The Lightning connector may soon get replaced as the go-to port on Made for iPhone devices, according to a new report that reveals Apple is currently working on an even smaller connector.
Apple’s tiny new connector is called the Ultra Accessory Connector, or UAC for short, and will soon be used by iPhone and iPad accessory makers, allowing them to save space by ditching Lightning and USB-C.
The new UAC standard was recently launched as a developer preview, reports 9to5Mac, which says in some cases the new connector will replace Lightning and USB for charging, audio and data connections.
The Ultra Accessory Connector
Apple’s tiny connector supposedly sports a similar shape as the ultra mini USB connectors that come with cameras and other accessories. The UAC will feature 8 pins and come in a form factor that’s slightly thinner than USB-C — and about half the width of Lightning.
Measuring just 2.05mm by 4.85mm at the tip, UAC will mostly be used on headphone cables. Accessory manufacturers will be allowed to make Lightning to UAC, USB-A to UAC, and 3.5mm headset jacks to UAC. This would allow headphones with a UAC port to connect to multiple Apple devices, now that the company has killed the headphone jack.
The port will most likely be built into Beats headphones and other accessories. It’s unclear if Apple plans to expand the use of the port to other products like the iPhone.
Buster Hein is a freelance writer who lives in Phoenix, Arizona. Twitter: @bst3r.
9 responses to “Apple’s next connector might be smaller than Lightning”
How about induction like the iPad Pro’s little magnetic dots.
I’ve earned 104000 bucks in 2016 by working from my house and I manage to earn that much by working in my own time for 3+ h daily. I followed an earning opportunity I came across from company that i found online and I am so amazed that i made so much money. It’s really user friendly and I am just so blessed that I found out about it. Check out what I do… STATICTAB.COM/gptmadp
I was paid 104 thousand bucks last year by doing an online job at home and I manage that by working part-time for few h a day. I used a business model I was introduced by this website i found online and I am amazed that i was able to make so much extra income. It’s so user friendly and I am just so thankful that i found it. Here’s what I did… STATICTAB.COM/gptmadp
It’s not a new connector
theverge .com/2017/2/6/14524972/apple-ultra-accessory-connector-uac-made-for-iphone-headphones
STOP IT!
Cook is ruining Apple. What the hell ever happened to “design standards”?
It’s not cooks fault per se. But there is no one with a perfectionist streak big enough to be heard. The UI in iOS 10 is terrible in places. Buttons overlapping and don’t get me started on how many years rotation has been broken on the iPad. We need forstall back.
More fragile too.
I love Apple but its connector strategy is random and unstable. The latest macbooks have been stripped of all connectors and replaced with one or two USB-C ports, the iPhone lost 3.5mm audio.
If you have invested into the Apple ecosystem, all the money spent on adapters and or peripherals is is worthless. I have an i7 Macbook Air that cost over $2k for which I’ve bought all kinds of adapters including an Apple USB to Ethernet (which I later found was only 100 baseT yet cost $30).
I wouldn’t buy the current line MacBooks or iPhone 7. It would be stupid to continue buying into an ecosystem that you can’t count will be supported.
Every time I see someone at the store looking to buy a MacBook I have to keep myself from warning them to stay away from the current Apple products.