Apple updates MFi guidelines after Kickstarter project flap
In a statement on Friday, Apple noted that it has slightly changed the terms of its "Made for iPhone/iPad/iPod" specifications to allow third-party manufacturers to build accessories that use the Lightning connector in conjunction with legacy 30-pin adapters, a feature prohibited in the company's original stipulations.
Apple told CNET that the MFi terms have been changed to allow third-party accessories to implement both the new Lightning connector and the older 30-pin plugs in a single product. The news comes a day after media outlets publicized the death of POP, a Kickstarter project for an all-in-one iDevice charger that was effectively killed by Apple previous licensing rules.
"Our technical specifications provide clear guidelines for developing accessories and they are available to MFi licensees for free," said Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr. "We support accessories that integrate USB and Lightning connectors, but there were technical issues that prevented accessories from integrating 30-pin and Lightning connectors so our guidelines did not allow this."
It is unclear if the change is in response to the media blitz surrounding POP's demise, but Apple's claim of having "technical issues" with the combination of interconnect protocols is questionable given that the Kickstarter project was able to build a working model that included both Lightning, 30-pin and micro-USB standards.
POP creator James Siminoff told ArsTehnica that his company was already part of the MFi program before the launch of the iPhone 5, and consequently the smaller Lightning format, and didn't expect Apple to alter the licensing stipulations. With Apple's new guidelines in place, POP was unable to acquire the necessary license which forced the cancelation of the project despite having funding from 1,000 backers totaling $139,170. As of this writing, Siminoff is not planning to resurrect POP and will issue refunds to all customers.
"If it has to be an Apple-only product, and Lightning can't be next to, say, an Android charger, then it's still not something we want to make," Siminoff said after learning of the updated guidelines. "I hope they become customer friendly. Maybe we will be able to do [the POP charger] after all."
Apple told CNET that the MFi terms have been changed to allow third-party accessories to implement both the new Lightning connector and the older 30-pin plugs in a single product. The news comes a day after media outlets publicized the death of POP, a Kickstarter project for an all-in-one iDevice charger that was effectively killed by Apple previous licensing rules.
"Our technical specifications provide clear guidelines for developing accessories and they are available to MFi licensees for free," said Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr. "We support accessories that integrate USB and Lightning connectors, but there were technical issues that prevented accessories from integrating 30-pin and Lightning connectors so our guidelines did not allow this."
It is unclear if the change is in response to the media blitz surrounding POP's demise, but Apple's claim of having "technical issues" with the combination of interconnect protocols is questionable given that the Kickstarter project was able to build a working model that included both Lightning, 30-pin and micro-USB standards.
POP creator James Siminoff told ArsTehnica that his company was already part of the MFi program before the launch of the iPhone 5, and consequently the smaller Lightning format, and didn't expect Apple to alter the licensing stipulations. With Apple's new guidelines in place, POP was unable to acquire the necessary license which forced the cancelation of the project despite having funding from 1,000 backers totaling $139,170. As of this writing, Siminoff is not planning to resurrect POP and will issue refunds to all customers.
"If it has to be an Apple-only product, and Lightning can't be next to, say, an Android charger, then it's still not something we want to make," Siminoff said after learning of the updated guidelines. "I hope they become customer friendly. Maybe we will be able to do [the POP charger] after all."
Comments
So now there can be speaker docks with both Dock Connector and Lightning in them? Maybe they'll even go to the trouble of giving regular docks pop-out pieces, one with Lightning, one with Dock Connector…
Apple isn't unreasonable.
J.
Originally Posted by genovelle
Well it sounds like he's still not satisfied. He wants to use the certified for iPod program with other types of chargers now. I wouldn't allow that either.
Wait, really?
I think that if the thing only has Apple-related connections on it, it should sure be allowed. If it's supposed to be "universal", good luck.
MAME comes out for iOS? Kill it. Universal charging adapters? Kill them. Mac App Store applications that are just slightly too useful? Kill them.
Ugh. This is the main aspect of the company that I hate and I wish they'd knock it off.
Originally Posted by zorinlynx
MAME comes out for iOS? Kill it. Universal charging adapters? Kill them. Mac App Store applications that are just slightly too useful? Kill them.
Ugh. This is the main aspect of the company that I hate and I wish they'd knock it off.
I wish people would knock off accusing Apple of things they're not doing, but hey, lifeblood for some.
What a steaming pile of crap, it makes me wonder why you'd waste your precious time coming to a site like this.
Second, Apples very meticulous when it comes to specs and hardware testing. This new spec was likely in the pipes for some time.. They don't just spew, the next day, new engineering specs for a single Kickstarter project.
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Reasoning is as reasoning does. So what are you doing here?
Quote:
Originally Posted by hill60
What a steaming pile of crap, it makes me wonder why you'd waste your precious time coming to a site like this.
You're right. The only thing that annoys me more than Apple's bad behavior is the fanboys that defend (and hence, enable) it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
I wish people would knock off accusing Apple of things they're not doing, but hey, lifeblood for some.
- MAME being removed from iOS:
Um, they did do this. I still have it installed on my iPad, because I downloaded it before it was removed.
- Universal charging adapters:
That's what this entire post is about.
- Killing useful Mac Store apps:
http://mplayerx.org/leave-mas.html
They didn't outright remove the app, but the sandboxing restrictions meant the app would no longer be anywhere near as useful. Their complete failure to budge on the sandboxing is ridiculous.
Hey Gazoobee, this was my complaint.
Clearly Apple agreed 100% with me, and realized their policy was both "whack" and "nuts". According to you, it looks like Apple has decided to back a "bad idea".
Originally Posted by zorinlynx
- MAME being removed from iOS:
- Universal charging adapters:
- Killing useful Mac Store apps:
You're making up reasons for these things to have happened to put Apple in a bad light. Stop making up reasons.
MAME exists to infringe copyright, by the way. Of course it's not gonna fly.
Their complete failure to budge on the sandboxing is ridiculous.
Develop for someone else then. Obviously if it's actually ridiculous, everyone else will leave, too.
Except they won't.
So what exactly is the problem now? Just take the USB charger cable that came with your phone, or whatever, and plug it into a USB port. Theres ever storage for the cable! Problem solved. I'm now beginning to wonder if this guy is legit after all ... I mean what kind of chargers is he contemplating?
Quote:
Originally Posted by zorinlynx
[...] Their complete failure to budge on the sandboxing is ridiculous.
For me, it's actually one of the reasons I prefer iOS over Android. Admittedly I sacrifice some flexibility, but I trade that for not having to give security a second thought.
I might not be willing to make that compromise in other areas of my life, but I can't be bothered to "manage" security on my portable device when there's an OS that makes it a non-issue.
Tallest Skil, this updated rule would still not allow for a speaker dock with both connectors. (Unless the sound came from Bluetooth or the headphone jack and the lightning/ Dock connector was charging only)
Quote:
Originally Posted by jnjnjn
I was expecting this.
Apple isn't unreasonable.
The position they originally took wasn't unreasonable either though. This appeasement will quiet the tempers of those complaining, but in terms of the actual products, it will only delay the adoption of lightning as a standard and ensure that the average cost of lightning accessories remains higher than it would have been otherwise.
The whiners win with this decision, and rationality and reason lose.
B. Apple has to be careful about this kind of thing because when some 3rd party crap charger fries an iPhone do you think the consumer is calling the knock off accessory maker or walking into an apple store.
C. Limiting to just apple chargers is called good business and good brand building. You have other choices... Excercise them!