The most likely explanation is that Apple doesn't want crappy third-party accessories to tarnish the reputation of its new dock adapter.
Apple will no longer license aftermarket power adapters for iPhone 5
41–50 of 60 posts
Re: Apple will no longer license aftermarket power adapters for iPhone 5
#42This is utter BS. Only because Apple will wind up extorting money from users on these damn things. As it stands I have MANY power adapters for my apple products. I also have many adapters for my laptops: I keep multiple chargers in my backpack, a charger in basically every room of the house and I buy the 3rd party iphone cords from deal extreme that are 7 feet long because the length of an ipad cord is retarded. The…
In most cases the price is determined by what the market is willing to pay. Think of a consumer that goes out of their way to buy $29 Apple headphones. Clearly they have decided this specific model/part is valuable to them for whatever reason. I'd say in general it's not any different than other companies that have a trusted brand and good retail distribution. For example I had to order a replacement charger for an HP laptop a couple years ago and it was about $90. I bought it just because I've had bad luck with generics in the past and I was willing to pay more for the original.
Re: Apple will no longer license aftermarket power adapters for iPhone 5
#43I wonder why companies like apple keep so much goodwill at stake with "get every penny from customer" moves. I can understand why BestBuy would do it (They are already dying with high cost low margin items), but apple?
Other companies are just as bad or worse, so consumers have no choice. Apple gets good will because at least the product is good, even though you spend twice as much. Nothing is worse than buying something and being disappointed.
People would rather pay twice the price than suffer buyer's remorse. Love it or hate it, the apple products are still the best.
Re: Apple will no longer license aftermarket power adapters for iPhone 5
#44In some cases the 3d party stuff might be better than what Apple sells. Apple is a lost cause.
Re: Apple will no longer license aftermarket power adapters for iPhone 5
#45The current title, Apple will no longer license aftermarket power adapters for iPhone 5, is not supported by the article. The word "power" doesn't even appear in the article.
The article does say: Apple is said to have stopped approving third-party proposals for connector-equipped accessories in recent months. That is the existing 30 pin connector. An unnamed person claims they are stopping developers from designing new gear for the legacy connector.
The new 9 pin connector is a secret. That means Apple won't share the specifications until after launch.
They are plugging the gap in the interim with a $10 adapter for your boom-box-with-a-dock or whatever, and extra USB cables which let you use anyone on the planet's charger, computer, or automobile are $19, which is about as cheap as Apple can be bothered to sell a cable. Like your existing cables better? Great, stick an adapter on the end. (I'll need the three pack to cover my existing cables but retain iPad charging capability. $30. Sucks until I replace the iPad2.)
The physical fit between dock, adapter, and iPhone will be highly variable, but it was going to be a bit different anyway from the phone's form factor change.
In short: Set down the pitchforks someplace handy and get back to work. See what the third party folk say on September 19th then tweet back to the mob.
Re: Apple will no longer license aftermarket power adapters for iPhone 5
#46I wonder when apple will start offering their own Internet and not allow Apple users to connect to the Internet that we all know and love. They are creating non-standards to squeeze more dimes out of its very loyal users.
America Online began as “AppleLink Personal Edition” before the company struck out on its own, Apple tried a service called “eWorld,” and the replacement for MobileMe, iCloud, scaled back the scope of online services. I think Apple has learned by now that even they don’t have the resources to compete with the Internet at large.
Re: Apple will no longer license aftermarket power adapters for iPhone 5
#47This is utter BS. Only because Apple will wind up extorting money from users on these damn things. As it stands I have MANY power adapters for my apple products. I also have many adapters for my laptops: I keep multiple chargers in my backpack, a charger in basically every room of the house and I buy the 3rd party iphone cords from deal extreme that are 7 feet long because the length of an ipad cord is retarded. The…
High margin, incompatible products are really good business. Apple knows it, and that's why they've been developing incompatible plugs, computers, printers, and software since its existence. They thrive on being incompatible with the rest of the computer and technology industry -- this philosophy was hardwired into Apple's DNA by Steve Jobs right from the beginning.
Re: Apple will no longer license aftermarket power adapters for iPhone 5
#48I wonder why companies like apple keep so much goodwill at stake with "get every penny from customer" moves. I can understand why BestBuy would do it (They are already dying with high cost low margin items), but apple?
You get a beautifully designed power adapter, probably removing and reattaching it comes with a very satisfying slurping sound. Those things don't come for free.
Removing the USB cable from my Android phone makes my ears bleed with it's creaking.
Re: Apple will no longer license aftermarket power adapters for iPhone 5
#49Given how dreadful Apple's own cables were (or at least they were in my experience back when I had an iPod Touch 2G), this is likely to be expensive for many iOS device owners. Weren't they meant to be allowing microUSB chargers in the EU though? Even if they do it with an adapter that plugs into their own connector, that provides a way to avoid their costly cables.
Agreed those cables are a joke I brought a non apple one and it is protected from exactly that kind of damages that always kills apples official cables.
Re: Apple will no longer license aftermarket power adapters for iPhone 5
#50This is utter BS. Only because Apple will wind up extorting money from users on these damn things. As it stands I have MANY power adapters for my apple products. I also have many adapters for my laptops: I keep multiple chargers in my backpack, a charger in basically every room of the house and I buy the 3rd party iphone cords from deal extreme that are 7 feet long because the length of an ipad cord is retarded. The…
In most cases the price is determined by what the market is willing to pay. Think of a consumer that goes out of their way to buy $29 Apple headphones. Clearly they have decided this specific model/part is valuable to them for whatever reason. I'd say in general it's not any different than other companies that have a trusted brand and good retail distribution. For example I had to order a replacement charger for an H…
I wonder what proportion of HN readers and population in general supports "labor theory of value".