Apple outs iPhone micro USB adaptor
Euro-standard power feed
It's not only the iPhone 4S that will ship on 14 October - so too will Apple's long-promised dock-to-micro-USB adaptor.
Punters eager to "use third-party micro USB cables and chargers to sync or charge your iPhone" will be able to do so for a mere consideration of £8.
Apple promised in February 2011 that it would add micro USB compatibility to the iPhone during the course of the year.
Its pledge followed a European Commission scheme to establish micro USB as a standard form of charger interface for smartphones, the better to ensure fewer chargers need ship, resulting in less electronics waste. ®
COMMENTS
You can do everything with USB
Everything you can do with the proprietary Apple Dock Connector, can already be done with microUSB.
The difference is, Apple can't claim income (licensing fees) from microUSB as they do now with their proprietary Dock Connector, nor would Apple be able to maintain their iron grip on what third party products are permitted to interface with their iDevices.
It's not about the end user, convenience and flexibility. As usual, it's about Apple maintaining control and increasing revenue (heck, they even get to charge you £8 for another adaptor you shouldn't really need in the first place!)
Only a fanboi would attempt to argue differently.
"I've got 5 micro USB chargers sitting in my drawers, what am I supposed to do with them?"
Dunno. Maybe a hemorrhoid cushion will alleviate the discomfort?
"to ensure fewer chargers need ship"
One still ships with every mobe, regardless of whether it needs to. I'm all in favour of standardisation in this area, but if it's to have any real effect, chargers should stop shipping with new phones by default, and be bought separate instead. I've got 5 micro USB chargers sitting in my drawers, what am I supposed to do with them?
But does it suffer from RAM pack wobble?
No doubt the press release says stuff like "it's wonderful" and "we appreciate everyone who has waited patiently while we’ve worked to get every detail right"... What other phones offer built-in and standard since before the iPhone 4 was launched, Apple has managed to turn into yet another way to fleece a bit more money out of their cult members.
