Apple’s selling points for the new connector: Lightning is 80 percent smaller than the old connector, and it’s reversible, so it doesn’t matter which way you put the plug in, unlike the old solution. The size issue is indeed the primary consideration, said Wiens in a phone call on Friday. But it’s not just about making room for more components into the new iPhone: there’s the future of its full mobile lineup Apple has to think about.

“Apple was running into limitations” with the current 30-pin dock, he said. “You can see with the iPod nano, the dock connector was the limiting factor” in Apple’s ability to shrink down the size of the company’s tiniest music player.

That makes sense, and we know there’s precedent for these particular kind of design considerations at Apple: see the decision to ditch the Ethernet port on the MacBook Air back in 2008.

But the change wasn’t only about design. It’s about bringing the entire mobile and Made for iPod/iPhone/iPad ecosystem (a program in which Apple certifies manufacturers’ hardware to work with its iDevice lineup) up to date, Wiens theorizes. “Thirty pins is a lot for a computer connector,” he said. Apple used that many because it was easier for accessory makers to be compatible and do more things with the iPod, and then eventually iPhone and iPad. (Here’s a handy chart explaining what each of the 30 pins is used for.)

“The new connector is moving from a combination of anolog plus digital to pure digital. They’re saying, ‘Hey, if you have an accessory, like a car stereo, you have to talk over USB or a digital interface,” said Wiens. “They’re forcing accessories to be a bit more sophisticated.” Luckily, he added, that’s not really a challenge for most accessory makers any more the way it would have been nine years ago.

But if size is such an important concern, why did Apple come up with its own Lightning connector instead of using something small that almost everybody already has lying around, like micro-USB, which is already a standard in Europe? It’s very likely about money and control.

Though he admits it’s a “cynical view,” Wiens says a main benefit of going with a new connector like Lightning is Apple’s ability to charge “big bucks” to license the use of it to accessory and peripheral makers. He estimates through his talks with peripheral makers that Apple charges from $1 to $2 per device to make stuff compatible with the iPod, iPhone or iPad.

Apple, a famously controlling company, has a very clear view of future product roadmaps, and that includes what kind of connectors it does or does not want hooking up to its devices. The licensing model allows that.

We won’t know the true performance benefits of Lightning (is it really faster, as Apple says?) until the iPhone and new iPods start shipping and users get the chance to test them out. But we do know that thanks to the change, there’s a potentially large pile of e-waste headed for landfills over the next couple of years as hotel alarm clocks, old battery cases and cables will eventually be swapped out as Apple’s new wave of Lightning-capable devices grows in size.

Still, “they kept connector for nine years,” Wiens said. “Good on them for keeping it as long as they did.”

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The new connector in all the new iPods and the iPhone 5 is called Lightning (like Thunderbolt, get it?). It’s an 8-pin connector, which means it’s much smaller than the 30-pin connector Apple’s been using since it ditched FireWire almost 10 years ago. The benefits of the new connector, according to Apple:

• It’s much smaller (80 percent, to be exact) — that means Apple can fit a lot more components into the smaller-than-ever new iPhone 5.
• It’s reversible: you won’t have to pay attention to which side is facing up to plug it in.
• It’s faster: Apple says data will flow faster over the new cable.

Obviously, this is annoying for current Apple customers. And it’s going to cost you at least $30 for a converter, or $20 for a new Lightning/USB cable. But, to be fair, Apple’s not doing this purely for the sake of making everyone buy new stuff. Apple is pretty merciless about cutting out technology it considers past its prime. See also: optical disk drives, Flash, Mini-DVI.

In the screengrab below, you can see  the different options for the new 8-pin converters and cables (which, yes, are really just little pieces of plastic and metal):

So, yeah, Apple’s going to benefit a bit too on these new sales. The accessories market is an area where Apple pulls in a ton of revenue, for iPods, iPhones and iPads. The company brought in nearly $2 billion to $3 billion selling accessories in fiscal year 2011 alone, according to some estimations. And much of those accessories that Apple makes, like cables and adapters, are almost pure profit, since they don’t cost that much to build in the first place.

The new dock isn’t terrible news for third-party accessory makers either. It means that for some of them, they will have the opportunity to sell you a whole new iPod dock, new cases, new chargers, or any accessory you currently use that connects via the port on the bottom of your iPod or iPhone. Apple said major brands like JBL, Bose, Bang & Olufsen, and Bowers & Wilkins are among the first that will make iPod stereo docks and other accessories with the new Lightning connectors. Those will be available, naturally, some time before the holidays.

This means the new iPad, introduced in March, is the only current generation Apple mobile device that still uses the 30-pin connector. But that’s obviously going to change soon. Any move Apple makes in regards to the iPhone, means it’s going to roll it out to all its mobile products. That means the next iPad (and rumored iPad mini?) will have the new connector too.

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Thick and burly — but short

Apple’s own dock connector-to-USB charging cable is pretty thin, as far as USB cables go. That definitely helps when you’re rolling it up and stuffing it in a pocket, but it doesn’t necessarily do anything for durability. The Innergie Magic Cable is much thicker — about twice the diameter, I’d say — and definitely feels more solid. It seems to me like an animal’s tooth or errant blade would have to do a lot more damage to cause a fatal breach.

The feeling of durability extends to the point of connection between the cable itself and its USB tips, too. This is a notoriously weak point on Apple’s own charging cables, but Innergie seems to have gone out of its way to buttress and reinforce that weak point, which should do wonders for the cable’s longevity.

The only downside of the physical design of the Magic Cable vs. Apple’s own is in terms of length. The Innergie cable is just 31 inches (79 cm) long, while the Apple dock-to-USB cable is 38 inches (96.5 cm). If you find the official version short, you’ll be very disappointed in the Innergie, in other words.

Switching head

The key appeal of the Magic Cable Duo is its sliding, in-line interchangeable dock connector head, which fits over the cable’s micro USB male component. I’m happy to report that this part of the cable impresses; repeatedly pulling the dock connector part on and off of the micro USB head showed no signs of stressing or breaking the plastic that holds it in place. I was also intentionally being a little rough with it, so with standard use (i.e. switching out the heads once every day or so) it should more than meet expectations.

Charging capacity

The Magic Duo seems more than able to charge your iOS devices at a normal rate. I tested it with my iPad 2 and the standard iPad 10W charging adapter, and found that the Innergie cable charged the iPad just as much as the Apple cable during a 15-minute period. Plus, the Magic Cable Duo also worked with the iPhone 4S, the Samsung Galaxy S II, and the BlackBerry Curve 9300, although the BlackBerry did required use of a BB-designated charging adapter.

Smart and sturdy

In the end, the Magic Cable Duo is a smart, inexpensive ($19.99) upgrade that makes plenty of sense for gadget addicts with lots of devices that need charging. It’s also much less likely to get lost than Apple’s own diminutive iPhone Micro USB Adapter, which has a tendency to get lost. Plus, Innergie includes a fixed velcro cable wrap to make sure it’s easy to pack. So long as you don’t mind the trade-off in cable length, it’s a great way to spend some of that Christmas money.

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The Magic Cable Duo and Trio are two- and three-headed cables, respectively, that work with any standard USB charging block to provide power to your mobile Apple devices, and plenty more besides. They achieve this by partnering an Apple dock connector with a Micro USB cable tip, in the case of the Duo, and both a Micro and Mini USB connector in the case of the Magic Cable Trio.

Unlike other clumsy solutions I’ve seen, these cable ends aren’t arranged in parallel, sprouting off from a single source in an unwieldy bouquet. Instead, they are arranged in serial, with larger connectors popping down over smaller ones, or pulling up and off yet remaining attached, so they can be easily folded out of the way. It’s a little tricky to explain, but the picture should say it all.

The unique configuration means you won’t have to go hunting through drawers to find the right charger for your Kindle, your BlackBerry, your iPad, or any conceivable combination of modern mobile devices, really. Considering how fast Micro USB has become a widely accepted standard, you can probably satisfy most of your mobile needs with just the Duo. One Duo and one dual USB charging block should actually cover all of my current mobile device needs, in fact, especially since with 15W output, the USB adapter does full-speed iPad charging.

The Innergie Magic Cable Duo sells in packs with either its 15W dual USB adapter ($39.99), or its 10W car charger ($34.99), or both ($49.99), and the cables sell alone for $24.99 for the Duo and $19.99 for the Trio. Not a bad deal for stocking stuffers, considering how many iPads and iPhones will be under trees this year.

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The adapter has so far only shown up in Apple Stores from EU-member countries, since it’s clearly designed to bring Apple into compliance with recently passed EU standards for common cell phone charger standards (via TUAW). It retails for around €9  (roughly $12 USD) and ships separately from the iPhone. While it’s a bit disappointing that Apple didn’t just package the adapter with the iPhone 4S in the box, it’s more disappointing that Apple isn’t just making this available everywhere.

Even as a North American iPhone user, I’d love to have the option to pick one of these up. More and more devices are shipping with micro USB cables, including Amazon’s Kindle, many Bluetooth headsets and other electronic devices. Micro USB cables are also relatively easy to get your hands on, whereas dock connector to USB cables, especially off-brand, can be harder to find, especially when not shopping online.

A micro USB adapter would make keeping iOS devices charged a much simpler affair, especially for gadget fans with a considerable device collection. Ideally, Apple would replace the dock connector entirely with a standard connection interface, but that would mean rendering a whole lot of accessories useless, and I doubt Apple’s planning to do that anytime soon.

Apple might be offering the micro USB adapter just to comply with EU regulations, but while it’s doing that, it might as well offer them over here, too. There might be financial reasons that prevent Apple from doing so, but I’d buy one, and I’m sure there are plenty of other multi-device owners who would, too.

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