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- Apr 30, 2017
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I am a bit of an Android guy, so even when they work well (which the ipad mini 4 does when connected to my Mavic Pro) when they issues - in my case connection issues - I find it particularly annoying. I have been having connection issues with the Mavic Pro for a month now and I also notice other people have complained about the same problem. Usually a different cable solves the issue but it got so bad recently in Myanmar that all 6 lightning connectors I had with me didnt work and it took a 7th to connect. (I gave the connector port on the ipad a good clean but it didnt help.)
So I took it into a smartphone repair shop and gave it to one of their engineers thinking that the port on the ipad was the problem. And this is what he told me....
1) The way the port is connected to the ipad mini 4 makes it very difficult to replace. In fact, a 'problem' port (rather than a completely dead one) may turn into a dead one if you replace it. This isnt the same with all of Apple's iphone/ipad ports some of which are easier to replace. So if the ipad mini 4 is working with some lightning connectors it is best not to change the port.
2) He also says that the way lightning is designed means that cables are basically bound to fail with continued use. Unlike 'micro usb' which has hooks on it to keep it in place for the connection, lightning relies on a tight fit. This means that with constant use pushing in and pulling out the lightning connector, its connections will gradually be stripped until they no longer work.
A typical lightning connector will only usually work for 2 to 6 months before becoming erratic. If you use a connector with a Mavic its life might be considerably shorter because you are pulling the connector in and out several times a day especially if you have to push them in and pull them out 3 or 4 times to get them to work.
Anyway the only follow up is that I bought 4 new connectors all of which currently seem to work. But from what I can tell failing lightning cables are simply a 'feature' of the ipad mini 4.
So I took it into a smartphone repair shop and gave it to one of their engineers thinking that the port on the ipad was the problem. And this is what he told me....
1) The way the port is connected to the ipad mini 4 makes it very difficult to replace. In fact, a 'problem' port (rather than a completely dead one) may turn into a dead one if you replace it. This isnt the same with all of Apple's iphone/ipad ports some of which are easier to replace. So if the ipad mini 4 is working with some lightning connectors it is best not to change the port.
2) He also says that the way lightning is designed means that cables are basically bound to fail with continued use. Unlike 'micro usb' which has hooks on it to keep it in place for the connection, lightning relies on a tight fit. This means that with constant use pushing in and pulling out the lightning connector, its connections will gradually be stripped until they no longer work.
A typical lightning connector will only usually work for 2 to 6 months before becoming erratic. If you use a connector with a Mavic its life might be considerably shorter because you are pulling the connector in and out several times a day especially if you have to push them in and pull them out 3 or 4 times to get them to work.
Anyway the only follow up is that I bought 4 new connectors all of which currently seem to work. But from what I can tell failing lightning cables are simply a 'feature' of the ipad mini 4.
