Tech Watch: Adapting To A Possible New iPhone Connector
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5) - It may seem prosaic but the connector on the bottom of the iPhone has a lot to do with how you use it. And with rumors that it is changing, a lot of people have good reason to be concerned.
CNET has studied reports which suggest that the new fifth-generation iPhone, widely expected this Fall, will have a much smaller 19-pin connector that would be incompatible with the well-known white cable you use today. But that also means a new iPhone might not work with your current speaker dock, in-car connected or chargers we tend to litter around our homes, offices and vehicles.
In theory, it could add hundreds of dollars to the cost of buying a new iPhone or at least send millions of people scrambling to buy an expected new family of adapters from either Apple or third-party makers.
If Apple is making this design change it is likely to allow for a slimmer device that has more room inside for the parts that matter, like memory, graphics, and processor silicon. And it won't exactly break the hearts of authorized iPhone accessory makers who will see a rebirth of their product lines as many people will buy all new accessories for their new iPhone rather than using the ones they already have.That could also mean a big drop in the cost of old-style iPhone accessories as they flood eBay. Hanging on to your current iPhone could save you money in a lot of ways!
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