A few days back, we told you reports (read: leaked information) of a claim that Apple’s new iPhone 6 will ship with a reversible Lightning cable, in that the cable will be pluggable into a USB port either way up. At that time, it was uncertain whether the cables will actually come with the upcoming iPhone or a later iteration. Today, a number of images for the new Lightning cable retail boxes have been leaked that show that the new Lightning cable might be closer than it earlier seemed.
The images come from uSwitch and have been corroborated by the infamous (and reliable) tipster Sonny Dickson, and show clearly that the new “reimagined’ Lightning cable is actually reversible. Apple’s patent filing explains that this step is being taken to minimize user frustration, whilst reducing the chances for accidental damage that can occur by attempting to plug the cable in the wrong way.
I’ve said this before as well, that Apple has been known to fix minor annoyances that plague the user experience. For a company that has always been focused on delivering the best user experience, it goes a long way to show its commitment towards its customers.
The Lightning cable was introduced with the iPhone 5 for the first time, where Apple moved from the 30-pin connecter to a reversible (from the device’s perspective) Lightning port, with faster data transfer rates. The move was largely welcomed, even though it saw criticism in that a lot of older accessories were rendered useless. The situation isn’t similar this time around, however, so we don’t expect to see any fallback other than a positive consumer reaction.
Apple’s new iPhone iteration is expected to land next month, with the company probably set to announce the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 on September 9, followed by availability in a couple of weeks time. Since there are going to be two versions of the iPhone this time – the other one with a larger, 5.5-inch screen in phablet form factor – the release dates may vary. With September just around the corner, it’s all the more fun to speculate and try to guess what we’ll see when the official announcement is made.
(Source: uSwitch)
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