Costly Lightning Adapters Finally Begin To Ship
October 8, 2012
For iPhone 5 owners, this could be the week the music starts playing again. MacRumors is reporting that Apple has started to ship Lightning to 30-pin adapters to customers, nearly one month after the new handset first went on sale.
The iPhone 5 is the first iOS device to come with the thinner and lighter Lightning connector. Unfortunately, this means that consumers must use these adapters to use third-party accessories such as speakers and car chargers.
I’m thrilled to see that these adapters are beginning to ship. What Apple is charging for these, however, is still difficult to stomach. The Lightning to 30-pin adapter is $29, while the Lightning to 30-pin adapter (0.2m) cable is $39. The iPhone 5 does not ship with an adapter.
As Brent Dirks reported earlier this month, less expensive third-party adapters won’t be arriving anytime soon thanks to Apple’s new Made for iPad/iPhone/iPod (MFi) policies. This requires that manufacturers must have their facilities approved by Apple before creating any Lightning connectors.
To date, no facility has received Apple’s approval.
For more information on the Lightning connector, see Apple Making It Even More Difficult For Third-Party Manufacturers To Produce Lightning Connectors, Apple Is Not Including A Lightning To 30-Pin Adapter With The New iPhone 5, and Opinion: One Mostly Good Week With The iPhone 5.
Source: MacRumors