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iPhone 5 will launch with 19-pin Dock connector, report says

The company's current iPhones have a 30-pin port. The smaller connector will make room for the headphone jack on the bottom of the device.

Don Reisinger
CNET contributor Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has covered everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Besides his work with CNET, Don's work has been featured in a variety of other publications including PC World and a host of Ziff-Davis publications.
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Apple's next iPhone will come with a smaller Dock connector port, according to a new report.

Although Apple's current mobile devices, including the iPhone and iPad, come with a 30-pin port, the new iPhone will sport a 19-pin connector, Reuters is reporting today, citing sources. The switch will help Apple make room on the bottom of the handset for a headphone jack. The headphone jack currently sits at the top of Apple's iPhones.

Reuters' report on Apple's Dock connector is just the latest in a string of rumors surrounding Apple's plans for that port. Over the last few months, an increasing number of reports have cropped up, saying that Apple will be ditching the 30-pin connector for a smaller, 19-pin option.

Back in May, for example, Apple site iLounge reported, citing sources, that the new connector is "closer to a pill shape." In addition, the site said that the connector will be available on all future mobile devices Apple launches.

For its part, Apple hasn't commented on its plans for a new Dock connector, but CNET has contacted the company for comment on the Reuters report and will update this story when we have more information.

If Apple does, in fact, decide to launch a new Dock connector in the iPhone 5, its latest handset would, out of the box, seemingly be incompatible with the many accessories that connect to its devices with a 30-pin connector. Whether Apple will offer up an adapter to ensure legacy products still work with its products remains to be seen.

Watch this: The latest iPhone 5 rumors