iPad 3 and MagSafe

It'll be the same 30 pin connector it's always been.

Because of all the rumors circulating right now, I'm 100% sure the iPad 3 will have the same 30-pin connector as all of the other Apple mobile devices before it. I think that 2013 will be the year for Apple to overhaul the 30 pin connector into something different because 2003 was the year it was introduced on the iPod, which was almost a decade ago.

blueroom said:

It'll be the same 30 pin connector it's always been.

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QFT unfortunate as that might be. I'd love to see a mag safe 30pin hybrid... data and power one simple mag secured line.

Cynicalone said:

I think it needs to be done.

Even if they just leave the 30 pin and add the MagSafe it needs to happen.

As the iPad becomes more powerful the battery size will increase and with it the charge time.

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They can't just abandon the 30-pin. So many accessories attach through it. Including an increasing amount of audio equipment.

Cynicalone said:

I understand that.

What I'm trying to say is just leave the iPad as is and add the MagSafe.

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Apologies. My warped mind mistook "leave" for abandon.

But anyway, it wouldn't really be in Apple's character to split off charging to another cable and connector. At most they might revamp the 30-pin dock connector to supply more power.

Cynicalone said:

I understand that.

What I'm trying to say is just leave the iPad as is and add the MagSafe.

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Add more ports to the iPad? Steve jobs would be turning over in his grave!

Seriously, I have no problems with the charging time of the current iPad using the supplied power adapter, and I assume if future iPad models have beefier batteries then Apple just needs to include bigger / more efficient power adapters.

Cynicalone said:

Even if they just leave the 30 pin and add the MagSafe it needs to happen.

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and create TWO unsightly holes that disrupt the smooth edge design! not a chance!!!

I just randomly had this idea for making MagSafe work with iOS devices:

What if the connector was a 2-piece connector? One part is the normal 30-pin connector that we all know, but the second piece has the actual cable attached to it and connects via MagSafe to the 30-pin piece. I'm not sure if I'm wording it properly to visualize it. But basically, if someone tripped over the cable, it would disconnect the cable but leave the 30-pin connector in the iPad.

Does this make sense? lol

DeusInvictus7 said:

I just randomly had this idea for making MagSafe work with iOS devices:

What if the connector was a 2-piece connector? One part is the normal 30-pin connector that we all know, but the second piece has the actual cable attached to it and connects via MagSafe to the 30-pin piece. I'm not sure if I'm wording it properly to visualize it. But basically, if someone tripped over the cable, it would disconnect the cable but leave the 30-pin connector in the iPad.

Does this make sense? lol

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It does actually. Microsoft used a similar concept for the original Xbox controllers. Basically there were a pair of connectors in the middle of the cable that would decouple when jolted.

Cynicalone said:

I really would have thought more people would find the idea appealing.

A 13" MacBook Air has twice the battery and charges in half the time. With a 45W charger.

I'm not sure what the maximum is for USB to 30 pin charging, but I think if they could go beyond 10W they would.

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Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't mind having my iPad charge a bit faster. I'm just pointing out that Apple likes to keep things simple and consistent.

What they could perhaps do is add a couple pins right next to the dock connector. That way they could still fit everything in a single cable (or dock).

APlotdevice said:

It does actually. Microsoft used a similar concept for the original Xbox controllers. Basically there were a pair of connectors in the middle of the cable that would decouple when jolted.

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Oh yeah! I totally forgot about those, they were pretty genius, but they weren't magnets that held them together. It was just a normal port-and-plug type, but it was low tension so it came out easily. Still, I could see Apple doing something like that for the iOS devices to implement MagSafe...somehow.

USB Specifications lists MAX power to 500mA @ 5V.

Technically speaking, iPad needing 2100mA breaks the official standard, and a lot of devices cannot charge an iPad.

This drive for simplicity is less then ideal.

I've never had a problem with the charge time. Usually I put it in to charge when I go to bed, and by the time I go to feed the baby 2-3 hours later it's done. If you're not getting up to feed a baby, overnight charging should be no problem at all even if you use it down to 0 every day - I don't think I've ever seen it take more than 4 hours to charge 0-100.

How long does it take you? Are you doing it over USB or something? The wall is much faster.

This thing gets ridiculously good battery life, I don't know how you can be picky about the charge time.

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Cynicalone said:

I really would have thought more people would find the idea appealing.

A 13" MacBook Air has twice the battery and charges in half the time. With a 45W charger.

I'm not sure what the maximum is for USB to 30 pin charging, but I think if they could go beyond 10W they would.

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Wait, what?? Where did you get a MBA with a 20-hour battery? Even Apple only claims 7 hours.

PracticalMac said:

Technically speaking, iPad needing 2100mA breaks the official standard, and a lot of devices cannot charge an iPad.

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Technically speaking, iPads can use 2100mA but they don't need it.

Interesting reading about Charging Ports here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Serial_Bus#Charging_ports_and_accessory_charging_adapters

While the idea is appealing, I highly doubt it will happen. I would love to be able to just plug my magsafe into the iPhone, iPad, and MBP as needed.

Cynicalone said:

There is no way the iPad battery can charge to 100% from 0% in less then 4 hours. It is physically impossible with a 10W charger. Time it and you will see.

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I found this:
http://gizmodo.com/5535631/the-fastest-and-slowest-way-to-charge-an-ipad

According to above article, if it does take longer than 4 hours to charge iPad to 100%, that would be because charging is throttled after it reaches about 80%, not because it is physically impossible.

That said, even if it takes 5 hours to charge from 0 to 100%, as another poster said above, that is not an inconvenience under normal usage conditions, because most people sleep longer than 5 hours a night, so leaving the iPad plugged in while you sleep gives it more than enough time to charge to full.

If your iPad is taking longer than 5 hours to charge fully when being charged with the iPad power adapter, then chances are there's something wrong with it, and you should get it checked at the Genius Bar.

I think the next step in evolution is some sort of wireless charging. Apple has shown interest in this, and it would allow them to keep the universal 30 pin connector for data, increase charging capacity, add a cool feature, and not add another "ugly" port all in one sweep.

APlotdevice said:

They can't just abandon the 30-pin. So many accessories attach through it. Including an increasing amount of audio equipment.

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Sure they can. Look at Apple's history of discontinuing ports and making other manufacturers adapt to the new design.

phiberglass said:

Sure they can. Look at Apple's history of discontinuing ports and making other manufacturers adapt to the new design.

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Most of the ports that Apple has abandoned could still be exploited for awhile via adapters. I mean ThunderBolt is backwards compatible with DisplayPort, which is in turn backwards compatible with DVI, which is in turn backwards compatible with VGA! They did pretty much drop FireWire, but the standard had long been supplanted by USB anyway.

The iPad at the very least needs some physical way of attaching other devices. They can't just stick a power plug on there and make everything else wireless. If they did replace the dock connector, whatever they replaced it with would almost certainly remain backwards compatible at least through an adapter.

I would love to see a MagSafe type connector replace the current connector on the iPad but Apple is not one the change things like this easily and I bet it will not happen. To many devices using this older connector