Apple's New Dock Connector with 8 Pins? Cross-Device Integration via Bluetooth 4.0?

iLounge shares a new report highlighting a couple of tidbits of information it has received about Apple's upcoming iOS device plans.

According to the report, the new dock connector set to to debut on the next-generation iPhone will contain just 8 pins, compared to the 30 pins used on the current connector and the 19 pins that have been rumored by several sources for the upcoming connector.

According to two sources, Apple’s new Dock Connector features only 8 pins, seemingly contradicting claims of “16-pin” and “19-pin” connectors. [...]

Both of our sources concur that there are eight pins in a line within the new Dock Connector, which may well receive a different name going forward.

One of iLounge's sources also claims that the new connector will include several other design features, "potentially" including the ability to mate devices with docks and cables in either orientation, eliminating the need to determine which side of the cable is the front before connecting. The report makes mention of Apple's MagSafe standard used for power connectivity on its notebooks, but this appears to be in relation to the connection orientation options rather than a specific claim that the new iOS device dock connector will use magnets for attachment.

newdock
Case openings for dock connectors on iPhone 4S (left) and claimed next-generation iPhone (right)

On a separate note, Apple is also said to be working on an as yet undisclosed iOS 6 feature that would take advantage of the low-power Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity available in Apple's recent products to provide new levels of inter-device communication. While no specifics on the functionality have apparently been shared, the report speculates on a number of potential implementations:

Our source also claimed that Apple is working on an as-yet-undisclosed iOS 6 feature that will act as a bridge between its Bluetooth 4-capable devices. The feature would enable, say, a future iPod nano to display iMessages received by an iPhone, record voice memos that could be shared via the iPhone, and even initiate phone calls through its own headphones.

Apple will be introducing the next-generation iPhone on September 12, with availability apparently set for Friday, September 21.

Tag: iLounge
Related Forum: iPhone

Top Rated Comments

TimAlia Avatar
153 months ago
This could possibly lead to answering text messages/phone calls on your laptop instead of having to look around the room for your phone or pull it out in public. Epic.
Yes. Maybe they'll invent something called iMessage and it will be on the next Mac OS.

.......................
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GeekLawyer Avatar
153 months ago
This is the sort of innovation - on the inside of the phone - that keeps Apple and the iPhone at the forefront of technology and mindshare.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Buckeyestar Avatar
153 months ago
lol, that is what I was thinking when i read that post

Does iMessage handle texts from non iOS devices. Or phone calls? If you really read the comment, that's what they're hoping for. But it's so much easier to sling a snide comment out there.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TimAlia Avatar
153 months ago
If you look at the two attached images, you'll notice that the speaker grills are 'flipped around' between the black phone and white phone.

Image (http://photos.appleinsider.com/prototype-120730-3.jpg)



Image (http://cultofmac.cultofmaccom.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/iPhone-5-smaller-dock-connector-confirmed1.jpeg)



Any significance?
The significance is that those are rumors...........
therefore deeming them insignificant.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Razorhog Avatar
153 months ago
Aside from the other features/advantages, I really hope the new connector does allow the cable to be plugged in without having it "right side up". It's not that hard for me to do, but older folks can really struggle with that due to poor eyesight.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Elijahg Avatar
153 months ago
Now that USB3.0 is finally built into Macs, has their been any rumours that the new Dock Connector will support USB3.0 transfers? Smaller size, fewer pins, and dual orientation are all good features, but USB3.0 support is the most important for me.

As discussed ad infinitum, USB 3 won't make a noticeable difference to the speed. The flash memory in the iPhone is the bottleneck.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Announces 'Let Loose' Event on May 7 Amid Rumors of New iPads

Tuesday April 23, 2024 7:11 am PDT by
Apple has announced it will be holding a special event on Tuesday, May 7 at 7 a.m. Pacific Time (10 a.m. Eastern Time), with a live stream to be available on Apple.com and on YouTube as usual. The event invitation has a tagline of "Let Loose" and shows an artistic render of an Apple Pencil, suggesting that iPads will be a focus of the event. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
Apple Vision Pro Dual Loop Band Orange Feature 2

Apple Cuts Vision Pro Shipments as Demand Falls 'Sharply Beyond Expectations'

Tuesday April 23, 2024 9:44 am PDT by
Apple has dropped the number of Vision Pro units that it plans to ship in 2024, going from an expected 700 to 800k units to just 400k to 450k units, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Orders have been scaled back before the Vision Pro has launched in markets outside of the United States, which Kuo says is a sign that demand in the U.S. has "fallen sharply beyond expectations." As a...
iPhone 15 Pro FineWoven

Apple Reportedly Stops Production of FineWoven Accessories

Sunday April 21, 2024 6:03 am PDT by
Apple has stopped production of FineWoven accessories, according to the Apple leaker and prototype collector known as "Kosutami." In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Kosutami explained that Apple has stopped production of FineWoven accessories due to its poor durability. The company may move to another non-leather material for its premium accessories in the future. Kosutami has revealed...
iOS 17 All New Features Thumb

iOS 17.5 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Sunday April 21, 2024 3:00 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 17.5 update for the iPhone includes only a few new user-facing features, but hidden code changes reveal some additional possibilities. Below, we have recapped everything new in the iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5 beta so far. Web Distribution Starting with the second beta of iOS 17.5, eligible developers are able to distribute their iOS apps to iPhone users located in the EU...
iPad And Calculator App Feature

Apple Finally Plans to Release a Calculator App for iPad Later This Year

Tuesday April 23, 2024 9:08 am PDT by
Apple is finally planning a Calculator app for the iPad, over 14 years after launching the device, according to a source familiar with the matter. iPadOS 18 will include a built-in Calculator app for all iPad models that are compatible with the software update, which is expected to be unveiled during the opening keynote of Apple's annual developers conference WWDC on June 10. AppleInsider...
Provenance Emulator

PlayStation and SEGA Emulator for iPhone and Apple TV Coming to App Store [Updated]

Friday April 19, 2024 8:29 am PDT by
The lead developer of the multi-emulator app Provenance has told iMore that his team is working towards releasing the app on the App Store, but he did not provide a timeframe. Provenance is a frontend for many existing emulators, and it would allow iPhone and Apple TV users to emulate games released for a wide variety of classic game consoles, including the original PlayStation, SEGA Genesis,...