- iPhone 5 will use a 19-pin connector instead of 30-pin, according to reports
- Change means that all current iPhone accessories must be replaced
- New connector could allow phone to be thinner and enable magnetic cable
Loyal Apple customers face being left with hundreds of pounds worth of obsolete accessories when the next version of the iPhone is produced.
The fifth generation model, expected to be launched in the US this autumn, will reportedly use a new connector for charging and for linking to audio equipment.
The rumoured proposal has sparked alarm among the company’s followers who fear they will have to buy new equipment to work with the phone.
This picture is believed to show a prototype case for the new iPhone (right), with its new connector design which is set to make every existing accessory completely obsolete
Old and new: The current iPhone is shown with the prototype of the iPhone 5's outer casing
Docking stations, which play music stored on iPhones and can cost hundreds of pounds, may become redundant as will chargers. All iPhones made so far use a 30-pin connector both for power and to plug in accessories.
It is claimed that the iPhone 5 will use a smaller 19-pin version, which will be incompatible with existing accessories.
Leaked pictures apparently showing the handset reveal a smaller, rounder connector. It is thought that it could have been designed to allow for a slimmer iPhone or for a switch to charging by magnets rather than pins.
TechCrunch, an American technology blog, said it had confirmed the change by speaking to three separate manufacturers. Apple has made no comment on the rumours. The Californian-based firm’s British customers expressed their dismay last night.
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| The $850 Bang & Olufsen BeoSound 8 is designed to work with the current iPhone's design |
Another reader, Ross, wrote: ‘How much more – my iPad2 32GB is not a year old yet but in Apple’s eyes it’s old already. They are ripping us off – change, change, change. How to keep up? As soon as you buy it’s out of date in five months, it’s becoming a joke.’
THE IPHONE ACCESSORIES WHICH COULD BECOME OBSOLETE
Bang & Olufsen BeoSound 8 - $850
Bose Sounddock 10 - $600
B&W Zeppelin mini speaker - $300
Others, however, were confident that an adapter would be available to enable the next generation iPhone to link to existing accessories.
Sirio Brozzi, of the US website Awesome Robo, said: ‘People are stunned by this possibility, myself included. Why fix something that’s not broken?’
Answering his own question, he added: ‘Have you guys ever heard of planned obsolescence? It’s a practice which encourages planning and designing a product so it’s only useful for a limited time, before becoming obsolete.’ Robert Scoble, another blogger, said the move would give Apple tighter control over accessory makers.
‘It will be nearly impossible to make unlicensed devices,’ he wrote.
Obsolete: The B&W Zeppelin speaker, left, and the Bose Sounddock 10, right, are other pricey gadgets which will have to be upgraded before they will work with the iPhone 5
‘Unfortunately these design goals mean making obsolete the something like ten power chargers in my home.’
Apple advertised for staff to work on the new connector earlier this year. It was seeking an engineer ‘responsible for identifying appropriate connection technology requirements for new products and follow through with selection and development of suitable interconnect products’.
The advertisement added: ‘This will often involve adaptation of existing connectors or complete new designs.’
The new model is expected to have a larger 4-inch screen that will reputedly offer better resolution viewing than a high definition TV.
It will include Apple’s new mapping software. This has sparked privacy fears as it uses aerial photography capable of showing detail just four inches across.
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