iPhone 5 getting a 19-pin connector

[Jeremy Proome]

Apple bringing new connector to iPhone 5

Apple bringing a new 19-pin connector to next iPhone entry

[noxibox]

Why would they want to put the headphone socket on the bottom? How much space do they really gain making the connector narrower? The current one doesn't look like it uses much.

You can't compare changing the connector to the latest OS release not supporting old hardware. An equivalent would be the latest release only running on hardware released this year.

[GreyBush]

Headphone out the bottom makes sense, when you put the phone into your pocket you usually put it in upside down.

[bwana]

I'm not overly concerned about the reduced size dock connector - for me all it means is getting a few spare cables and adding one to my travel kit.

[oliverwww]

What about all these nice iPod dock speakers? What about adapters to view on screen? What about when you have forgotten your cable on holiday , so you just use your brothers? So many things will have to change, costing people thousands to buy back! I don't like this idea... Should have warned us apple, just keep it the same

[Mystic Twilight]

Apple have been notorious for adding and dropping features and functionality on the whim. An example being the ethernet port on the new retina display Macbook Pro (which i believe will filter down to the 13"). Although it seems like quite a few posters on this board don't have any issues with a lack of ethernet, and Apple providing a solution through a cable adapter, it really is a pain for a lot of people. An adapter for your iPod/iPhone/iPad dock? Those docks weren't designed to take adapters (never mind cable ones), and I'm pretty damn sure there will a be a few broken off dock connectors on the dock itself because the device isn't plugged in securely.

[bwana]

Apple have stuck with the 30 pin for almost 10 years and as it is I've had 30 pin peripherals that have been rendered obsolete through internal changes.

Anyway, its all speculation until Apple actually makes an announcement.

[unskinnybob]

http://www.slashgear.com/new-iphone-...pped-23239843/

Woop woop!

[clasqm]

Apple have been notorious for adding and dropping features and functionality on the whim

Yup, they are ruthless about dropping obsolete technology, and the rest of the industry trundles along 3-5 years later. If it had been left to the PC industry we would still have had floppy drives, and RS232 ports, and Centronics ports ... "Hey, how about those games on audio cassette? People still have those, can't just drop off support for them ...". Oh, yes, and smartphones with lots of little physical buttons and a free box of matches to help you push them Is that where people want to be? Stuck in a time warp, a technological Groundhog Day?

Apple does not always get it right when they adopt new technologies. Firewire never broke the "niche product" curse. But when Apple abandons a technology, get your money out of that industry, because it is doomed.

This will be news for a week. Then we'll all buy new cables and adapters and the globe will resume its journey around the sun.

Promise.

[unskinnybob]

Then we'll all buy new cables and adapters and the globe will resume its journey around the sun.

Or buy the adapter in the link above allowing old and new to be used.

[[)roi(]]

With wireless connections, the connector is edging towards becoming obsolete for anything but charging.
Nevertheless any move away from the current standard will still be met with some degree of discord; yet this has never stopped Apple before.

Btw all the whining, in the news, of course assumes there won't be a simple compatibility adapter (...oh yes of course, just another thing we could misplace)

[clasqm]

Too true. My iPad has been plugged in to an actual USB port on the Mac exactly once since I set it up. It was to install an iOS update. Everything else is over wifi or 3G.

If they went to capacitive charging, built-in SIM and BT headphones they actually could make a buttonless iGadget. Think about it, waterproof to 1 atmosphere, no special case required ... Oh, well, I can dream.

[thed33p]

Gizmodo Link
Reuters Link
Slashdot Link

Off the slashdot comments section:
Rumors have it that the port IS micro-USB compatible. As in, you can plug in a micro-USB cable into it and connect/charge via USB. This would make sense as Apple right now supplies an adapter for EU iDevices for micro USB. This would get rid of the adapter, but not the funtionality of the port.

If you want the additional connectivity (line-in/out, component video, HDMI, etc) you need the other pins

[StevenC]

OC up in this thread!


Nuff said.