Apple Has Another New Cord [Updated]
We may have another cord on the way from Apple, if new rumors are to be believed. This new connector wouldn't be for mobile devices or MacBooks, but rather for accessories. It was uncovered in a developer preview for the Made for iPhone licensing program, and it's going by name of "Ultra Accessory Connector."
To hear 9to5Mac explain the Ultra Accessory Connector, it sounds like it could save accessory manufacturers a fair amount of space in their products. The 8-pin connector is almost half as wide as USB-C and Lightning at 2.05mm, and its 4.85mm length makes for quite the compact package.
Apple's developer preview primarily focuses on using this in cables for headsets. With that in mind, the need for a tiny connector becomes more clear. That preview also lists three possible pairings for the UAC: Lightning to UAC, USB-A to UAC, and 3.5mm to UAC. Though headsets are the only product targeted in the developer preview, it's possible that we could see UAC expand to other accessories in the future.
Those pairings you see listed above would make accessories that use UAC compatible with a fairly wide range of Apple devices. Interestingly, we don't see USB-C to UAC listed here, which means whatever headsets we see sporting UAC may not be compatible with Apple's new MacBook Pros. Apple somewhat controversially ditched all other ports in favor of a collection of USB-C ports in its latest MacBooks, leaving that standard as the only connectivity option when it comes to physical accessories.
Obviously, nothing is official until Apple makes it so, but seeing the UAC pop up in this MFi developer preview certainly lends some credibility to the idea that we'll see it before long. Time will tell if Apple decides to launch the Ultra Accessory Connector – along with what the Apple faithful's reaction will be to such a reveal.
Update: Apple has confirmed to CNET that while it does support this type of connector through MFi, it isn't new nor is it proprietary. The confusion lies in the fact that Apple gave the connector its own name – Ultra Accessory Connector – leading some to believe that this was a new cable entirely. As the CNET article states, there isn't a new connector in the works over at Apple HQ, so those of you who were worried about yet another Apple cable can breathe a sigh of relief.
SOURCE: 9to5Mac