Friday, October 17, 2008

My Apple AV composite cable no longer works with my 3G iPhone.

If you have an Apple AV cable, you may want to see it if still works with your iPhone after the 2.1 update. I just posted this on Apple's discussion list:
Apple - Support - Discussions - My Apple AV composite cable no longer ...

I purchased an Apple composite AV cable from my local Apple store shortly after I bought my 3G iPhone.

It worked then.

I haven't used it much, but this morning I tried it again.

This time I got a message something like this:

"This accessory was not made to work with the iPhone. Would you like to turn on Airplane mode to reduce interference?"

It works with my older 3rd generation iPod.

This isn't an after-market cable. I bought it (yes, $50) at an Apple store because I knew Apple had shut out non-Apple connectors with the new generation devices.

I've seen various messages about failures of the AV cables after the 2.1 update. Most refer to aftermarket cables, or Apple cables purchased indirectly (may be counterfeit).

Has anyone else run into this?

I suppose I'll have to go back to the Apple Store with the cable and receipt and see what they can do about it.
I'll update this post with what I hear from my Apple store. If it turns out Apple deliberately broke their own cables that worked with iPhone 2.0 ...

Update: I read a post that suggests the connectors are a funny fit with the new iPhone -- that they may not always contact fully and this produces the message. I'll inspect closely and try again.

Update: Yes, it's the cable. If it's not fully seated you get this error. The old iPod connector used a locking connection with a positive click, the AV cable uses a lockless connector that differs from the newer lockless iPhone connector. I suspect the AV cable connector was a transitional design that may have more connectivity issues.

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