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Apple to adopt micro-USB for charging

Brad Sams   on 29 June 2009 - 12:41 · 43 comments & 7700 views

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A large conglomerate of mega corps has backed the European Commission to support a standard of micro-USB connection for charging. The biggest surprise here is that Apple is joining in the support which means that they too will also adopt micro-USB for charging in their wireless devices.

For any other company this wouldn't mean much but because Apple has used the same port design since its iPod inception this could have a wide scale affect on its consumers.

Imagine that you bought an iPhone, a Bose radio with an iPod dock connector, your car has built in support for the connection and Apple changes its port design and all of your devices become incompatible with future products. It's a scenario that could take place if Apple changes from the iPod dock connector to strictly micro-usb leaving millions of 3rd party products incompatible.

It remains to be seen how Apple will implement the charging port as they could solely use the USB port for charging while leaving the standard Apple port for syncing or both. That scenario seems unlikely though as Apple tends to stick to a minimalist design and adding and extra port would take away from that products design. How this unfolds will be interesting for Apple customers and potential customers worldwide.

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(7 replies) #1 Brandon on 29 Jun 2009 - 13:01
Apple conforming... Did hell just freeze over?
#1.1 Eddo89 on 29 Jun 2009 - 13:07
Well, Eagles got together again, so I guess hell froze over once before.

I think it would be more like Apple being give by the cold shoulder (or a literal shoulder charge) by the EU and their Anti-Trust or whatever Anti they got this time...
#1.2 FloatingFatMan on 29 Jun 2009 - 13:16
Brandon said,
Apple conforming... Did hell just freeze over?


Time to unpack the heated underwear!
#1.3 ir0nw0lf on 29 Jun 2009 - 13:40
FloatingFatMan said,
Time to unpack the heated underwear!

Just don't overvolt the underwear!
#1.4 bobbba on 29 Jun 2009 - 13:52
EU at it's best
#1.5 M_Lyons10 on 29 Jun 2009 - 15:20
hahaha This sure surprised me... I would love a standard plug, but expected Apple to be the LAST company to back such a measure...
#1.6 highonsnow on 29 Jun 2009 - 16:39
bobbba said,
EU at it's best


Who wants to have a mountain of different chargers when we could just have had one from the very start? This is a practical solution that should have been enforced years ago
#1.7 JoeC on 29 Jun 2009 - 19:41
He might not have been being sarcastic, this really is a good thing to come from the EU.
(2 replies) #2 kinetix63 on 29 Jun 2009 - 13:05
I'm sure Apple wouldn't have done this without thinking of the consequences first. They'll probably ship their new devices with a MicroUSB -> iPod Dock converter that will clip on the bottom of a device.
#2.1 bdsams on 29 Jun 2009 - 13:10
for 29.99 of course
#2.2 Conjor on 29 Jun 2009 - 14:13
or 39.99 for the S edition, with 8 GB more ram, plus shipping
(2 replies) #3 Sadelwo on 29 Jun 2009 - 13:06
Now if nokia would follow suit.
#3.1 mrmckeb on 29 Jun 2009 - 13:08
They have.
#3.2 Taomyn on 29 Jun 2009 - 13:13
Yes, plus they supply an adapter with their new models that allows their old 2mm connector to be used, so if you've just upgraded from another Nokia, you have an extra charger. I don't see Apple ever doing this themselves.

I've also bought myself a bunch of mini-2-micro USB adapters so I can still make use of my old chargers and cables.
(2 replies) #4 +Phantom Helix™ on 29 Jun 2009 - 13:06
i will bet $1,000 here today right now, that it will be a small adapter that plugs into the current dock connector slot and at the very bottom it has the micro-USB slot.
either that or it will just to the side of the regular dock connector, no way will they remove the current
#4.1 Raa on 29 Jun 2009 - 14:26
You're on.
#4.2 +TCLN Ryster on 29 Jun 2009 - 23:11
They'll probably release something like that for current owners, but I wouldn't be surprised to see a micro-usb connector appearing on future models of phones/ipods alongside the standard dock connector. Micro-USB is tiny and wouldn't detract very much from the design.
#5 Nightkrawler on 29 Jun 2009 - 13:08
i wouldn't be surprised if they just add an additional "dock connector to micro-usb adapter" option for 20€ extra
#6 mrmckeb on 29 Jun 2009 - 13:08
So 90% of companies comply, and you complain because Apple has joined them? What about the connectors of other companies... they also have accessories.

And there is a 99% chance that Apple will simply supply an adapter (for around USD$30).

Get off your Apple-loving life-raft and start swimming in the same waters as the rest of us.
#7 i4get on 29 Jun 2009 - 13:18
Apple will simply add a micro usb port, not replace the dock connector with it.
They made a whole point of having peripherals in the last keynote, they're never going to give up on the dock connector.
(2 replies) #8 +kraized on 29 Jun 2009 - 13:18
Pfft. Charging devices by errm a cable? So old hat. Induction charging is where its at.
#8.1 carmatic on 29 Jun 2009 - 16:40
maybe thats why apple wont need to worry about needing an extra proprietary connector anymore
#8.2 +TCLN Ryster on 29 Jun 2009 - 23:13
Induction charging is actually pretty cool. My toothbrush has it. Theres no openings or metal contacts on the brush at all. You just rest it on the dock and it charges up through magnetic induction from the base station. Very clever really.

I want one of those mag-charge pads you can buy for your desk. You then just put compatible devices on your desk to charge up.
#9 Beastage on 29 Jun 2009 - 13:21
Will this end up like Apple adoption of the displayport? which they turned into mini display port, giving their happy users the option to pay for an adapter that gives corruption on many brands of DisplayPort LCDs.
(2 replies) #10 xfodder on 29 Jun 2009 - 13:31
the iPod has not always had a dock connector ... its used to have an ugly ass firewire port on the top ...
#10.1 roadwarrior on 29 Jun 2009 - 14:13
That "ugly ass firewire port" actually gave better transfer speeds than the current USB 2.0 docking port. And I was wondering if anyone was going to point out that error in the article.
#10.2 .Neo on 29 Jun 2009 - 15:24
The Dock Connector used to be both FireWire and USB 2.0. My iPod 4g with Dock Connector was connected to my Mac with FireWire 400. Apple axed it with the release of the iPod nano and 5g.
(1 reply) #11 njlouch on 29 Jun 2009 - 14:05
For any other company this wouldn't mean much but because Apple has used the same port design since its iPod inception this could have a wide scale affect on its consumers.


Oh sod off. Sony Ericsson have had the same connector for much longer than Apple.
#11.1 eAi on 30 Jun 2009 - 22:47
Really? My old T630 has a small squarish power connector, while the newer one a friend has is about twice as wide...
(3 replies) #12 Pabs(Sco) on 29 Jun 2009 - 14:52
Is it just me, or could apple just simply add mini-usb and still keep their propriotory connection?

Would be the simplest answer :-/
#12.1 .Neo on 29 Jun 2009 - 15:25
They won't.
#12.2 Rudy on 29 Jun 2009 - 15:25
no because it wouldn't look as good
#12.3 +TCLN Ryster on 29 Jun 2009 - 23:17
Rudy said,
no because it wouldn't look as good

Yes, but the change in looks would be negligible. Micro-USB is tiny.
#13 J400uk on 29 Jun 2009 - 15:36
Seems fairly obvious to me, they will simply suply an adaptor to convert the dock connector to mini-usb for charging
#14 GEIST on 29 Jun 2009 - 16:04
Oh wow, a common sense move by Apple that actually benefits people, I'm jizzing my pants. And it only took them too many years too long!
#15 ZeroHour on 29 Jun 2009 - 16:21
Apples adapter will have the miniusb to charge but I also bet Apple will have the chip that makes the plug a valid apple approved device forcing users to use apple chargers for apple devices but allow apple chargers to charge ANY miniusb device as well.
#16 ]SK[ on 29 Jun 2009 - 16:49
Should have been done from the start. There's too many devices now though that make use of the dock connector imo.
(1 reply) #17 kaborka on 29 Jun 2009 - 17:21
Anybody know if existing devices with mini-USB are guaranteed to have the same pinout and voltages? I've got a wall plugin charger for my Moto phone and a car adapter for my Magellan GPS, but I haven't dared risk using the latter to charge my phone in the car.
#17.1 dragon2611 on 29 Jun 2009 - 19:06
kaborka said,
Anybody know if existing devices with mini-USB are guaranteed to have the same pinout and voltages? I've got a wall plugin charger for my Moto phone and a car adapter for my Magellan GPS, but I haven't dared risk using the latter to charge my phone in the car.



If both devices are following the USB standard correctly then It should be 5v @ 0.5A max current draw.

Although some devices are picky and will expect the host negotiation to be done in a particularly way. for instance my blackberry will charge on my Motorola charger but not my HTC charger or the universal USB charger i had.
I think it depends on if the charger implements the handshake for full power mode correctly.

The HTC TYTN would charge on all 3.
#18 Bhav on 29 Jun 2009 - 17:30
The agreement to use mini-USB for charging by all the major mobile phone manufacturers in Europe is brilliant. It's a huge achievement and a stepping stone for other devices to start using it too (MP3 players, digital cameras etc)
#19 psionicinversion on 29 Jun 2009 - 22:42
They can keep the iPod dock connector and have the micro USB sure the products using only iPod dock are naffed but only need a back facing micro USB connector feeding through to convential iPod dock then no devices need be changed. Any voltage differences can be changed within the docking equipment so prolly not to hard change
#20 +Troll on 30 Jun 2009 - 01:35
Would have preferred mini-usb over micro-usb, but beggars can't be choosy I suppose.
#21 EchoNoise on 30 Jun 2009 - 05:40
And then they can add microsd extendability. I suppose I'm dreaming though.

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