What Apple’s new connector means for iPhone accessories

Apple plans to release a new connector for accessories on the iPhone, iPad, and other devices via its official Made-for-iPhone (MFi) licensing program. Deemed the Ultra Accessory Connector (UAC), the company is planning for this cable to replace the Lightning and USB connectors.

At 2.05 x 4.85 mm at the tip, the connector has eight pins, is slightly less thick than the USB-C, and is half as wide as both the USB-C and Lightning. The device is most similar to the ultra-mini USB connectors that are equipped with proprietary cables with products such as Nikon cameras.

The goal behind the UAC is to save space on the design of the phone, as the Apple Lightning port and USB-C are bigger and similar in size.

What’s likely to happen if Apple switches completely to this new connector is that you may buy a pair of headphones with a UAC port that then connects to the Lightning port on your phone or vice-versa. Additionally, the UAC may solve the problem of the USB-C, Lightning Port, and 3.5-mm dilemma by unveiling a dongle to iOS devices able to do all three.

Apple will still allow third-party manufacturers to produce UAC, USB-A to UAC, and 3.5-mm jacks to UAC cables; headphones with the new connection type will work on several Apple products.

The decision to propose another port option is one in question, especially because the company has faced recent backlash by switching to all USB-C ports on the 2016 MacBook Pro and eliminating the headphone jack on the iPhone 7. Apple hasn’t mentioned using the standard across the board for all peripherals moving forward. However, the Lightning connector was just a spec once, and now it’s the only connection on the iPhone.

While Apple hasn’t released the information directly yet, the best that we can do is watch and wait. However, if the company were to adopt yet another standard cable and rule out all others, the best option may be to purchase wireless headphones. Fortunately, Bluetooth is universal. Another option is to join the Lightning-connected environment Apple has created, with headsets like the Beats X earbuds. The last option, of course, is to start buying Android devices instead.

Source: Tech Radar and 9to5Mac