According to the Apple-centered blog iMore, Apple may be replacing the traditional dock connector featured on the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch with a smaller “micro dock”, aiming to leave more space for more critical components such as an LTE chipset or perhaps a bigger battery.

Apple “revolutions” are not that uncommon, considering that it switched from the traditional mini SIM card to the micro SIM, rather uncommon at the time, and it took the antenna out from the iPhone and put it in the frame of the headset.

Changing the current dock connector would make an entire industry built around iPhone accessories obsolete, but more room for important components could weigh more. The iPhone 5 may be the first device to feature the new micro dock, and maybe a bigger, better battery. The iPhone 4S has a lower battery efficiency than all the other iPhones, and so a longer power lifespan would certainly be welcome.

The present dock connector is big because it is a separate component, and it takes up a lot of valuable space. Building it onto the mainboard could free some of that space, but since the connector is a weak point, it may not be such a good idea. If it were built on the mainboard, replacing the connector would mean replacing the entire mainboard.

While the rest of the industry uses the microUSB standard, Apple’s new docking port is expected to have a new design. In addition, Apple is enabling more OS software, digital media and app updates over iCloud, which means the dock connector will not only serve as a way to charge the device, but also as a means to connect to third-party accessories.