Rumours have abounded for some time that Apple will introduce a new smaller dock connector on the upcoming iPhone 5.
Now, of course, rumours about new iPhone features come and go, and a great many of them turn out to be FUD, whether initiated by Apple themselves to throw people off course, or by over-enthusiastic technology sites seeking some extra page impressions.
The “smaller dock connector” rumour is one that doesn’t seem to want to go away, and TechCrunch has in the last few days claimed to have confirmed that the connector will change from the current 30-pin version we all know, to a smaller 19-pin version.
So what you say?
Well, you know all those iPhone accessories – (cables, docks, car kits, etc, etc) – you have collected up over time? Well, if this goes ahead, they will all be obsolete, and won’t be able to be used with your new iPhone 5.
Ouch.
Apple might however, run into a few problems themselves.
For those who don’t know, accessory manufacturers pay Apple a licence fee to manufacture 30-pin connectors to connect to iPods, iPhones, and iPads.
Not only are there going to be a lot of pissed off consumers with useless accessories, the accessory manufacturers who paid to use the 30-pin connectors may have to re-licence, and will definitely have to spend time and money re-engineering their accessories.
Seems like Apple are potentially going to stir up a real hornets nest.
Will they really be dumb enough?
Quite possibly.
I think it’s crazy, but I suspect Apple won’t agree with me.
Then again, they just might be trying to put the wind up everyone.