Back when Apple modified the Apple Bumper to more precisely fit the Verizon iPhone by modifying the hole for mute switch, they made one other change that I didn't see mentioned anywhere until I got my new bumper the other day.
The port on the bottom for the dock connector used to be so snug that only the Apple cable that came with the iPhone would work with it. Even the cheap counterfeit cable I got was just a little too big to fit. I couldn't use the plug on my GoldWing (may she rest in peace) or the plug in Adina's car, because they were too big. This was the primary reason that I stopped using the bumper on my old phone, and got a more accommodating case which I didn't like as much overall.
With the new bumpers, there's a lot more room and they should work with a wider variety of dock cables. I really appreciate this change, even though I rarely use the plug in the Jetta anymore, and I don't have the GoldWing. It's still nice that I won't have to remove the bumper to plug in if I happen to be using a slightly odd cable. In fact, I still have one of the old cables that locks in, and that didn't work with the old bumper. It works just fine with the new one.
October 18, 2011