Apple's New Dock Connector with 8 Pins? Cross-Device Integration via Bluetooth 4.0?

[justperry]

Magnets in the dock connector? Not sure how I feel about that since I tend to keep other metal objects (read: keys) in my pockets along with my phone.

"Magnets, how do they work?"

Erm, most keys are non ferro.
And, even if they where do you think those magnets are so strong that they attract those keys, no, they would be tiny and not strong enough to attract bigger objects.
But, I see some other problems here, what about if you work with metal and there are lots of tiny metal particles, that could cause problems!

 

[Gix1k]

Still hate this design. The home button should be gone for a captive button. The whole thing upsets me!

 

[denaliOnDubs]

I really like the idea of being able to answer phone calls on my MacBook.


I can't either. I'm not that happy about the dock connector changing but still excited to grab one.

Can't wait for the announcement in the Fall!

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I really thought they might do away with the home key...

Still hate this design. The home button should be gone for a captive button. The whole thing upsets me!

 

[PJMAN2952]

It would make sense to just change the pin connector to a micro usb connector.

 

[Ajones330]

Yes I can't wait for this, everyone talking about innovation needs to take the foot out their mouth. Looks like Apple has some tricks up their sleeves...

 

[florsignol]

Micro-Thunderbolt.

Micro-Thunderbolt. It can't possibly be anything else. The 19-pin ~= 20-pin made sense, but looks like they've managed to reduce it to 8 pins.

 

[shk718]

Imagine it's a micro USB port. I know it won't be, but just imagine.

would be very cool!!! will never happen tough

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Still hate this design. The home button should be gone for a captive button. The whole thing upsets me!

i often rest my thumb on the home button - especially when double clicking it - how would a capacitive button handle this? i assume you meant capacitive?

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Why are there any pins???

Magsafe - period.

allows device manufactures to avoid creating drivers for their products. each pin does something specific.

 

[hspace]

Micro-Thunderbolt. It can't possibly be anything else. The 19-pin ~= 20-pin made sense, but looks like they've managed to reduce it to 8 pins.

Perhaps. But no more pins are needed. 4 is enough, with enough speed. I imagine that half of the 8 pins are simply there as a mirror of the first 4 - they allow the connector to connect either way.

It really sounds like a high-speed USB connector that can be plugged in either way. And that would be *great*.

Nothing more is really needed. Wifi and Bluetooth can handle the rest of the peripheral connectivity.

 

[Gix1k]

would be very cool!!! will never happen tough

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i often rest my thumb on the home button - especially when double clicking it - how would a capacitive button handle this? i assume you meant capacitive?

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allows device manufactures to avoid creating drivers for their products. each pin does something specific.

Yes, that's what I meant...sorry. Not sure how it would work, but a physical button is old school. Dunno why Samsung put two capacitive buttons and a physical...dumb

 

[Gjwilly]

Yes, that's what I meant...sorry. Not sure how it would work, but a physical button is old school. Dunno why Samsung put two capacitive buttons and a physical...dumb

You should have at least one physical button in order to access specal reset and/or format functions for when the software/firmware fails.

 

[mozmac]

This could turn the iPod Nano into a Pebble watch competitor.

 

[juannacho]

Still hate this design. The home button should be gone for a captive button. The whole thing upsets me!

'capacitive'?

If this upsets you I congratulate you on what must be a blissfully trouble-free life

 

[Gjwilly]

Still hate this design. The home button should be gone for a captive button. The whole thing upsets me!

Aren't capacitive buttons a constant drain on the battery?
They're always on because they're always waiting for an input?

 

[retroneo]

iOS/iTunes has to be able to handle/recover from that situation anyhow, since non-magnetic connectors can also be detached mid-transfer.

This is one of the features of iOS 5. You can even sync wirelessly and leave the room.

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Micro-Thunderbolt. It can't possibly be anything else. The 19-pin ~= 20-pin made sense, but looks like they've managed to reduce it to 8 pins.

Thunderbolt could use today's micro HDMI type D connector, it has 19 pins, is non-proprietary and looks just like the standard thunderbolt connector, only smaller.

Tiny connector (smaller than micro USB) carries digital audio, digital video up to 4K res, plenty of charging current, and can output HDMI. Plenty of pins can be re-used for carrying USB too. Thunderbolt can also be carried over it in future.

 

[justperry]

Aren't capacitive buttons a constant drain on the battery?
They're always on because they're always waiting for an input?

You clearly have no knowledge about electronics.
Your finger acts as an capacitor, if nothing touches the capacitive button there is no capacity therefore no electricity used, and even if it did it's tiny.

 

[Sol]

If the next Nano has the ability to communicate wirelessly with an iPhone, Mac or Apple TV, it could become the most ubiquitous iPod ever.

 

[Gjwilly]

You clearly have no knowledge about electronics.
Your finger acts as an capacitor, if nothing touches the capacitive button there is no capacity therefore no electricity used, and even if it did it's tiny.

Wow, you really typed that with a straight face?
There is no capacity???
Well at least you got the tiny part right.
A capacitive button uses a transmitter and a receiver and an electric field is generated between the two. It's a circuit that's always turned on.
Your finger alters the field strength detected by the receiver.
Yes, it's tiny but were talking about a phone where power is limited and every little bit counts.

 

[Mansu944]

If you look at the two attached images, you'll notice that the speaker grills are 'flipped around' between the black phone and white phone.

Image



Image



Any significance?

The bottom one is a render

 

[justperry]

Wow, you really typed that with a straight face?
There is no capacity???
Well at least you got the tiny part right.
A capacitive button uses a transmitter and a receiver and an electric field is generated between the two. It's a circuit that's always turned on.
Your finger alters the field strength detected by the receiver.
Yes, it's tiny but were talking about a phone where power is limited and every little bit counts.

Erm, sorry, I guess I was wrong.
I studied electronics long time ago and was thinking that a finger acts as the dielectric in between the anode and cathode so there is no capacity.
This picture expains it better.

 

[BvizioN]

Had you bought an Android phone instead, you would be able to do that already .

Personanly i have used Android phone, and no.... i won't be using one again! Whatever it does that an iOS device doesn't do, it's not worth the hassle IMO.

 

[Zunjine]

It's simple really. Even though the upcoming phone does have the differences you noted, it's still the same basic form factor. A rectangular shape with rounded corners, flat on the front and back. A rather featureless design.

So, despite this new iPhone being an all new design in pretty much every respect, you're unhappy because it's still flat on the back? Accordingly, you feel that a phone that is entirely redesigned, aside from being still flat and having rounded corners, is "the same old design".

I think this perfectly demonstrates why Apple doesn't listen to focus groups and doesn't do customer research.

 

[Andy1234]

Oh no. I got several Apple Phones/Pods/Pads and now they are releasing a new connector? For me personally it is not a good desicion... I am wondering what Apple is doing when in Europe all the Mobile Phone Charging Connectors of all Brands should be the Same....

 

[ixodes]

So, despite this new iPhone being an all new design in pretty much every respect, you're unhappy because it's still flat on the back? Accordingly, you feel that a phone that is entirely redesigned, aside from being still flat and having rounded corners, is "the same old design".

I think this perfectly demonstrates why Apple doesn't listen to focus groups and doesn't do customer research.

I've got to hand it to those of you that can just take whatever Apple puts out and endorse it without question.

 

[Zunjine]

I've got to hand it to those of you that can just take whatever Apple puts out and endorse it without question.

Oh, excellent. You can't rebut my statement so you go for the ad hominem instead; “you’re making pertinent points that undermine my snide remarks! You must be a blind fanboiiiii!!!”

Or maybe you really do see the world in such a completely black and white way. I mean, that would make sense. You argue that a phone that has changed in almost every respect is “the same old design” on the basis that it’s still rectangular, flat on the back and has rounded corners. By such measures there’s no difference between me and Bradley Wiggins (British cyclist who just won a gold medal at the Olympics). I mean, we both have four limbs and our organs are essentially in the same place, ergo, we are the same! You must see how ludicrous your argument is.

I tell you what, I’ll help you out.

Here’s a list of the likely rumoured changes in the upcoming iPhone (there are likely to be more things we don’t yet know about):

1) New placement of the front facing camera
2) Larger screen
3) Thinner body
4) New materials (metal, uni-body casing)
5) New dock connector (potentially magsafe)
6) Redesigned speaker grills
7) New placement of the headphone jack
8) In cell technology in the screen
9) LTE
10) NFC
11) New camera
12) New processor
13) Fancy new Blutooth 4.0 stuff
14) New antenna design

Things that are staying the same:

1) Home button
2) Flat back
3) Rounded corners on a rectangular body
4) Volume and mute switches
5) Unlock button

I’m sure there are a number of other extremely minor aspects that are remaining the same but even those listed here are essentially minor details. I mean, the volume and mute switches haven’t been redesigned! Oh the humanity!

Are you really, in the face of such overwhelming facts, going to stick with the argument that this is “the same old design” purely because it’s still a rectangle with rounded corners? Really? Because I'd have thought that someone who wants to call others irrational would try a little harder not to appear so himself.

 

[illpod]

i think that the 8 pin connector could be some sort of hybrid micro USB connector as the EU are now requiring all phones to use a standard micro USB connector. But apple would not be able to get the same functionality out of this as they do out of the 30 pin dock connector but with an 8 pin hybrid micro USB they could possibly achieve this?

Also the ability to plug the connector in either way round would be a much welcomed addition in my opinion.