Published: 2 August, 2012
The iPhone 5 rumours just won't stop coming and the latest one to emerge this week is that the new smaller dock connector will have less pins than previously thought. According to iLounge and two of its sources instead of the 19 or 16-pin dock that's been hitting the headlines recently the shrunken dock will only feature 8 pins.
Previous reports of the 19 and 16-pin connectors were sparked by a patent that it was discovered Apple had filed and leaked images of the new device which pictured a smaller port on the device. While 19 or 16 pins is a significant drop from the current 30-pin connector 8 pins seems more inline with the size of the port seen in the images. It has been speculated that the middle-size of the connector could be used as some kind of converter between the old dock connector and the new.
Apple's apparent decision to ditch the old dock has caused some concern among fans who own accessories which use the old system. However there's no denying the 30-pin dock is looking a little chunky now compared to the microUSB ports on rival smartphones and it seems only like a natural evolution that it should be made smaller.
As well as the new dock there's another interesting if less major addition that's rumoured to be coming to the latest version of Apple's handset. This will be a feature of iOS 6 that's compatible with Bluetooth 4 devices and creates a bridge between two Apple products. Supposedly devices like an iPhone and an iPod nano could communicate with each other allowing messages from the iPhone to be displayed on the nano and even for calls to be started from the smaller device.
As iLounge points out this idea sounds similar to one used by HP's TouchPad though apparently it's going to be "more broadly and deeply executed by Apple". Still the similarities can't be denied and if it does turn out to be true it might be a good time for HP to get in on some Apple vs Samsung-style legal action.