Jumping onboard with rumors, Reuters’ report from early this morning affirms that they believe the next-generation iPhone will feature a smaller dock connector. After the supposed “iPhone 5″ parts were leaked in May, TechCrunch stepped forward with unnamed sources claiming that Apple will drop their proprietary 30-pin connector on the upcoming iPhone in favor of a new, slimmed down 19-pin dock connector.
The iPhone 5, Apple’s next generation iPhone expected to go on sale around October, will come with a 19-pin connector port at the bottom instead of the proprietary 30-pin port “to make room for the earphone moving to the bottom”, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The new report also suggests Apple will likely make the switch from the 30-pin connector, which they’ve standardized over the past nine years across the iPod, iPhone and iPad lines, to make room for the 3.5mm headphone jack port on the bottom of the device.
Furthermore, Reuters indicates that this will not only be an opportunity for Apple to evolve their products, but also for third-party accessory manufactures to update their accessories and, in turn, generate additional revenue.
Also, even if Apple does stray from their own standard, it’s important to note that a new, smaller connector (such as the proposed 19-pin) won’t outdate the current 30-pin dock connectors and accessories anytime soon. For that to happen, every Apple device with a 30-pin port would have to be phased out, which would take a minimum of three years, judging by the current iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch models for sale.
That being said, stay tuned for complete coverage on Apple’s upcoming next-generation iPhone; rumored and likely to be unveiled this fall.
