Photo leaked earlier this month reportedly showing smaller dock connector featured in the iPhone 5.
TechCrunch claims to have independently verified “that Apple is working on adding a 19-pin port” to the new iPhone.
The new smaller connector would replace the larger 30-pin connector Apple has used for millennia. The new connector, which will presumably save space and possibly be faster, will likely result in a few angry accessory manufacturers. TechCrunch wasn’t able to verify the legitimacy of the recent iPhone enclosure leaks, leaving the final iPhone 5 design a mystery.
The similarity in size to Apple and Intel’s Thunderbolt port technology is merely coincidence according to TechCrunch as the “three independent manufacturers” said “the pin-out will be different.” Using Thunderbolt as the native I/O connector for the iPhone would be a little less than smart considering the cost of Thunderbolt cables and its limited availability especially outside of the Apple world (where 90% of people reside).
The news is still unofficial from Apple, and judging by TechCrunch’s sources, much of the accessory manufacturing world is waiting for Apple to release details on the new standard, leaving many in development limbo. If Apple’s MagSafe 2 is any indication the company is all about saving space or rather creating more space inside of their devices, which will be a necessity if Apple wants to have room to power a larger Retina Display in the iPhone 5.
Source: TechCrunch
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