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iPhone 5 teeny-tiny dock connector pictured

The new iPhone's dock connector has showed up in a photo, hinting at a minuscule new port.

Luke Westaway Senior editor
Luke Westaway is a senior editor at CNET and writer/ presenter of Adventures in Tech, a thrilling gadget show produced in our London office. Luke's focus is on keeping you in the loop with a mix of video, features, expert opinion and analysis.
Luke Westaway
2 min read

Snaps reportedly showing the iPhone 5's connector hardware have surfaced, hinting at a minuscule 9-pin dock for Apple's next toy.

The snaps appeared at French site Nowhereelse.fr, and show what could be the new connector alongside a USB plug, giving an impression of quite how small the new port is likely to be.

While there's no way of knowing if the snaps are genuine, the gadgetry in the pictures does match recent rumours regarding the iPhone 5's charging gubbins. The connector is reckoned to feature just eight pins compared with the 30 adorning the existing Apple charger, while these snaps would suggest that the connector could be plugged in upside down -- another earlier rumour.

Kyle Wiens of gadget taking-apart-and-putting-back-together-again site iFixit told Macrumours that the surrounding metal frame counts as a grounding pin, which means that technically you're gazing at a 9-pin connector.

A commenter accurately pointed out that the connector looks a lot like another piece of minor Apple technology -- the reinstall drive that comes bundled with the MacBook Air.

The new iPhone is pegged for a 12 September reveal, rumoured to go on sale shortly after. While Apple remains tight-lipped on the subject, a flurry of leaked casings suggest that Cook and company's next toy will feature a taller frame and a 4-inch display.

Those casings played host to a tiny hole on their underbelly, strongly tipping the iPhone 5 to feature miniature charging tech. A larger battery is also on the cards, if other leaked photos can be believed.

What do you want Apple to stick inside its upcoming phone? Tell me in the comments or on our Facebook wall.

Image credit: Nowhereelse.fr

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