Everyone expected Apple to change the dock connections on its new iPhone 5 and iPods. Everyone expected it to charge for an inevitable adapter… but the price is beyond ridiculous.
So another iPhone launch has been and gone. I won’t get into the ins and outs of what’s new – read our iPhone 5 features explained post on our sister blog Which? Tech Daily for that. I just want to talk about one ‘feature’ – the new, smaller dock connector.
It makes perfect sense. The old connector, which had 30-pins, is ridiculously large by modern standards. The new one, dubbed ‘Lightning’, is 80% smaller and reversible so it doesn’t matter which way up you put it in. So far, so good.
But then I hear Apple wants £25 for an adapter, the ‘Lightning to 30-pin adapter’, to make it work with any existing iPhone or iPod accessories you might have. This has got to be a joke.
What did you expect?
The instant reaction I got on Twitter didn’t surprise me – ‘what did you expect, this is Apple?’ They’re right, of course, Apple has a long history of pricey accessories. But what really infuriates me about this one is that, if you own old accessories – particularly speaker docks, many of which run to hundreds of pounds – you have no choice.
I can decide to buy a case or dock. A video cable is a nice to have, not a must have. But this adapter? You have to buy it for any of your accessories to work with your new iPhone 5. Given this fact, can £25 be seen as anything more than just a cynical piece of profiteering?
No doubt cheap Chinese versions will surface sooner or later, soothing the irritation. But that does nothing to diminish Apple’s shame in its pricing decision.
[UPDATE: 14/09/2012 12pm] – As pointed out by one of our commenters, when you pre-order an iPhone 5 you will get a ‘free’ Lightning to 30-pin Adapter:
‘Your iPhone includes a Lightning to 30-pin Adapter for connecting 30-pin accessories to devices featuring the Lightning connector. Purchase this additional adapter to have a second adapter for your home or office.’
This is certainly good news, though whether £25 is too much for a replacement adapter is still up for debate.
[UPDATE: 14/09/2012 1pm] – Apple appears to have removed the offer of a free Lightning to 30-pin Adapter from iPhone 5 pre-orders on its website. Instead, you are asked to pay £25 to be sent one. We’ll keep you informed of any changes.
Is £25 too much for Apple's iPhone 5 dock adapter?
Yes - it should be cheaper to connect to old accessories (92%, 921 Votes)
If anything it could be more expensive (5%, 51 Votes)
No - £25 is about right for the new adapter (3%, 31 Votes)
Total Voters: 1,008
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