The rumor is confirmed. Apple’s dock connector for their iPhone has switched from its 30-pin port connector into the 19-pin mini connector. For many years, at least 9 years perhaps, that Apple maintained the 30-pin port connector for all their devices like the iPod, iPad and iPhones. The 30-pin port has in fact become the standard in all of the dock connectors for Apple devices.
Why the switch?
Since Apple released its third generation of iPod in 2003, Apple has been using the standard 30-pin port for their dock connectors that are widely used for iPhone, iPod and iPad devices. This type of port used by Apple for their dock connector offered viable features like fast speed syncing of data, power, playback control and audio out as its initial features when it was first introduced in the market. Then it grew to offer better technological features like importing photo, HD output for video and USB input. The dock connector with the 30-pin port can also be used universally for all Apple devices and is integrated with features like docks, speakers, car chargers and mounting devices. But in the recent years, Apple discovered some of the flaws of its 30-pin dock connectors. It no longer ideally meets the current advancements in the latest Apple products as they become smaller and thinner. The old model of the dock connector becomes bulkier when used with the latest Apple product design and the framework of the dock is also fragile to breakage and it may impose added burden on the Apple devices too.
Introducing Lightning: The 19-pin port dock connector
The iPhone 5 promises a lot of new features and one of this is the introduction of the smaller 19-pin dock connector, now called the Lightning connector. It comes with 8 signal design that will remove the common issue of plugging it the wrong way up because it is optimized for both orientations when inserting the plug. This is a valuable feature that helps prevent damaging the plug and your device when inserting it the wrong way just as what commonly occurred with its early dock connector predecessor. This is more convenient to the user without having to check the plug’s orientation all the time prior to plugging it into the device.
The 19-pin port dock connector supports video output and Apple product users have something to look forward to in the coming months with the promise of releasing the Lightning to HDMI and VGA cables. This new mini port dock connector is about 80% smaller than the traditional one which reduces the number of interior circuitry that supports the dock connector’s features. As the connector comes in a smaller size, the latest iPhone generations become thinner. Moreover, durability is also another good feature of the Lightning connector. It is designed for longevity. With its simple design and smaller size and two way orientation, there is a lesser chance for breaking your port connector. This modern design just might embrace the future iPhone technology in the years to come.
The Downside
You must now realize that with this latest dock connector design, the Lightning dock connector will not be of any use to your old iPhone, iPod or iPad devices because of its incompatibility in size and design. You might as well take care of your old 30-pin port dock connector from now on and expect that this will be phased out perhaps in the next few years as the newer and highly innovative Apple devices will soon replace its old predecessors. Whether an adapter will be made available to accommodate the devices that are compatible with the 30-pin dock connector to render them compatible with the 19-pin port technology is yet to be known.
About the Author:
This article is written by Mackenzie Sulivan, who is a professional blogger, freelance writer and guest poster. She writes about SEO and technology articles for many websites through online exposures. She hires software developers for Itransition Company.
The post New iPhone will Have a Smaller Dock Connector than the Existing 30-pin Port appeared first on Jafaloo - The Tech Blog.
