back to article iPhone 5 adaptors goldrush begins

As Apple's iPhone 5 packs an all-new Nano Sim, those with two handsets will probably need a fresh Sim card adaptor. These have already hit the market, of course. Packs of Nano Sim adaptor trays featuring conversions between all three formats have started to appear on Amazon, in fact many have been available for over a month, …

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  1. Ol'Peculier
    FAIL

    Not for me

    I'm not touching Apple until they start using USB.

    Which, of course they never will as it would kill their accessory market.

    So much for standardising across manufacturers to reduce the number of chargers you need.

    1. JDX Gold badge

      Re: Not for me

      Apple hardly make a big % of their cash from accessories do they?

      1. Geoff Campbell Silver badge
        Pirate

        Re: No profit for Apple?

        You'd think not, wouldn't you?

        http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/news/4272628

        GJC

    2. Graham 25

      Re: Not for me

      Not touching Apple because they don;t use USB ?

      The phone charges off a USB port.

      The phone charges off a USB plug.

      You only need one charger - one with a USB port in it for £3 and you;re sorted.,

      All the difference is, is a small cable costing 50p which you aready get with every phone.

      And thats the best reason you can come up with ?

      If you don't want to buy then fair enough but using that as an "excuse" is pretty pathetic.

      1. Annihilator
        Meh

        Re: Not for me

        "All the difference is, is a small cable costing 50p which you aready get with every phone."

        Except it doesn't cost 50p, does it? It's closer to £7 for the cheapest knock-offs of a 30pin dock cable. And it doesn't really use USB either, does it? If it did there would be a USB socket on the phone. Let me know where that is on your iPhone.

        Given Apple have now introduced an "all digital" cable and started from scratch, there is zero reason for not adopting a universal standard connector. There's very little you can't throw over a USB link.

        1. Giles Jones Gold badge

          Re: Not for me

          £1 at poundland. Okay, they don't have the new ones yet but USB3 requires a much higher quality cable anyway.

      2. Wize

        @Graham 25

        Point missed entirely over semantics.

        I believe the argument is some are boycoting the iPhone till they have the same onboard connector for USB as every other phone (ie micro USB).

        Micro USB is very common now. Almost every phone (as well as other devices) use them. And there is regularly someone at work on the scrounge for a cable to charge their phone.

        First person to have an iphone5 and a flat battery at work and in need of a cable is likely to have a flat battery all day long.

      3. Ol'Peculier
        FAIL

        Re: Not for me

        So the cable I've got currently charging and uploading some music to my HTC (and after that my tablet) will also power the new iPhone?

        No, didn't think so.

  2. Vladimir Plouzhnikov

    More ideas for Apple

    Make the screen visible in IR light only (needs converter)

    Ship the phones with 3-phase 380v power unit as standard (and only) option (needs adapters)

    Put the mic on the back of the phone (needs a clip-on mic to make the phone work properly)

    I despair at the thought that even if Apple would indeed use any of these "innovations", iFanboys will still be buying the stupid phones and the various adapters by the ton.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: More ideas for Apple

      This is the first Apple connector change in about 11 years. How many connectors have rivals changed between in that time?

      1. lotus49
        FAIL

        Re: More ideas for Apple

        And even then, they fluffed it.

        I'm no Apple hater (I shall refrain from listing the assortment of Apple devices we own as a family, but it's lots) but this is annoying. Come on Apple, use micro USB like everyone else.

  3. Christopher Rogers
    Thumb Down

    I'll stick with my stance of f*ck apple.

    1. TangD
      FAIL

      Of course you will

      The good news is you would have stuck with your stance regardless of what (cr)Apple had announced so it's no loss to them. My guess is they care what you think about as much as you care what they do. Big smiles all around! Quite why you're telling us I have no idea but I am non the less fascinated enough to comment on your comment.

      1. Christopher Rogers
        Trollface

        Re: Of course you will

        Well, its El Reg's forums you see. It lets geeks bounce on and spout off in much the same manner as I did. Just as your defence of Apple descended into you telling us you car is 8 years old. Congratulations on that saving by the way.

  4. Mark Wilson

    Just more reasons

    to get rid of Apple next time I get a new phone (soon). When I brought in the iPhone was the best (just) now they are just milking the popularity. Innovation has dried up and the competition are racing ahead.

    1. TangD
      Unhappy

      Re: Just more reasons

      Yea I was hoping for more. Hopefully there will be a new iPad and it will move the bar a bit. I couldn't justify the upgrade to the new iPad (from an original iPad) last time but said old device is now getting a bit long in the tooth. Still it'll need to be something real to persuade the wife that I need an upgdrade, technical fluff isn't going to cut it for that purpose even if it will be what drives the buying decision on my side.

      1. Infidellic_
        Facepalm

        Re: Just more reasons

        I was hoping for more than someone saying a 2 year old device is "long in the tooth". Can we not all agree that clearly there's something wrong spending £100's on something that needs replacing after only 29 months? Term "Apple Tax" seems even more appropriate given that you apparently pay it every 2 years....

        1. TangD
          Facepalm

          Re: Just more reasons

          I don't *have* to replace it. I mean, the battery life is still more than enough, and it does everything it did when I bought it but there are new applications (games) coming out that take advantage of the newer hardware and don't run on the old stuff. I actually thought 3 years was about right to upgrade a consumer device like this that only costs a few hundred bucks. Long time ago I used to spend way more than that on desktop gaming hardware that again didn't *have* to be replaced but... I save my money elsewhere (e.g. my car is a 2004 model) so a few hundred bucks on a tablet every 3 years isn't really a big deal

          As for saying it's an Apple tax, that seems a bit harsh given how some of their older kit on the phone side still works fine if you have more patience than I do (fine as in no worse than in the first place, ymmv on if you were happy with that or not). There are other similar products that due to lack of consumer OS upgrades feel far more like a tax don't you think?

          1. Field Marshal Von Krakenfart
            Linux

            Re: Just more reasons @TangD

            But if you want to spend a "few hundred" bucks on a tablet device with such a short life span, why don'y you consider an android tablet device, probably for less than half the price, in my case 230 Vs 599.

            My son has an iPad and I have an android tablet, I can see that the iPad is a superior device, however the iPad was three times the price of the android but I would not say that the iPad is three times better than the android. The iPad switches on quicker and aps load quicker, but I'm not going to do anything useful or productive in the 15-20 seconds I would save in using an iPad.

            The android beats the iPad to a pulp when it comes to getting data to/from the device, and it's all down to having a USB port. Don't underestimate how useful having a standard USB port is.

            If the 230 android is dead and/obsolete in 18 months, I'd consider it well written down, not so the iPad.

            It's horses for courses.

            1. TangD
              Thumb Up

              Re: Just more reasons @TangD

              I can't argue with your logic, you're right, horses for courses. I've never had an issue getting stuff on/off the device but I don't use it for much more than web, email, and games. It'll also become a toy for my infant when it's upgraded so not end of useful live as such, just moving down the hand-me-down chain

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Just more reasons

      It's odd because the real change is happening in Nokia and Microsoft's market. I imagine RIM would be an option if they could ever get around to releasing their new OS.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Unhappy

    Would you consider linking to a company that pays its taxes instead of giving Amazon even more promotion?

  6. Anonymous IV

    "Keep feeding your £20 notes into the slot"...

    ... or was there another reason why that graphic was included?

    1. TangD
      Devil

      Re: "Keep feeding your £20 notes into the slot"...

      I though they were coming out? But i'm a glass half full kind of guy

    2. Michael Souris

      Re: "Keep feeding your £20 notes into the slot"...

      That's the old style Elgar £20 note in the graphic, which is also now obsolete (but still only worth £20 at your bank, so not worth hanging on to).

  7. QuinnDexter

    Hmmm. I was holding out to upgrade. I've got a 3GS so not exactly tantalised by every shiny shiny that comes along. Was hoping for more, but all I can see is meh. Thing is, I've invested in loads of apps and have an iPad 2 so am I gonna re-buy apps on another phone, buy this iPhone 4SXL or stick with the 3GS until the next update?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      "Thing is, I've invested in loads of apps and have an iPad 2 so am I gonna re-buy apps on another phone"

      Exactly as Apple planned...

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        That's odd. I don't remember Google giving people the option to download Android versions of apps for free when moving from iOS.

        All of these companies are creating incompatible software that you can't move. This is nothing new, it's Windows vs Mac all over again.

    2. Michael Xion

      Why re-buy apps?

      You can simply download your already purchased apps to the new phone.

      1. efinlay

        Re: Why re-buy apps?

        I suspect he means that he would need to re-buy his apps if he moved to Android or WinMob.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      @QuinnDexter

      For me the 4S is already a massive jump from the 3GS both the retina screen and the performance. If the 5 is double the CPU with faster networking (Wifi and LTE) than the 4S and better battery life I think you would see quite a big change. Don't focus on the increment between the shiny you don't have and the new shiny but the total upgrade from where you are now.

      Also although I haven't tried the GM release yet earlier iOS 6 releases felt VERY sluggish on my old 3GS so may be worth considering the 5 or a second hand 4S.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: @QuinnDexter

        Just don't get what people expect - the 3GS to 4/4S was a massive jump with screen, CPU and camera - now the 4/4S to the 5 is another jump with bigger screen, thinner and lighter, faster CPU, LTE / other 4G.

        I'm sure people would want a 3D holo projector, micro jets so it can't 'fall', double the battery life, 8x the speed - but realistically...?

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: @QuinnDexter

          Well, I think people expected a "me too" phone that just added all of the current things Samsung and others are putting on their devices.

          In reality Apple must have evaluated how these change the phone in use (being able to hold it etc) and decided that phones are too heavy and becoming too bulky. So it's not so much them falling behind, but actually stopping to think.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Built in Ink Jet Printer?

    It'll only use iJuice ink, of course.

  9. tirk
    Facepalm

    iPhone 5 adaptors goldrush begins

    And The Register makes it's cut out of all of us drones commenting on how we hate/love/don't care about Apple, of course.

    Carry on!

    1. Maverick
      Headmaster

      Re: iPhone 5 adaptors goldrush begins

      and I make my cut by pointing out basic grammatical errors you meant "its" not "it's" I think

      kerching :)

      1. tirk
        Facepalm

        Re: iPhone 5 adaptors goldrush begins

        Quite right too!

        Have an upvote & please accept my apologies!

  10. Tegne
    Flame

    Apple found a way to make milking sheep profitable.

    Nice work.

  11. CCCP

    Chunky indeed

    That adapter is mahooosive. Will look just swanky on all those expensive iThingy docks.

    Also, it looks about an inch tall. So with the iPhone 5 having had the p***s extender treatment, you'll end up with the tower of fecking Pisa on your dock.

    Doesn't look prone to breaking at all. Not at all.

    Please someone start a picture collection of ridiculous looking 5s teetering on docks...

    1. Annihilator
      Facepalm

      Re: Chunky indeed

      Not to mention the additional torque applied to the dock connector on your Zeppelin or equally expensive dock if you knock the new iPhone... Part of the reason they replaced the dock connector was its fragility and likelihood of breaking if you knocked it.

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    microUSB socket?

    is the Lightning connector in addition to a microUSB socket?

    I thought the standard for Phone charging using microUSB had been agreed about two year ago by ALL handset manufactures after the EU pressured them

    1. Annihilator
      Unhappy

      Re: microUSB socket?

      Yup, so Apple adopted the "there's an adaptor for that" approach thereby missing the point entirely. There is no microUSB socket on board.

  13. Wade Burchette
    Happy

    This cartoon is more appropriate than ever

    What it is like to own an Apple product

    http://theoatmeal.com/comics/apple

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