Apple reportedly adopting 19-pin dock connector for 2012 iPhone

Various manufacturers claim that Apple is planning to reduce its 30-pin dock connector, first introduced in 2003 in the third-generation iPod, to a 19-pin port. The new connector could be reportedly implemented in the next-generation iPhone set for launch this fall, according to multiply rumors.

TechCrunch on Wednesday said that it had "independently verified" and "confirmed" the company is prepping a smaller 19-pin port for inclusion on its next iPhone. The main reason for the new port is believed to be Apple's continual quest to free up space in its mobile devices.

According to the report, three independent manufacturers said Apple was working on the connector, adding that accessory makers are currently in limbo as they wait for Apple to officially announce the new standard, which will presumably be incompatible with current accessories. The new port would reportedly come close in size to the Thunderbolt port found on Apple's newest Macs, but it is not expected to have the same "pin-out."

That video, posted above, demonstrated a sixth-generation iPhone metal back plate component with a smaller dock port.