New iPhone Dock Connector Looking for Designer – Job Ad Proves 30 pin Going

Apple is looking for a Connector Design Engineer – Bye-bye 30-pin port!

Apple has posted on their jobs pages a specific position at Cupertino.

The fruity tech cobbler is advertising for a Connector Design Engineer – this can only strengthen the growing speculation that the 30-pin dock connector will soon be tidying its desk and packing up its potted plants very soon.

Rumors of a new iPhone with a smaller dock connector have been bolstered by a raft of alleged prototypes leaking out across the internet.

The job description itself all but confirms the rumor:

The Connector Design Engineer will be responsible for managing multiple connector designs and developments in support of the iPod product lines. Cross-functional development and consulting will be a major part of your daily work. As a Lead Engineer you be responsible for identifying appropriate connection technology requirements for new products and follow through with selection and development of suitable interconnect products. This will often involve adaptation of existing connectors or complete new designs. Interfacing with connector suppliers to direct and implement the necessary design changes or creation of completely new designs will also be a major part of your daily work.

OK, so a smaller connector might not seem a big deal other than it meaning a trip to the dock shop will be on the cards soon.

The thing is that real estate on smartphones is becoming more hard to come by as the demands become greater – is this a way for Apple to free some of that up?