Apple Senior Vice President Phil Schiller on NFC, Wireless Charging and the Lightning Connector
AllThingsD's Ina Fried caught up with Apple's Phil Schiller after the introduction of the iPhone 5 this afternoon. She asked him about a number of new technologies that did -- and didn't -- make it into the company's new flagship phone.
It’s not clear that NFC is the solution to any current problem, Schiller said. "Passbook does the kinds of things customers need today."
As for wireless charging, Schiller notes that the wireless charging systems still have to be plugged into the wall, so it’s not clear how much convenience they add. The widely-adopted USB cord, meanwhile, can charge in wall outlets, computers and even on airplanes, he said.
"Having to create another device you have to plug into the wall is actually, for most situations, more complicated," Schiller said.
Fried also spoke to Schiller about the new Lightning connector. He noted that it wasn't possible to make devices any thinner with the existing 30-pin Dock Connector, though the company doesn't take changing the plug -- which had been around for 9 years -- lightly. "This is the new connector for many years to come," Schiller explained.
Popular Stories
Apple will introduce new iPad Pro and iPad Air models in early May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman previously suggested the new iPads would come out in March, and then April, but the timeline has been pushed back once again. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple is working on updates to both the iPad Pro and iPad Air models. The iPad Pro models will...
In November, Apple announced that the iPhone would support the cross-platform messaging standard RCS (Rich Communication Services) in the Messages app starting "later" in 2024, and Google has now revealed a more narrow timeframe. In a since-deleted section of the revamped Google Messages web page, spotted by 9to5Google, Google said that Apple would be adopting RCS on the iPhone in the "fall...
Thieves in Montreal, Canada have been using Apple's AirTags to facilitate vehicle theft, according to a report from Vermont news sites WCAX and NBC5 (via 9to5Mac). Police officers in Burlington, Vermont have issued a warning about AirTags for drivers who recently visited Canada. Two Burlington residents found Apple AirTags in their vehicles after returning from trips to Montreal, and these...
Apple's WWDC 2024 dates have been announced, giving us timing for the unveiling of the company's next round of major operating system updates and likely some other announcements. This week also saw some disappointing news on the iPad front, with update timing for the iPad Pro and iPad Air pushed back from previous rumors. We did hear some new tidbits about what might be coming in iOS 18 and...
Photos of the first iPhone 16 cases have been shared online, offering another preview of the rumored new vertical rear camera arrangement on the standard iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus. Image credit: Accessory leaker Sonny Dickson Over the last few months, Apple has been experimenting with different camera bump designs for the standard iPhone 16 models, all of which have featured a vertical ...
A $3 third-party app can now record spatial video on iPhone 15 Pro models in a higher resolution than Apple's very own Camera app. Thanks to an update first spotted by UploadVR, Spatialify can now record spatial videos with HDR in 1080p at 60fps or in 4K at 30fps. In comparison, Apple's native Camera app is limited to recording spatial video in 1080p at 30fps. Shortly after Apple's Vision ...
Top Rated Comments
So, why not USB 3?
I am highly confident that Apple could update it to usb 3/thunderbold without changing the "lighting" connector.
Plus I also forsee people using the cable to sync to a computer less and less over the next 9 years. I personally haven't plugged my iPhone into my Mac since iOS 5 hit nearly a year ago.
meh
In future iOS devices, USB 3 could be implemented for the data portion of the interface, but a connector with more pins is needed for the additional functionality.
Note that various docks and cable adapters from the old 30-pin connector have offered line-out audio, composite video, S-Video, component video, HDMI, etc.
I wouldn't be surprised if there isn't a USB 3 compatible iPhone 5 prototype sitting in a lab somewhere in Cupertino.
My guess is that current USB 3 chip solutions for mobile devices were evaluated and rejected as relatively power hungry (plus only a few computers actually have USB 3 interfaces) but as the standard becomes more prevalent and more power-thrifty chips are available, that this technology will eventually make it into an iOS device.
This post makes no sense.