Apple to cut accessories adrift with new iPhone

Apple’s next iPhone will drop the connector used in the company’s gadgets for almost a decade in favour of a smaller one, a change that will annoy accessory owners but could prove a boon for manufacturers.

Apple’s next 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 [socket] moving to the bottom” of the device, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

That would mean the new phone would not connect with the myriad of accessories such as speakers and power chargers that form part of the ecosystem around iPods, iPads and iPhones, without an adapter.

“It represents an opportunity for accessory vendors,” said Pete Cunningham, London-based analyst at technology research firm Canalys.

Apple needs to find a solution not to disappoint their current clients who want to upgrade to the new iPhone but are tied to an expensive accessory that have bought

“The iPhone connector has been a standard for a long time now and I would expect the same to be true for a new connector, should Apple change it as expected.”

Apple didn’t immediately reply to an emailed request for comment, but the tech industry has expected the move because the current 21mm wide connector takes up a lot of space compared to technologies such as microUSB.

A smaller connector would give Apple more scope for new smaller products or a bigger battery.

Upgrade dilemma

The upgrade is the latest issue that Apple faces over moving its range on without riling existing customers. The company has, for example, said some users of older models of its MacBook computers won’t be able to use the latest operating system to be announced soon, but analysts think it will be kinder to mobile gadget users.

“Apple needs to find a solution not to disappoint their current clients who want to upgrade to the new iPhone but are tied to an expensive accessory that have bought,” said Franciso Jeronimo, an analyst at technology research firm IDC. “I believe Apple will come up with some sort of adapter so the new iPhone can be used with previous connectors.”