New Apple iPhone will feature different dock connector

The new iPhone chassis will feature a 19-pin dock as opposed to a 30-pin dock, reports say

Reuters (so it must be true), no less, has run on a report apparently confirming that the new Apple iPhone will include a 19-pin dock connector instead of the 30-pin dock that has been a constant feature of Apple’s iDevices for the last 10 years or so.

“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.

Another bold move from Apple, but of course it leads to a huge problem, which is the new iPhone will not connect with the myriad of accessories such as speakers and power chargers that form part of the ecosystem around iPods, iPads and iPhones, without an adaptor, Reuters reports.

As website Techcrunch states, with uncompromising elan, “there’s literally no way that Apple would risk pissing off longtime iDevice owners by making their scores of old accessories useless in one fell swoop.”

There are, however, reports that the Cupertino company is working on a dock connector adapter to keep those iDevice accessories from becoming completely obsolete.

“It represents an opportunity for accessory vendors,” said Pete Cunningham, London-based analyst at technology research firm Canalys. “The iPhone connector has been a standard for a long time now and I would expect the same to be true for a new connector, should Apple change it as expected.”

Experts are saying that a smaller connector would give Apple more scope for new product designs or a bigger battery, or simply to make ever smaller products, which makes sense in this mobile-driven world.

Reuters also reports that some enterprising vendors in China have already begun offering cases for the new phone, complete with earphone socket on the bottom and a “guarantee” the dimensions are correct.

iPod docking speaker sales have been declining for one or two years,” an employee of a Hong Kong-based company that designs speakers especially for Apple products, told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. “My previous factory is a lucky one. They shifted the focus to Bluetooth speakers, which proved a wise decision now.”

CK Lu, a Taipei-based analyst at research firm Gartner said: “I don’t think it will stop Apple consumers from buying the new gadgets. Many companies are interested in developing accessories for Apple because Apple users are more open and willing to buy accessories.”

The new iPhone is also expected to feature a larger screen, an LTE radio, NFC, and other new additions packed into a into a new slim new chassis.

Reuters (so it must be true), no less, has run on a report apparently confirming that the new Apple iPhone will include a 19-pin dock connector instead of the 30-pin...