Apple's Smaller iOS Device Dock Connector Said to Include 19 Pins

[ToomeyND]

IF the new dock changes to micro-USB, the 3.5mm socket could contribute the direct audio/video ouput that USB can't. When docking, the bottom of the iPhone would mate with both a USB plug and 3.5mm plug (which would also keep it upright). Older iPods used to output composite video through the headphone socket, so it might seem like a strange step backwards, but also possible and practical. I'm speculating, but not entirely irrationally.

There is actually a really good point here. On a lot of the "less expensive" sound docks, the 30 pin connector does not do a very good job of holding the phone in place to keep it working properly. The 3.5 mm jack would be a nice post to keep the phone secure and consistently working.

My wife has an Altec Lansing sound dock that she has to rig with a pen behind the phone to keep it in the precarious spot required to play the phone properly.

I had initially though that this little dock connector (or whatever it will be called) would be put under some serious stress when a phone is resting on it alone.

 

[Skika]

So now I'm going to have to have iPad cables and iPhone cables? Ugh. I know everyone is like "Change is inevitable!" and voting down people who say "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." But I really really hope this is all crazy talk and that they'll just stick with the normal dock connector.

So you really don't get it that an 10 year old connector can became rather useless because of its size (which is of utmost importance in these devices) and a smaller connector could do the same thing with half the size? Do you really not see the benefit of using a smaller new connector? You really want the world's most forward looking technology company to stick with an old connector just because? Wouldn't you rather see it march into the future making the best products?

 

[trip1ex]

And this affects me...how?

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

Thousands of accessories become useless in 3...2...1...

And what's with the headphone jack being on the bottom? Why make such a silly change?

Get on plane. Pull out your iPhone loaded with movies and games. Battery won't last such heavy use for such a long time, so plug it into power. Oh, you're disturbing other people, so plug headphones in. Now, hold your device in landscape, and try to do so without cables pressing into your hands as that'll create sore spots by the end of the plane ride. You probably won't be able to, both sides you would want to hold it by have cables coming out (I know, because I've tried since owning a 3GS 3 years ago.)

I imagine having all the cables come out of the same side will make it possible to hold the iPhone in a landscape orientation without cables touching your hands.

 

[JasonElise1983]

It won't be an iPhone 5. Ever.

Exactly. The "iPhone 5" is vaporware. Apple is moving to the same model they use on their computers. You don't go buy an iMac 125, you just buy the newest iMac. I just want the newest/current iPhone, no need to give it a descriptor. An iPhone is an iPhone. The thing other phone manufacturers haven't figured out. No matter what model you own... Everyone thinks the iPhone is cool and it's still an "iPhone" android phoes have too many names. I applaud apple for simplifying it.

 

[iReality85]

And look at how Apple made a thing of having hybrid USB 2.0/3.0 ports on their new computers. They could do the same here.

There's nothing hybrid about what Apple did. The three USB standards are backwards/forwards compatible with each other (save for data transfer speed). All Apple did was chose not to make the USB3 ports that standard, gaudy blue color. That's "not their style," as they put it.

That said, the new cable is most assuredly going to be USB3 --> New, smaller, 19-pin proprietary dock connector.

 

[ToomeyND]

Would it be possible for a regular micro-USB to fit the dock and charge the phone? Then it would comply with the EU regs, and allow Apple to do extra stuff with the 19 pin connector.

It would make it a bit confusing for some that a regular usb wouldn't do everything the apple connector does, but it would allow any usb cable to charge the phone. I would imagine charging the phone is the most important job of the plug anyway.

 

[JasonElise1983]

Would it be possible for a regular micro-USB to fit the dock and charge the phone? Then it would comply with the EU regs, and allow Apple to do extra stuff with the 19 pin connector.

It would make it a bit confusing for some that a regular usb wouldn't do everything the apple connector does, but it would allow any usb cable to charge the phone. I would imaging charging the phone is the most important job of the plug anyway.

Apple won't use a standard like USB for its connector. They like proprietary, closes platforms they can control and collect royalties on from accessory manufacturers. The "new" dock connector will be proprietary as well, but I bet it has thunderbolt/USB 3 capabilities.

I like what they are doing. Apple is a big company, but still small and nimble enough to make major changes and not ruin their ecosystem. Look at how they dropped floppy discs, PowerPC, FireWire which they kind of invented, the optical drive now. Apple is in a state of shedding old technology for slimmer, newer, sexier tech. It's innovation, what we all ask for, but we're never quite ready for.

 

[ThunderSkunk]

I honestly think this will be the first Mag-safe Thunderbolt port.

I sure hope you're right.
Two daisy-chainable thunderbolt ports and nothing to plug into them
Two comparatively slow USB ports that every other periph made compete for.

It'd be great if Apples own stuff didn't have to go lowest common denominator, & could just take advantage of its own better built-in option.

 

[doctor-don]

Thousands of accessories become useless in 3...2...1...

And what's with the headphone jack being on the bottom? Why make such a silly change?

That's where heaphone jack should have been at the very begining. At the bottom.

Don't you already have audio/video output through the dock connector? The idea of the 3.5mm is mainly for headphones. If it's on the bottom, it's blocked if it's in some sort of dock like device.

Obviously, the negative comments are from posters who don't use ear buds / headphones OR they put their phones in their pockets upside down.

 

[JasonElise1983]

Obviously, the negative comments are from posters who don't use ear buds / headphones OR they put their phones in their pockets upside down.

Exactly! 3.5mm headphone jack on the bottom is a welcome change

 

[jonnysods]

Flip. There go all the extra 30 pin accessories I have!

 

[theluggage]

3. Yes, but at that time, that was the solution which permits today to charge different cellphone with the same adapter here in my company ("I forgot my adapter, is there anyone ..."), apart from the environmental issues (which are important!).

The solution of Apple is ok (I use it for several devices too), but, if you do not have the white cable with you, it's a mess.

Even before the EC scheme, cell phone and media player manufactures were starting to converge on either Mini USB or, at least, charging from a full-sized USB port. The EC decision has actually turned a couple of Mini-USB wall-warts I have into future landfill.

...and , personally, I don't carry my phone adapter around with me, but I could usually lend you an iDevice or Mini-USB cable which would let you charge from ant PC or laptop.

The problem with the EC scheme is that they've forced a standard socket on the mobile device rather than on the charger. That's going to work fine until devices get too small to accommodate a USB Micro socket - and have you seen the size of the USB 3 Micro socket?

 

[doctor-don]

Get on plane. Pull out your iPhone loaded with movies and games. Battery won't last such heavy use for such a long time, so plug it into power. Oh, you're disturbing other people, so plug headphones in. Now, hold your device in landscape, and try to do so without cables pressing into your hands as that'll create sore spots by the end of the plane ride. You probably won't be able to, both sides you would want to hold it by have cables coming out (I know, because I've tried since owning a 3GS 3 years ago.)

I imagine having all the cables come out of the same side will make it possible to hold the iPhone in a landscape orientation without cables touching your hands.

Ha-ha.

----------

Exactly! 3.5mm headphone jack on the bottom is a welcome change

... because ...?

 

[rorschach]

Obviously, the negative comments are from posters who don't use ear buds / headphones OR they put their phones in their pockets upside down.

The headphone port on the bottom was always annoying on my iPod touch because the cord kept looping in front of the screen, whereas at the top it goes straight up from the top to your ears.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

Flip. There go all the extra 30 pin accessories I have!

Nah. There goes all the $10 bills you have in your wallet though, based on the price of the Magsafe to Magsafe2 adapter.

The headphone port on the bottom was always annoying on my iPod touch because the cord kept looping in front of the screen, whereas at the top it goes straight up from the top to your ears.

Yes, but it's possible Apple understands this and will let the iPhone 5 screen rotate like the iPad so this won't be an issue.

 

[coolbreeze]

Micro USB for charging.

This new-fangled proprietary connector (ugh) for the rare times someone needs to sync with iTunes. Or wants to connect to a media dock of some sort.

Why is that so hard, Apple?

 

[DavidLeblond]

So you really don't get it that an 10 year old connector can became rather useless because of its size (which is of utmost importance in these devices) and a smaller connector could do the same thing with half the size? Do you really not see the benefit of using a smaller new connector? You really want the world's most forward looking technology company to stick with an old connector just because? Wouldn't you rather see it march into the future making the best products?

Did you really not even respond to a thing I said? Do you really think that leaving behind an entire ecosystem of devices is a brilliant idea? Do you really think that having half of your company's devices using one connector and half of them using a different connector is the best idea in the world? Do you really like being condescending?

 

[somethingelsefl]

I've owned an iPod touch with the headphone jack at the bottom, and I've owned an iPhone and iPad with the headphone at the top...I definitely prefer the jack at the top, especially after using both types. The bottom jack stabs into my hand when I hold it, and was more likely to pop out unintentionally.

But that's just my preference, whatever...

I think Apple made this decision based more on internal componets rather than "the flippity flop of putting a phone upside down in your pocket" that some people are arguing here...that's just nonsense.

 

[UnSainted]

Thunderbolt=Intel

No, it won't be thunderbolt based. Only a very small percentage of the world's PCs support thunderbolt, so Apple would be severely limiting their market if it wasn't USB based.

Also, the high cost of Thunderbolt controller chips would be prohibitive for many accessories, as well as cheaper Apple devices like the iPod nano.

This is purely about making the dock connector physically smaller so that future devices can themselves be made smaller and thinner.

Isn't Thunderbolt (lightpeak)an Intel technology? Are there any Intel internals in the iPhone? I don't really see this happening myself.

 

[sk58781111]

so the iphone 5 is just an elongated iphone 4?....how disappointing

 

[SVTVenom]

Significantly bigger?
"58.47 mm wide, 123.83 mm high and 7.6 mm thin..."

The current 4S is 58.6 mm wide, 115.2 mm high, and 9.3 mm thin. So the new one is a tiny bit less wide, thinner, and roughly 0.3 inches taller. That's hardly significantly bigger. It will probably actually feel smaller than the 4S if those specs are true.

 

[ThunderSkunk]

Yeah, well we work with high grade Titanium all day long, and it's easy enough to work with using the right tools, perhaps they could. who knows?
It would still be a pig to manufacture though.
Far better to mould something (even metal) into shape.

Hah, yea, there's no way they're going to spend all day hogging out grade 5 billet on a mill. They'd make a few thousand phones a year and each one would cost tens of thousands of dollars to pay down the tooling investment...

If they did Ti, they'd have to forge em. A hundred at a time, & probably just from grade 2, like every other cheap "titanium" consumer product. At that point, 6061 aluminum would be an improvement, but you know, "titanium" sounds cool.

 

[Elijahg]

The "new" dock connector will be proprietary as well, but I bet it has thunderbolt/USB 3 capabilities.

It won't be Thunderbolt. Thunderbolt is PCI-Express, no part of the iPhone uses PCI-E, plus the TB chip is about half the width and depth of the iPhone. Apple would have to convert the USB signals generated by the ARM chip into PCI-E. Also, going on existing prices, the cheap $2 "iPod" cable would cost about $50.

USB 3 would be somewhat pointless too, as it's not USB that's the bottleneck when syncing the iPhone, it's the slow NAND flash.

 

[cgk.emu]

Exactly. The "iPhone 5" is vaporware. Apple is moving to the same model they use on their computers. You don't go buy an iMac 125, you just buy the newest iMac. I just want the newest/current iPhone, no need to give it a descriptor. An iPhone is an iPhone. The thing other phone manufacturers haven't figured out. No matter what model you own... Everyone thinks the iPhone is cool and it's still an "iPhone" android phoes have too many names. I applaud apple for simplifying it.

Vaporware? Apple hasn't announced it yet. Vaporware is a product announced with no specs listed for a long period of time.