Apple is preparing to adopt a new connector type for accessories, known as the Ultra Accessory Connector (UAC). The company has launched a developer preview of the new connector type, 9to5Mac reports. Sources claim this new, smaller connector could replace the use of Lightning and USB connectors in some cases. The 8-pin connector would be thinner than USB-C, and about half the width of Lightning and USB-C. According to the report, use of the connector is currently specified to be used on headphone cables — Apple would allow for Lightning to UAC, USB-A to UAC, and 3.5mm headphone jack to UAC connectors. While the smaller UAC would certainly “allow accessory makers to save space inside their designs,” this news will likely give rise to plenty of speculation on how the UAC will be incorporated into future Apple devices. There was plenty of confusion in 2012 when Apple introduced its Lightning Connector, so we’ll have to wait for official word on just how the company plans to use the UAC.
Update: Apple has clarified that the new connector in question has actually been around for years, The Verge reports. The ‘Ultra Accessory Connector’ is actually just Apple’s name for an 8-pin connector used in several products, including Nikon cameras. Apparently multiple cable manufacturers have their own names for the connection type and Apple was simply standardizing the naming convention, not creating a new connection type. To clarify, use of this connector is new to the MFi program, but that’s all.
