<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"New images released on Saturday compare what appear to be a Micro-A USB cable with the smaller 9-pin dock connector Apple is rumored to be deploying with the sixth-generation iPhone, showing the two components share almost identical dimensions.\r\n\r\nThe side-by-side comparison &amp;lt;a href=\"http://www.nowhereelse.fr/cable-usb-nouvel-iphone-5-70654/\"&amp;gt;shots&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; from French blog &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;nowhereelse.fr&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt; were furnished by the same tipster who reportedly sent in some of the &amp;lt;a href=\"http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/12/08/10/first_rumored_photos_of_new_dock_connector_plug_for_iphone_5_show_8_pins\"&amp;gt;first images&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; of Apple's alleged smaller dock connector in August.\r\n\r\n&amp;lt;div align=\"center\"&amp;gt;&amp;lt;img src=\"http://photos.appleinsider.com/12.09.08-Plug-1.jpg\" alt=\"690\" width=\"450\" height=\" border=\"0\"&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span class=\"minor2\"&amp;gt;Source: &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;nowhereelse.fr&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/div&amp;gt;\r\n\r\nOddly, Saturday's photos show advertising paraphernalia from Chinese electronics firm MEIZU, however the source said not to \"pay attention to [that] detail,\" adding the alleged part in question is in fact a legitimate Apple product. While &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;AppleInsider&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt; can't verify the validity of the source's claims, the connector looks to be identical to those pictured in &amp;lt;a href=\"http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/12/08/22/image_of_purported_next_gen_iphone_usb_cable_shows_smaller_dock_connector\"&amp;gt;previous reports&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;. \r\n\r\n&amp;lt;div align=\"center\"&amp;gt;&amp;lt;img src=\"http://photos.appleinsider.com/12.09.08-Plug-2.jpg\" alt=\"690\" width=\"450\" height=\" border=\"0\"&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/div&amp;gt;\r\n\r\nAs seen in the images, the purported 9-pin format is nearly identical in size to the Micro USB plug, though Apple's rumored part appears to be slightly longer and thinner. \r\n\r\nAs with most USB connectors, the Micro-A type features a housing in which contact pins are aligned in a linear manner, thus requiring an opening into which the tongue of a female receptacle can interface. Apple's current 30-pin connector is built on the same principle, however the company's new, smaller unit eschews that design for a more robust male/female system. \r\n\r\n&amp;lt;div align=\"center\"&amp;gt;&amp;lt;img src=\"http://photos.appleinsider.com/12.09.08-Plug-3.jpg\" alt=\"690\" width=\"450\" height=\" border=\"0\"&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/div&amp;gt;\r\n\r\nAccording to sources, the supposed new plug will feature a &amp;lt;a href=\"http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/12/08/13/apples_new_mini_dock_connector_to_feature_9_pin_orientation_independent_design___sources.html\"&amp;gt;layout&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; with eight pins exposed on either side of a metal shell which serves as a ninth contact, thus allowing for orientation-independent use. With the new design, users will no longer have to make sure that the connector is right side up when inserting it into an iDevice.\r\n\r\n&amp;lt;div align=\"center\"&amp;gt;&amp;lt;img src=\"http://photos.appleinsider.com/12.09.08-Plug-4.jpg\" alt=\"690\" width=\"450\" height=\" border=\"0\"&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/div&amp;gt;\r\n\r\nApple is widely expected to unveil the sixth-generation iPhone next week after the company sent out &amp;lt;a href=\"http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/12/09/04/apple_announces_its_almost_here_event_on_sept_12\"&amp;gt;invitations&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; for a Sept. 12 special event. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://appleinsider.com/articles/12/09/08/apples_alleged_9_pin_dock_connector_may_be_same_size_as_micro_usb>