Last updated April 12, 2019
Some electronics products engender more enthusiasm and loyalty than others do. In the case of Apple’s iPhone, the user base is so dedicated that newly released units typically sell out on launch day. It remains to be seen if the next iteration of the iPhone will be as successful, but predictions are already rife concerning changes that consumers may or may not see in the interface.
According to financial news service Reuters, one of the changes that iPhone users can expect to see is a new type of dock connection. The iPhone for the past decade or so has been using a 30-pin dock connector. Anonymous sources that claim to be ‘in the know’, however, are insisting that the new iPhone will both charge and sync through a 19-pin connector. Reportedly, the goal of the change is to allow for more room at the bottom of the unit so that the earphone connection can be moved there.
Critics of such a change are quick to point out that it will make literally thousands of current accessories unusable with the new iPhone. This could be highly profitable for Apple, but hugely inconvenient for consumers. There is some potential, in fact, that it could lead to a backlash against the company, cutting into anticipated profits for the new iPhone.
Those who make a change and need to sell iPhone handsets that are considered obsolete should consider recycling them online: an option that can generate a bit of cash even as it helps the environment.