Link: ‘Apple will soon let third-party products use its Lightning port’
Some details are starting to come out about what was discussed at last week’s MFi summit. While nothing specifically related to controllers has been revealed yet, it does look like Apple will start allowing manufactures to include female Lightning ports in their devices, which could include MFi controller devices.
9to5mac says:
Allowing accessory makers to build-in a Lightning port provides a number of benefits, according to manufacturers briefed during Appleâs MFi Summit. One of the biggest benefits is to reduce costs for manufacturers and simplify the product experience for users by using Lightning to provide power to both an accessory and the iOS device. Dock or battery case manufacturers, for example, would previously have to provide a separate USB cable and power supply to charge an accessory. Mophieâs battery pack iPhone case with integrated Lightning connector, for instance, currently comes with a micro USB cable for charging. With a built-in Lightning port, users could use an existing Lightning cable (the one that came with their iOS device) to charge the accessory.
I’m curious as to whether or not anything controller related was discussed at this MFi summit. With all the bluetooth controllers announced and shipping over the past few months, Lightning-powered controllers seem to have been left in the dust. That’s a shame; personally, I much prefer that style.