Over the past few weeks, we've been covering a few of the recent unofficial Lightning accessories that have been surfacing into the void left by Apple's decision to wait until early November to begin bringing most of its official accessory partners up to speed on the new connector for the iPhone 5, iPad, and iPad mini.

iPhone5mod seems to be one of the fastest-moving companies releasing Lightning accessories without Apple's authorization, having released several cables and working on docks and adapters using the new standard. The company today announced two new Lightning docks for the iPhone 5 that will begin shipping within the next few weeks.

The first is an upgraded Classic Dock that is similar to the one announced last week but which adds a second mounting slot to allow users to prop up their devices in either portrait or landscape mode without being mounted on the charging connector.

iphone5mod classic dock 2
The second is a new iPhone 5 Dock PRO that will be available in both Lightning and micro-USB versions, allowing users to choose which type of cable they wish to run from their computer or power adapter to the dock. The dock also includes a removable slot cover to offer two different sizes of docking slots to accommodate both naked and cased iPhones.

iphone5mod dock pro
iPhone5mod has also already announced improved versions of its standard and lighted Lightning to USB cables, increasing durability and compatibility.

The company also tells us that it is working on several other new docks, including a standalone one for the iPad mini and a universal one for the iPhone and iPad mini, as well as Lightning card readers for the iPhone 5 and iPad mini.

Certainly some users have concerns over purchasing unauthorized accessories, and iPhone5mod's rapid iteration on the already-released cables to improve durability may be a bit disconcerting, but it seems clear that Apple's decision to keep official accessory manufacturers in the dark until well after the launch of Lightning-based products has left a significant market opportunity for companies looking to meet demand from users.

Top Rated Comments

Analog Kid Avatar
142 months ago
The decision to withhold Lightning wasn't a Forstall decision, was it? Why wasn't the exec responsible for this made to walk the plank with the rest?

This is a much bigger mistake than Maps, in my opinion.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mooeymoose Avatar
142 months ago
Perfect. This this the kind of stuff the market needs to hell keep apple in check. While I like a lot of apple products what they charge for accessories is too much.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MOKHAN Avatar
142 months ago
I'm perfectly okay with this. To be honest, I never purchased OEM 30pin sync cables from Apple anyways, I would get the inexpensive third party look-alikes from eBay.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Westside guy Avatar
142 months ago
I'm glad these have come out so quickly. As long as I've looked at a product's review history, I've never had any problem with any of the cheap knock-off versions of Apple connectors before - so I don't expect problems with these either.

This way I can have spare cables at various locations - e.g. car, office, in various bags - without having to take out a third mortgage (the second mortgage was needed for the original hardware purchase :D).
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
oneMadRssn Avatar
142 months ago
And the miscreants who support the pirates deserve to have their devices bricked permanently.

And meanwhile, Apple stock sets new records. If it wasn't for Apple, this country would be in a recession. Do the Fandroid idiots and pirates ever think?
Yes, I do think. I think that I own the hardware I buy, and I can do whatever I like with it. This applies to ALL hardware. Sears can't tell me what kind of nails I can hammer with a Craftsman hammer, Ford can't tell me what type of gas to buy, and neither should Apple tell me what kind of plug I can stick into my phone.

They can void my warrantee, that's fine. Having a good warrantee incentivizes complying with the company policies during the period of the warrantee (and who doesn't love a good incentive). However, you suggest that they should intentionally destroy hardware I own for non-compliance. To say this is absurd and immoral is an understatement. It's flat out disgusting. I own it, end of story. Apple got my money when I bought it, and it's up to me what I do with it afterwards. If they don't feel they got enough the first time, they should charge more the first time. I will not ever feel bad for tampering with my property, and it's fools like you who should do a little bit more thinking.

http://www.theartgalleryofknoxville.com/podcast/powr.broccoli-kopimi.pdf (http://www.theartgalleryofknoxville.com/podcast/powr.broccoli-kopimi.pdf)
See point 007.



Apple made the Lightning specs available on the MFi portal immediately after the iPhone 5 announcement.

I'd been checking daily for weeks prior, and they were there as soon as the announcement was over.
Can anyone else confirm this? If so, it's the first I've heard of it. As far as I know, there is no --official-- pin-out of the lightning cable, nor the chip controlling it, nor the spec of the controller chip.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
oneMadRssn Avatar
142 months ago
Why don't Apple provide a standard dock like they always have.

Apple claims people prefer speaker docks and making standard docks is not worthwhile for them, or something like that.

The real question is: why hasn't apple released a detailed spec allowing legit 3rd party docks (both of the speaker variety and standard chargers) to come to market the day the iphone5 was announced?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Details: Action Button, USB-C Port, Face ID, and More

Wednesday September 27, 2023 1:34 pm PDT by
Significant changes are expected to arrive with Apple's fourth-generation iPhone SE, in terms of both design and hardware, MacRumors has learned. The iPhone SE 4, known internally under the codename Ghost, is expected to receive a new design derived almost entirely from the base model iPhone 14. According to our sources, the iPhone SE 4 will use a modified version of the iPhone 14 chassis...
iOS 17

Apple Releases iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 for All iPhones and iPads

Tuesday September 26, 2023 12:47 pm PDT by
Apple today released iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 updates, with the software coming five days after the releases of iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1. Today's iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 updates arrive as build 21A351 and can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Note that iOS 17.0.2 was previously made available for iPhone...
iOS 17

Everything New in iOS 17.1 Beta 1

Wednesday September 27, 2023 1:57 pm PDT by
Just a week after releasing iOS 17, Apple has seeded the first beta of iOS 17.1 to developers. iOS 17.1 adds some features that Apple promised were coming to iOS 17 in the future, plus it refines and improves some existing features. This guide covers everything new in the first iOS 17.1 beta. Apple Music Favorites You can favorite songs, albums, playlists, and artists in the iOS 17.1...
iPhone 15 Pro lineup

iPhone 15 Pro Overheating Concerns Highlighted in Two More Reports

Thursday September 28, 2023 6:25 am PDT by
iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max overheating concerns continue to make headlines this week, with the topic highlighted by The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg. Both of the reports document anecdotal complaints from customers, and outline potential causes, but it's unclear how many devices are actually affected. Bloomberg said the overheating could be caused or compounded by the iPhone's setup...
iPhone 15 Pro Lineup Feature

Kuo: iPhone 15 Pro Overheating Issues Likely Due to Thermal Compromises, Not 3nm Node

Tuesday September 26, 2023 9:12 am PDT by
Complaints about heat issues with the iPhone 15 Pro models are not related to TSMC's 3-nanometer node that was used for the A17 Pro chip, according to well-respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo says that overheating could be caused by "compromises made in the thermal system design" that allowed Apple to cut down on the weight of the iPhone 15 Pro models. Kuo says that the reduced heat...
iPhone 15 USB C Port Keynote

Some USB-C Power Banks Fail to Work With iPhone 15

Thursday September 28, 2023 2:06 pm PDT by
Apple added a USB-C port to the iPhone 15 lineup this year, allowing it to work with USB-C cables, USB-C power banks, and more. It turns out that some USB-C battery packs are not working properly with Apple's iPhone 15, resulting in charging issues. As highlighted on Reddit and the MacRumors forums, not all existing USB-C power banks can be used with the iPhone 15 models, perhaps due to the...
Mac Gaming

Apple Explains How Game Mode Works in macOS Sonoma

Wednesday September 27, 2023 2:24 am PDT by
In macOS Sonoma, Game Mode prioritizes CPU and GPU performance for gaming purposes on Macs. For those unfamiliar with Game Mode, Apple on Tuesday published a support document providing more information on how to use the new feature. Game Mode optimizes your gaming experience by giving your game the highest priority access to your CPU and GPU, lowering usage for background tasks. And it...