cables with the iPhone 5, we’re ready for a more universally accepted port and plug.The Lightning port is now a decade old and its introduction on September 12, 2012, was met with a similar concern. We all owned multiple 30-pin charging cables and accessories.When the iPhone 5 shipped in 2012, Apple did its best to assuage concerns by offering a free 30-pin connector-to-lighting port plug adapter. Or maybe you’ve seen the collar that sits right behind the 8-pin plug crack.Right, these plugs are not some precious things we need to cherish and protect.The Lightning cable and port (oh, yes, the port that often gets so stuffed with dust and debris that you can no longer charge your phone without first digging out the muck) have had their time.What Logitech presaged back in 2012, the wireless future has come to pass not just for audio, backup, and data transfers. Not only will the port open up some new fast-charging capabilities, but you will notice that the cables you have for any number of other gadgets produced within the last five years now also work with your new iPhone.This is a win, so get over it.A 35-year industry veteran and award-winning journalist, Lance has covered technology since PCs were the size of suitcases and “on line” meant “waiting.” He’s a former Lifewire Editor-in-Chief, Mashable Editor-in-Chief, and, before that, Editor in Chief of PCMag.com and Senior Vice President of Content for Ziff Davis, Inc. He also wrote a popular, weekly tech column for Medium called The Upgrade.Lance Ulanoff (opens in new tab) makes frequent appearances on national, international, and local news programs including Live with Kelly and Ryan, Fox News, Fox Business, the Today Show (opens in new tab), Good Morning America, CNBC, CNN, and the BBC.