Count Again: The iPhone 5’s 8-Pin Dock Connector Really Has 9-Pins

Will the next iPhone have an 8 pin or 9 pin dock connector? The iOS 6 beta says 9, but if you count the pins on the leaked dock components, there are only 8. Which is correct? Both: according to a new report, the new dock connector’s aluminum shell teams up with the 8 gold pins to make a ninth pin, resulting in 60% less real estate than the existing 30-pin connector, and better transfer rates with a fraction of the electrical contacts.

AppleInsider reports:

They say the 8 gold contacts seen on one side of the male plug in recently leaked photos of the connector are simply repeated on the flip side. They’re reportedly joined by the surrounding aluminum-colored metal shell of the connector, which will similarly serve as a functional contact, bringing the total number of pins to 9.

[…] “The beauty of this connector is that it no longer matters which side is up when you insert it into the phone,” one of those people explained. “It’s like MagSafe on the [MacBook] – every orientation is the correct one.”

The number of pins on the new dock connector has been a subject of debate since a purported iPhone 5 shell leaked online with a significantly smaller cutout at the base of the device. Some reports have suggested the “mini dock” connector will feature 19 pins, while others have said 16, 9, and 8.

However, mentions of a “9pin” connector in Apple’s latest iOS 6 beta seem to have put that speculation to bed. Coupled with the information from this latest report, it would appear there’s no longer any question about a 9-pin connector.

Apple is expected to release an adapter for the new dock connector — much like its MagSafe to MagSafe 2 adapter — which will allow users to use their existing accessories with the new iPhone and future iOS devices.

Source: AppleInsider