Apple to Allow Third-Party Products to Use Its Lightning Port

Apple has unveiled new Lightning connectors and receptacles that third party accessory companies will be able to implement in their products, reports 9to5Mac. The announcement was made a yearly briefing for its Made-for-iPhone/iPad (MFi) licensing program members. The new receptacle will start shipping next year and open the door for a new types of accessories. Previously, the port was reserved for Apple's own iOS devices.

Allowing accessory makers to build-in a Lightning port provides a number of benefits, according to manufacturers briefed during Apple’s MFi Summit. One of the biggest benefits is to reduce costs for manufacturers and simplify the product experience for users by using Lightning to provide power to both an accessory and the iOS device. Dock or battery case manufacturers, for example, would previously have to provide a separate USB cable and power supply to charge an accessory. Mophie’s battery pack iPhone case with integrated Lightning connector, for instance, currently comes with a micro USB cable for charging. With a built-in Lightning port, users could use an existing Lightning cable (the one that came with their iOS device) to charge the accessory.

In addition to the new Lightning receptacle, Apple has announced a new Lightning connector (C68) that features a slimmed down, low profile design allowing for its use in a wide range of accessories and cases. Apple apparently has a wide range of Lightning connectors. There's C48 connector which is currently for use in cables and another bulkier solution that can provide more than just power to an accessory.


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