Skip to main content

Apple’s Lightning AV adapter is actually a computer, uses Airplay for TV-out, and has some problems

lighning-hdmi-adapter-3
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Apple’s new Lightning AV adapter, which allows iPhones and iPads alike to send out a video feed to TVs via HDMI, isn’t your ordinary cable. While most cables simply adapt the device to send out an HDMI-compatible signal, Apple’s adapter instead has a small ARM-powered computer inside of it that uses Airplay to convert the output to your TV. While this may seem pretty cool, the problem is that the adapter’s output isn’t even the 1080p resolution Apple claims.

chip-1-440x440The Lightning AV adapter was released late last year to compliment the new iPhone 5 and iPad 4, which both features Apple’s proprietary Lightning connectivity over the original 30-pin adapter in use since 2003. The adapter allows iPhone 5 owners to connect their phones to TVs, projectors, or any other display at what Apple claims is a 1080p HD resolution. However, after curiosity caught the best of a few folks over at Panic, someone tore apart the $50 adapter only to find an ARM computer inside, topped off with 256MB of RAM. While most devices simply convert the output signal themselves, Apple’s new Lightning adapter instead does all the work, using Airplay within the on-board computer to make the signal compatible for HDMI. As a result, the iOS device in question doesn’t do any of the processing work, instead letting the adapter take care of it. 

Recommended Videos

However, the problem is that Apple’s adapter doesn’t do what it advertises on its own product page: output at a 1080p resolution. According to the people who tore apart the adapter, Apple’s Lightning AV adapter only reaches a maximum resolution of 1600×900 pixels, not the 1920×1080 pixel resolution Apple says it can reach. Several users have also reported issues such as artifacting and other display problems occurring with their adapters. Worst of all, it is believed the issues are hardware related, and even if they weren’t only Apple could fix them. As a result, owners of the high-priced AV adapter have to go to Apple for a solution. On the bright side, at least Apple gives you more than a few wires for the whole $50 the adapter costs, and they’ll likely be quick to fix it now that word is spreading fast about the technological fluke.

Joshua Sherman
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Joshua Sherman is a contributor for Digital Trends who writes about all things mobile from Apple to Zynga. Josh pulls his…
Apple will reportedly launch an iPhone Air in 2025. Here’s what we know
A render of the iPhone Air.

Rumors about Apple iPhone models for 2025 are already starting to circulate, even though we’re still waiting for the iPhone 16 series to be officially announced this fall. While we’re still pretty far out for the anticipated release of the iPhone 17 models next year, that hasn’t stopped speculation that Apple may be set for a major change to its iPhone 17 lineup with the release of a much slimmer iPhone called the iPhone Air.

The source of this speculation — and that’s all it is so far — is Front Page Tech’s Jon Prosser, who posted a 12-minute YouTube video delving into Apple potentaially changing the lineup of the iPhone 17 models and introducing a new device with a new name.

Read more
Apple just warned some iPhone users about a dangerous spyware attack
The back of the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Apple is warning iPhone users in 98 countries to be on the lookout for potential mercenary spyware attacks. According to TechCrunch, this is the company's second such warning in 2024.

Folks in the affected countries are receiving the following message from Apple: "Apple detected that you are being targeted by a mercenary spyware attack that is trying to remotely compromise the iPhone associated with your Apple ID -xxx-."

Read more
I used an iPad as my main camera, and what happened amazed me
A person holding the iPad Air (2024) and taking a photo.

I’ve spent the last few days using the iPad Air (2024) as my primary camera, and what started out as a bit of a joke became more serious as I went along. How so? Because I compared the results with the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The thing is, to my eyes, the iPad sometimes took better photos than the iPhone.

Confusing thoughts and emotions rushed through my head. Was I about to carry an iPad around all the time? Was there something wrong with my iPhone? Had I been mistaken all the times when I have used the iPhone to take a special photo and been pleased with the results? The iPad, a tablet with a single camera, shouldn’t be outperforming the flagship iPhone’s camera at any time. Yet, this was what I began to think was happening.
Where it all started

Read more