Dual Dock Connector iPad? Just an Early Design
Many Apple-related news websites and blogs (including PadGadget) reported on an alleged new iPad design offering an additional dock connector. The rumor was based on drawings and a patent filing showing two dock connectors on the iPad, allowing the device to be docked in either portrait or landscape mode, unlike the current iPad which features a single dock connector located on the bottom allowing only a portrait orientation when the device is docked.
As usual, speculations around new features poured in, but as it turns out, the pictures are simply from an early iPad design that simply didn’t make the cut. Apple initially looked into a dual connector design, but the Cupertino engineers eventually decided to keep things simple and killed the additional landscape port.
Apple may still decide to use the dual port design in a future version of the iPad, but it is unlikely, as having two separate connectors would likely confuse many users. Moreover, given that the next-gen iPad is expected to come in a smaller format, the additional port seems unnecessary.
