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Apple Keeping Tight Control Over Lightning Connector, Requiring Approval of Third-Party Factories

Wednesday October 3, 2012 7:46 am PDT by Eric Slivka
iLounge reports that Apple is continuing to keep strict control over its new Lightning connector found on the iPhone 5, moving to tighten its Made For iPad/iPhone/iPod (MFi) program policies for accessory manufacturers relative to the previous 30-pin dock connector design. According to the report, Apple is demanding that all MFi vendors seeking to launch Lightning-related accessories manufacture the products in Apple-approved facilities, but the company has yet to approve any such plants.
One source notes that Apple is planning an MFi “seminar,” where it will discuss changes to the program and the rules for Lightning accessory development going forward. The seminar will be held in November in China, notes the source, after the point at which third-party Lightning accessories could be manufactured in time for holiday sale. Sources have further noted that the Lightning connector has proved difficult to copy, reducing the near-term likelihood of unauthorized third-party connector cables.

Apple's Lightning connector uses adaptive technology to permit a significant range of functionality with only eight contact pins, sensing what kinds of devices are being connected and dynamically assigning the pin functionalities needed for a given pairing. This dynamic assignment requires controller chips embedded in the Lightning connector cable, chips that have stymied third-party companies seeking to get a jump on the Lightning accessory market.

Tag: ilounge.com
[ 191 comments ]


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troop231
85 months ago

Sure you did......:rolleyes:


Actually I did :rolleyes: Have you not heard of the process of soldering?

Rating: 54 Votes
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napabar
85 months ago

All this nonsense and they could have just used microusb with MHL support and had all the functions this new dock connector has.


Absolutely wrong. Thank you for playing anyway.....
Rating: 39 Votes
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adildacoolset
85 months ago

All this nonsense and they could have just used microusb with MHL support and had all the functions this new dock connector has.


MicroUSB only has two pins for data. The dock connector has many more. Understand that.
Rating: 32 Votes
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kas23
85 months ago
This is getting ridiculous. Just let the manufacturers start making the accessories so we can use our phones in our cars. Or, better yet, how about releasing the adaptor already? Maybe Apple itself needs a seminar on how to successfully accomplish transitions because they are failing miserably in this regard.
Rating: 28 Votes
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Tastic Bycrom
85 months ago

Actually I did :rolleyes: Have you not heard of the process of soldering?


Cool, but dumb question: was there a need for a skinny long cable or could you have just brought a USB extension cable?
Rating: 24 Votes
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avonord
85 months ago

Actually I did :rolleyes: Have you not heard of the process of soldering?


LOL.... I fail to see the benefit vs getting a USB male-to-female extension cable.
Rating: 20 Votes
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wlossw
85 months ago
I just bought a second cable, and plugged it into the 12-volt USB adapter I already owned. Presto car charger.:rolleyes:
Rating: 18 Votes
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dlastmango
85 months ago
Power only?

I just want a cheap recharge/power only cable!
Rating: 16 Votes
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ArchAndroid
85 months ago
Customer says:

I just want a cheap recharge/power only cable!


Apple interprets this as:

I just want a unique cable which changes the charging paradigm for the better and I'm willing to personally invest endless funds into seeing this proprietary item come to fruition! Please make this next connector a game changer and please artificially lock the product so that we have to pay your questionable markups as there is no other alternative.


:apple:
Rating: 16 Votes
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tito2020
85 months ago

Actually I did :rolleyes: Have you not heard of the process of soldering?


I would has used white tape :)
Rating: 15 Votes

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