Apple to shrink dock connector for iPhone 5

Apple Inc's new iPhone will drop the wide dock connector used in the company's gadgets for the best part of a decade in favour of a smaller one, a change likely to annoy the Apple faithful but which could be a boon for accessory makers.


The iPhone 5, Apple's next generation iPhone expected to go on sale around October will have a 19-pin dock connector instead of the current 30-pin one, Reuters reports citing two sources familiar with the matter.

While Apple has declined to confirm this, the report is in line with earlier rumors that go as far back as February 2012, claiming the iPhone’s dock is about to go on a diet.

The smaller dock connector will “make room for the earphone moving to the bottom,” Reuters’ sources say.

While a smaller dock connector would ultimately benefit users, it will cause problems for owners of various iPhone, iPod and iPad accessories which will not work with the new connector — at least not without an adapter.

Tech blogs have long speculated on the demise of the 30-pin connector, which at 21 mm wide takes up a chunk of space, especially as the latest technologies such as microUSB offer more power in less space.

They say that a smaller connector would give Apple more scope for new product designs or a bigger battery, or simply to make ever smaller products.

Switzerland's Logitech, one of the biggest makers of Apple speakers, declined to comment.

But 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.

For some in the peripherals industry, the change could open doors to new business.

"iPod docking speaker sales have been declining for one or two years," said an employee of a Hong Kong-based company that designs speakers especially for Apple products.

"My previous factory is a lucky one. They shifted the focus to Bluetooth speakers, which proved a wise decision now," the employee said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"It looks like while iPod speaker sales are going down, Bluetooth speaker sales are going up."

Apple’s new iPhone is also rumored to have a larger (but thinner) screen, though none of this has been officially confirmed.