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Rumored Apple dock connector may match size of Micro-USB

The smaller 9-pin connector that will reportedly grace the new iPhone is about the same size as a Micro-USB plug, claims a French blogging site.

Lance Whitney Contributing Writer
Lance Whitney is a freelance technology writer and trainer and a former IT professional. He's written for Time, CNET, PCMag, and several other publications. He's the author of two tech books--one on Windows and another on LinkedIn.
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Apple's alleged new sync plug for the iPhone. NowhereElse.fr

The iPhone 5's much-rumored new dock connector is as small as a Micro-USB plug, at least according to French tech blog site NowhereElse.fr (English translation).

Photos of a Micro-USB cable and photos of the new dock connector cable supplied by an anonymous source to the French site show the similarities between the two, most notably in size.

Rumors have floated over the past few months that Apple would reduce the size of the current 30-pin connector used on the iPhone, iPad, and iPod. Initial reports said the new size would use 19 pins, but later reports pointed to an 8-pin or 9-pin connector.

The photos displayed by NowhereElse.fr show eight visible pins with the shell itself serving as a ninth contact. The new layout would boast at least one benefit over Apple's current connector. The cable could be plugged into a device in either orientation, so that users don't have to struggle to figure out which way to connect it.

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The smaller dock connector will reportedly appear not just on the new iPhone but on future devices, including the next iPad.

Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 5 at a launch event this Wednesday.

(Via AppleInsider)