Got your new iPhone 5, but still waiting for an adapter so you can use your existing accessories with the phone's new Lightning connector? You're in luck.
Apple has finally started notifying the first customers who ordered its new Lightning to 30-pin adapter that their orders are now en route, according to MacRumors. The devices were expected to start shipping this month.
Several readers from Australia told the Apple-focused site that Cupertino shipped their orders, with one customer indicating that the package is expected to be delivered on Oct. 9. The customer had ordered the adapter on Sept. 13, a day after Apple unveiled the iPhone 5.
Here in the U.S., many are still waiting for their shipment confirmation, though some have seen their order status change to "processing," The Mac Observer pointed out.
With the iPhone 5, Apple swapped out the 30-pin dock connector, which was used in all iOS devices for almost a decade, in favor of the much smaller 8-pin Lightning connector. The new connector is better suited to Apple's ever-shrinking iDevices, and is reversible so there is no wrong way to insert it.
But the change was not without controversy as it makes existing speaker docks, charging docks, and other Apple accessories incompatible with the iPhone 5 without a pricey adapter. Some were also peeved that Apple again chose to use a proprietary connector, for which it can charge hefty licensing fees, instead of an industry standard like microUSB.
Apple is selling two separate Lightning adapters. The first one, the Lightning to 30-Pin Adapter ($29) is a hard plastic device that snaps onto your accessory and leaves an open connector for the latest iPhones and iPods. The second adapter, the Lightning to 30-Pin Adapter (0.2m) ($39), does the same thing, but it comes with a 7.8-inch wire.
Both Apple Lightning adapters are compatible with the iPhone 5, the fifth-generation iPod touch, and the seventh-generation iPod nano.
For more, see Apple iPhone 5's Lightning Connector: What You Need to Know.