Ultimately, Apple will not be forced to put a Micro-USB port on European iPhones

Universal charger project in EuropeAfter the European Commission decided to elect the Micro-USB standard for a universal cell phone recharger on the continent and published the standards for manufacturers to adopt it, the question of how Apple would do to bring the iPhone into compliance with the agreement remained in the air in which she herself participated.

According to Wall Street Journal, the terms of the pact itself are flexible enough to allow that, instead of abandoning its proprietary 30-pin port, Ma can add an adapter that makes the iPhone compatible with a universal charger.

I just wonder if this will allow her to refrain from putting a charger in the box of future iPhones, thus saving on costs not to mention that, lost the adapter, the usefulness of the initiative will disappear with it.

Now deviating just a little bit, is it just me who think this 30-pin connector is anachronistic? Unlike everything else on iPads, iPhones and iPods, it is not aesthetically elegant at all. Why this gigantic crack (to the point of occupying almost the entire sixth generation iPod nano) in place of a Micro-USB port, which is much more discreet and visually pleasing?

30-pin dock connector

Well, the answer may lie in the myriad of accessories and docks that pay to be able to use the 30-pin connector, but I highly doubt that Apple hesitates before kicking out an element that it deems outdated only because it can harm its consumers or partners. The answer may be simply that the 30 pins do more than the USB standard: in addition to power and data, it is capable of transmitting stereo audio and video.

Who knows, when a pattern emerges that takes care of all this, we will see the 30-pin connector follow the direction of the Click Wheel. Perhaps some future implementation of HDMI, which is able to conduct more energy than the current one, or even something totally unexpected and magical.

(via Daring Fireball: 1, 2)