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Reuters Confirms a Smaller Dock Connector and Relocated Headphone Jack on Next iPhone

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macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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Apple-iPod-Dock-USB-2.0-Data-Cable-150x150.jpg


Reuters seems to confirm circulating rumors and expectations that Apple will be moving from the traditional 30-pin dock connector to a smaller 19-pin version for its next generation iPhone:
The iPhone 5, Apple's next generation iPhone expected to go on sale around October, will come with a 19-pin connector port at the bottom instead of the proprietary 30-pin port "to make room for the earphone moving to the bottom", two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Click to expand...
Reuters also seems to confirm that the headphone jack of the new iPhone will move to the bottom of the device, as shown here:

newdock.png



This image shows the new dock-connector and headphone jack location (right) as compared to the currently shipping iPhone 4S (left).​
Reuters notes this will represent a big opportunity for accessory manufacturers as customers upgrade their existing accessories to new 19-pin compatible ones. Apple launched the original 30-pin dock connector with the 3rd generation iPod in 2003. Subsequent iPods, iPhones and iPads have shipped with the port and resulted in a large ecosystem of compatible accessories. The first report that Apple would be replacing their dock connector with a miniaturized one came in February 2012 from iMore.

Article Link: Reuters Confirms a Smaller Dock Connector and Relocated Headphone Jack on Next iPhone
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2012/07/23/reuters-confirms-a-smaller-dock-connector-and-relocated-headphone-jack-on-next-iphone/
V

Vancouvercanuck

macrumors member
Jan 25, 2009
33
0
Is that a freaking joke? you mean all the accessories that i have bought would be obsolete soon? Way to tell people to use Android instead, Apple!
 
Feed Me

Feed Me

macrumors 6502a
Jan 7, 2012
831
6
Location Location
Vancouvercanuck said:
Is that a freaking joke? you mean all the accessories that i have bought would be obsolete soon? Way to tell people to use Android instead, Apple!
Click to expand...

Bet you can't wait to plug your Samsung nexus galaxy chocolate sponge cake world edition with tingling sense HD powered by android 4.1 beta with 3D into your iPod dock. :rolleyes:
 
C

Canaan

macrumors member
Sep 1, 2011
61
0
Vancouvercanuck said:
Is that a freaking joke? you mean all the accessories that i have bought would be obsolete soon? Way to tell people to use Android instead, Apple!
Click to expand...

Yeah cause they wouldn't have to buy new accessories if they did that right?

Even if Apple does switch to a new standard dock (it's about time they do anyway as this thing is getting old), we're bound to see accessories very quickly and most likely third parties will create adapters as well. Sure it's inconvenient, but it was bound to happen eventually.
 
Last edited:
ixodes

ixodes

macrumors 601
Jan 11, 2012
4,429
3
Pacific Coast, USA
It's nice to see that Apple is releasing it's death grip on the ugly, absurdly large dock connector. This new smaller size is more in line with Apple's typically attractive designs.
 
vincebio

vincebio

macrumors 6502a
Jun 27, 2005
792
48
Glasgow
Vancouvercanuck said:
Is that a freaking joke? you mean all the accessories that i have bought would be obsolete soon? Way to tell people to use Android instead, Apple!
Click to expand...

get a grip on reality and calm down....:rolleyes:

nothing will be obsolete...there will be a long period (circa 2 years) of adapters available before it becomes the new standard.

why all the drama> nothing better to do?
 
P

peterjames.org

macrumors newbie
Sep 8, 2009
24
5
Portland, OR, USA
Adapter and EU mandate?

Apple should just make it a micro-USB, now that they are adept at putting standard ports on the Retina MBP (HDMI, USB 3). Didn't the EU mandate that all phones sold needed to connect (or charge) via micro-USB or the manufacturer must provide an adapter free of charge? This would be one way to bring the cost down further (and keep the margin higher) by using a standard jack like this....proprietary connectors are so 1986 (ADB, anyone?)
 
G

Griffindor73

macrumors member
Jun 26, 2002
84
0
Brighton, England
This is annoying in the sense that I have a hifi dock that cost over £200 as well as numerous leads and things around the house that our two iPods, two iPhones and the iPad connect to. Then suddenly my next phone will connect to none of these things, all so apple can make the phone a tiny bit thinner. Mmmm... Progress for progress sake?
 
F

fishmoose

macrumors 68000
Jul 1, 2008
1,851
346
Sweden
peterjames.org said:
Apple should just make it a micro-USB, now that they are adept at putting standard ports on the Retina MBP (HDMI, USB 3). Didn't the EU mandate that all phones sold needed to connect (or charge) via micro-USB or the manufacturer must provide an adapter free of charge? This would be one way to bring the cost down further (and keep the margin higher) by using a standard jack like this....proprietary connectors are so 1986 (ADB, anyone?)
Click to expand...

The dock connector can do a lot more than micro-USB such as audio and video.
 
Smeaton1724

Smeaton1724

macrumors 6502a
Sep 14, 2011
836
806
Leeds, UK
Nothing wrong with progress at all. If they can have a dock connector do the same as the current one, then why not. They can easily put out an adapter from new to old.

However I don't like how convoluted the Apple selection of devices is becoming, in essence we'll see 3 branches of mobile device

"Legacy"
iPhone 3gs, has ios 6 but limited features and now the old dock.
iPhone 4, more features than the 3gs on ios 6, old dock.
iPad 2, no siri on ios 6 and old dock.

"Legacy connector but full OS"
iPhone 4s, all the features of ios 6, new dock.
iPad 3, all features of ios 6, old dock.

"New Connector and full OS"
All of the features:
iPhone 5 or whatever
iPad mini (If it exists)
iPad 4
 
Last edited:
ipedro

ipedro

macrumors 603
Nov 30, 2004
6,224
8,470
Toronto, ON
If you think about it, the original iPod dock connector is still in use today. Though iPods and iPhones have gotten smaller, the dock connector has remained the same. It's freakin huge!

Those of you crying out because you have accessories that will become obsolete, Apple has a simple path to backwards compatibility. The audio jack also supplies data. An adaptor that plugs in to both the new 19 pin dock connector and the audio mini jack could possibly provide a direct connection to all 30 pins. It would add just a few millimetres to your accessory, most of which have the iPod/iPhone located on the top so it will not make a difference.

Also, given that the new iPhone will likely be taller, even if it had the original 30 pin dock connector, it wouldn't fit inside accessories that were shaped for the iPod or any iPhone to date.
 
SBlue1

SBlue1

macrumors 68000
Oct 17, 2008
1,939
2,368
What, wait, it's not micro-USB? Why?? I don't want another charger for my phone, I have a handfull already. :(
 
K

KENPHOTO

macrumors regular
Jul 19, 2012
149
426
If they change the dock connector every 9 years, that is fine with me. This is quite normal in the world of computing. 9 years is a long time to keep using the same dock connector. I am sure they will come out with an adapter. If Apple doesn't, third party accessory makers will.
 
R

RJCP

macrumors 6502
Jun 8, 2011
434
40
The only thing which bothers me in this design is the asymmetry on the bottom. I think the 4/4s design is one of the most beautiful things Apple ever engineered and this new bottom with headphone jack, asymmetric speakers and smaller dock looks clunky and amateurish.
 
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