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08-14-2012, 11:18 AM | |
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Apple overhauling its 30 pin connector
Only Apple..... http://techcrunch.com/2012/08/14/app...8TechCrunch%29 What happens when you change one port? Quite a lot, actually. Apple introduced the 30-pin iPod port on April 28, 2003. That makes the technology – a fairly streamlined solution for 2003 – nine years old and, thanks to the iPhone’s popularity, essentially ubiquitous. Now, however, as news leaks about either a 19- or 9-pin overhaul of the technology, there’s something important to consider: the install base of 30-pin devices is wild and deep and a simple change could create an e-waste problem if not properly handled. To be clear: this new pin layout is coming and it’s coming soon. Whether it arrives in this generation or the next still remains to be seen, the sources I reached out to agreed that the switch was imminent. Apple has sold over approximately 610 million devices with a 30-pin dock connector. There are no hard numbers on iPod dock sales available, but analysts estimate $2 to $3 billion in sales on iPod accessories per year. These are back of the envelope calculations, but assume a fourth of those are $100 docks – some are less, some are much more. That gives us about 5 million docks a year over nine years. That’s 45 million devices in essentially perfect working order that will be partially obsoleted by this move. “Just imagine how many hotel rooms are fitted with alarm clocks that have a 30-pin dock connector,” said Arman Sadeghi, CEO of AllGreenRecycling, an e-waste handler. “Doing away with the 30-pin dock connector without developing any kind of backwards compatibility option would cause millions of pieces of accessories to become obsolete prematurely. Currently, there are tens of thousands of different devices such as chargers, alarm clocks, docking stations and other devices that work with the 30-pin connector. If this connector was replaced, it would cause a slow but very steady flow of those items coming out of use and into the ewaste stream.” In short, Apple would relegate a great number of iPod docks to the scrap heap. Arguably, the vast majority of users, especially users using more expensive docks that connect to home entertainment systems and speakers, would invest in a small adapter that will convert a 30-pin jack to the smaller model, but a fraction of those will relegate those old docks to the junk pile. Once the 30-pin is phased out, however, there’s the secondary problem of obsolete iPods. “The obvious problem will be with people throwing out old accessories but there is another issue as well,” said Sadeghi. “The value of Apple devices with the old connector will drop as well which will cause a large wave of those items entering the eWaste steam as well. iPods and other small devices that people have had for many years will start becoming less desirable in favor of newer versions that will have the same connector as their new iPhone. This effect may, in fact, prove to be a bigger generator of eWaste than the obsolete accessories.” This sort of move isn’t new, but I suspect that this might be the first major mass exodus from one port architecture to another since serial connections gave way to USB and even that move took years to complete. Apple is notorious for railroading users into technologies although they usually pick the tech that eventually proves to be the winner (there’s a reason there weren’t Compact Flash card readers on earlier MacBooks before the addition of the SD card slot.) Where Apple is at fault is in the speed with which they’re going to push this through. They will sell millions of iPhones and millions of adapters, and the new port will also revitalize the stagnant accessories market. But it will also encourage long-time users to “upgrade” their docks to support the new standard (or at least spend $10 on a compatible adapter). It’s also not Apple’s fault that accessory makers hitched their wagon to the Apple star. There was and is a lot of money to be made. But this change will change things considerably and the trash and recycling it will generate is has the potential to be more than impressive. The real impact can be seen as negligible. Docks are made of plastic and a few magnets. In a perfect world those docks would end up at an ewaste location where they will be recycled into new products or they will end up in the garage sale and secondary market, used by millions who just don’t want to or can’t upgrade. But in a world of increasingly scarce resources, it’s an interesting thought exercise to see what a minor change in on port on a popular phone can do to an entire ecosystem of accessories. Apple is lucky that an industry made hardware solely for their devices. Now we’re about to see what happens when that industry – and the consumers who bought into that constellation of accessories – suddenly has to shift direction. |
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09-17-2012, 10:21 PM | #151 | ||
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You are confused, and you're wrong about this. And you even posted misinformation on that blog writer's site. The microUSB adapter that just about all other phones use, including the revered Galaxy SIII looks like this: That's the adapter that everybody is whining about the iPhone 5 not using. But that is a 5 pin adapter. Here's the pinout: 5 pins. Apple lost functionality going down to 8 pins, which was stupid in my opinion. But they still needed more than 5 pins. That's what the author is saying. USB 3 micro does not have 11 pins. What you're likely thinking of is the 10 pin USB 3 Micro B. Which looks like this: That's your 10(11ish?) pin connector. But how many devies currently use that? That's what you're arguing with, but that's not what other devices currently use. And you are also wrong about the amperage part too. MicroUSB like the beloved format everybody wanted, can only transmit 900mA of current. Quote:
The iPad requires 2A of current. MicroUSB does not and cannot provide that, as pointed out above. For reference, the Galaxy SIII requires 700mA. That blog writer made some stupid errors in writing, which has been pointed out, and the author corrected them. But he does have a point about most of that. You should post an apology on that poor guy's site for hammering on him.
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09-17-2012, 11:14 PM | #152 | |
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There was NO REASON for Apple to go with a proprietary connector. PERIOD. Need more pins? Use SuperSpeed micro-b. (and get 2 extra pins for the trouble) And you are DEAD wrong on amperage. My touchpad pulls 2.2A.. over an OLD USB connector. So, once again you have NO CLUE what you are talking about. The problem is getting the power WHILE also communicating. Which USB3.0 (micro-b) will let you do at 1.5A. Plenty. And why even bring up the iPad? it doesn't use the new connector yet so claiming it will need some theoretical amperage is dumb, they could easily set the next model to take in 1.5 while communicating and more when only charging. You seem to confuse me with those saying it should be the old USB connector. Nope. Use the NEW standard (if you have to) and you'd still be backward compatible with only slight loss of functionality. Instead they introduce an unnecessary proprietary connector. You can NOT find a technical reason (besides reversibility) that makes sense. Sorry, it just doesn't exist. |
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09-17-2012, 11:23 PM | #153 | ||
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5 Gbit/s - check charge at 1.5A (with plug/play communication) - check max at 5A - check ...btw you didn't see many devices jump to use the new connector because they simply don't need the extra bandwidth. If Apple HAS to have more pins.. the standard has been out there for 4 years... use it. |
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09-17-2012, 11:26 PM | #154 |
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And since you clearly need the technical help.. it's 10 pins + shield which (for those of us with more knowledge of the subject) equals 11 pins.
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09-17-2012, 11:35 PM | #155 | |
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What do you have?
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09-17-2012, 11:46 PM | #156 | ||||
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You were confusing 5 pin microUSB with 10pin microUSB B through the entire thread. Quote:
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I bring up the iPad, because it cannot be charged by being plugged into a computer's USB port. Because it requires too much amperage. It can only charge when you plug the USB port into the iPad wall charger, which doubles up unused pins to use for increased amps. That's the only way it can currently charge. The next iPad will use the Lightning adapter as well. Apple wanted to consolidate the adapters and have Lightning be the future. As stupid as I think that is, they couldn't have used MicroUSB if they wanted to consolidate. And MicroUSB 3 vB would be no different than switching to Lightning.
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09-17-2012, 11:52 PM | #157 | |
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09-18-2012, 12:01 AM | #158 | ||
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AND YES if Apple needs a new connector then use the STANDARD that everyone else will be using and is compatible with the old STANDARD connector as well. I have no problem with them changing connectors. I have never said otherwise. I have a problem that they didn't adopt a STANDARD one instead of another proprietary piece of shit. No TECHNICAL reason for them not to. Quote:
And you end by making NO SENSE whatsoever. WHY exactly could they not use USB 3.0 micro-B for the new phone and the next iPad? They could pull 1.5A to charge while plugged into a computer and 5A from the wall. The form factor is small/thin enough... and it has enough of your oh so valuable pins. So in short... we agree that it is fine for Apple to change form factors after 10 years. No problem there. We agree that Apple users will bitch about it no matter what and they'll just have to deal. Where you seem to be getting STUCK is that you are making excuses for them NOT adopting an established standard(USB 3.0 micro-b) when there is NO TECHNICAL excuse out there. FAIL. |
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09-18-2012, 12:04 AM | #159 | |
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AND you are dead wrong. People are outraged at yet another proprietary connector. If Apple had brought out a micro-b connector.. you'd still get outrage from some.. but many would point out A)it's a standard, even if you may not be familiar with it yet and B)it's backwards compatible with existing cables/devices/etc (although of course you'd lose some functionality or speed... which is funny because that is EXACTLY what is happening with the new connector anyway) Maybe I'm wrong and Apple users are so stupid that I'm misreading their outrage. If so, sorry, I gave them the benefit of the doubt as well. |
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09-18-2012, 12:11 AM | #160 | ||
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I would have had no problems seeing them switch to the 11 pin USB3 connector. That's not my argument. That would have been better than what they chose.
But you posted on that guy's blog the following: Quote:
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Whatever man. This is getting stupid.
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09-18-2012, 12:18 AM | #161 | |
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To say.. "well you can't use a standard because it's not good enough" and then quote a full revision back (over 4 years past being the current standard) is misleading (AT BEST). He should have FIRST educated himself on the subject then SECOND educated his readers. He did neither and got his ass jumped. Now more people will know he is talking out of his ass and should be taken with a grain of salt. AND fact is he was just completely wrong on charging specs, regardless of connector. |
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09-18-2012, 12:20 AM | #162 |
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And here we agree. They picked a proprietary adapter for NO TECHNICAL reasons. It's a money grab. If they pull it off, it makes sense financially. BUT they risk pissing people off who know better... AND Europe is really not gonna like it. (They are huge on USB.. pretty sure it's law.. no joke)
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09-18-2012, 12:30 AM | #163 | ||
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You jumped him for something he admitted ignorance to.
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09-18-2012, 12:36 AM | #164 | |
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#2 I'M not confusing anything. Yes, I shouldn't have assumed everyone would keep up... I could have made it clearer... but a lot of this is stuff I just assume people in tech should know. Yes he admitted he didn't mention USB3... my point is that he should have. He clearly just doesn't know his shit and it shows. #3 I would give him a pass on charging but some of what he posted and never corrected is just flat out wrong and obviously just misread crap from wikipedia. He goes back and corrects that and he gets a pass. |
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09-18-2012, 12:44 AM | #165 |
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In the same way that the Apple connector is a 9 pin.... Tip ground.....
It's too bad Apple is arrogant and tries to influence tech that other people already developed, to "better" it for their own illogical manners . I'm not denying that. But Apple Lightning is much smaller than 11pin USB3, and they knew they could get away with it. Ehh.
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