

New iPhone dock connector  (Source:






Source: Tech Crunch

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RE: Micro-usb
By nafhan on 6/21/2012 3:47:47 PM , Rating: 2
The micro USB3 connector solves none of those issues because it has no analog hardware and would require a dongle that is more expensive than a simple passthrough to convert digital to analog; instead of a $29 dongle it will be a $99 dollar dongle to convert digital to analog.
In addition to being rude, you seem to be incapable of proper reading comprehension (although, both are more funny than insulting). I specifically said something about this. However, since you're bringing up prices, USB -> 3.5mm headphone converters can be had for $5 on Amazon, and real USB sound cards can be found starting a little above the $20 range (although, the nice ones with volume control and stuff are like $50). Basically, adding analog audio to micro USB3 to 30 pin adapter wouldn't cost much.

Considering that Apple DOES sell simple pass through adapters for about $30, and they have incentive to encourage everyone to move away from the old 30 pin, $99 is a reasonable guess. However, my guess is $50-$60 as that's around the price of the active Thunderbolt adapters.
So even if you discount technical concerns, there are several significant technical concerns Apple has to deal with including the price of the dongles.
I think I know what you're trying to say here... and I'll go ahead and say you've just given a great example of why you're wrong: you feel like $30 is a reasonable price for a 19 pin pass through cable. Apple would be able to sell an active adapter at a price where they could make money, and very few users of their products would complain.

Again, they're not going to use USB3 anyway, it'll be similar, yet proprietary. The extra pins (19 instead of 11?) may even be to carry analog audio. I was merely listing a possible alternative that WOULD work, without being prohibitively expensive, while providing a full digital path and backwards compatibility.

RE: Micro-usb
By michael2k on 6/21/2012 5:24:17 PM , Rating: 2
How am I being rude?

Anyway, Dell does sell a $55 USB to VGA adapter:
(USB to VGA)

Couple that with a $90 VGA to composite/component adapter:
(High Resolution VGA to Composite / S-Video Converter)

Miniaturize it into an inline cable, cut the price in half, throw in Apple's margin, and you've got your $99 cable.

It's not like I'm making this up.

RE: Micro-usb
By nafhan on 6/21/2012 7:22:17 PM , Rating: 2
Since you'd only need to do a single level of conversion... it'd probably be something pretty similar to that USB to VGA adapter - probably a single chip, even. I also think Apple could price it however they want, and that price would have more to do with how much they want people to move away from the 30 pin vs. how much they want to avoid pissing people with lots of 30 pin peripherals off, than anything else.

Also, sorry if mistook your (sarcastic?) "duh" as rudeness, when it wasn't. Text: not the best way to concisely portray emotion :)

RE: Micro-usb
By michael2k on 6/21/2012 7:50:45 PM , Rating: 2
Ah, yes, I can see that VGA carries the same data as component video. It is composite (and specifical PAL/NTSC/SECAM) that requires a little bit of extra work.

So on top of the USB, you now need approximately a $50 dongle-cable to convert it, which is no different than the dock->composite or dock->component or dock->VGA you already have today.

The difference is that, if Apple uses USB, everyone would need to buy new cables, instead of a $30 dock adapter to make the new dock compatible with the old dock.

RE: Micro-usb
By nafhan on 6/21/2012 11:17:54 PM , Rating: 2
You're still not getting it. If Apple went with micro USB3, the cable/adapter would contain an ASIC that would output the same exact signals as the current 30 pin connector... with a 30 pin connector. You'd have USB3 on one end and 30 pin on the other. That's it.
I'm not seeing where you're going with that. Everyone who upgrades to a new iDevice will need to buy new cables or a dock adapter (they'll probably get one cable for free). In my hypothetical situation those cables and connectors would be industry standard instead of proprietary. That's the only thing that would be different.

RE: Micro-usb
By michael2k on 6/21/2012 11:29:14 PM , Rating: 2
Oh, I see, instead of a $10 provided dock to USB cable, which all iPhones already ship with, you want a USB port and a straight USB cable, forcing people to buy a $60 USB to Dock adapter as opposed to a $30 Dock to Dock pass through.

RE: Micro-usb

RE: Micro-usb
You can if you're dropping unused pins.

You can see several redundant unnecessary pins:





Apple has stopped supporting Firewire since the 3G:

RE: Micro-usb


RE: Micro-usb
4 pins for power and ground, 4 pins for data.


RE: Micro-usb


