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Apple Offering Micro USB Adapters to European Customers
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Earth to DESNOS, we are the EU. We elect our overlords. Just like you elect your HoR and bend over and take whatever it dishes at you.
Monoprice et al will probably bring out one at a better price than $10.
I just got back from the caribbean, missed yesterday's announcements.
So far I find this adaptor the best new thing!
And yes, it works with A5 too! Siri compliant as well!
So far I find this adaptor the best new thing!
And yes, it works with A5 too! Siri compliant as well!
If it's possible to sync via this mini-USB adaptor, then why'n the heck does Apple have to use the large/awkward connector for iDevices in the first place - it would be so much easier to have just a mini-USB port on iDevices.
I think this connector is a must-have - I already have a USB charging socket in my car, and use a USB-to-micro-USB retractable cable for my GPS and to charge SWMBO's HTC phone, so this would mean one less cable to carry. It would also make connecting my iPhone to the car's audio system much easier as the proprietary iPhone cable is too short.
Well done Apple.
I think this connector is a must-have - I already have a USB charging socket in my car, and use a USB-to-micro-USB retractable cable for my GPS and to charge SWMBO's HTC phone, so this would mean one less cable to carry. It would also make connecting my iPhone to the car's audio system much easier as the proprietary iPhone cable is too short.
Well done Apple.
Or required to include the adapter either?
In that case how does the law help anyone?
You're still completely dependent on a PROPRIETARY adapter!
Sounds like someone missed a rather glaring loophole.
The horror!Having to use the cord that came FREE with the phone!
It's an idiotic nanny state law.None of the government's business what the damn plug on your phone looks like.
Sheesh!
Us Europeans know what we are about ....
Micro USB = great idea.
There are piles and piles and boxes of adapters all over Europe which can now go in the bin.
Got a phone?, left home without a charger? got more than one house? want a charger in the car? need to charge your phone just once while you are in the office?
The micro USB is the common communications interface as well as the charger, everyone uses it, more and more equipment can be charged by it, expect even the mighty APPLE to end up using the micro USB as a charge / comms interface sometime as the US gets dragged into it - don't think it won't happen.
Micro USB = great idea.
There are piles and piles and boxes of adapters all over Europe which can now go in the bin.
Got a phone?, left home without a charger? got more than one house? want a charger in the car? need to charge your phone just once while you are in the office?
The micro USB is the common communications interface as well as the charger, everyone uses it, more and more equipment can be charged by it, expect even the mighty APPLE to end up using the micro USB as a charge / comms interface sometime as the US gets dragged into it - don't think it won't happen.
All these things were new since 2009. The Nokia phone I mentioned actually has a micro USB connection, but NOT for charging. WTF?!
Just saying, your mantra is that Apple is evil. But, they are far from the sole company not using standards you prefer.
Also, I'm certainly not going to junk functioning devices just for a connector.
Never said you should.
I am surprised by the nokia unless it was announced in the first 1/2ish of 2009. Most phones today but the iPhone have moved over to micro usb for charging and data.
I wish apple would follow suit. Last thing I like is getting more wires that can not be reused for multiple devices.
For me micro usb has been great. I keep 3. Car, computer and night stand. It works for everything and i cycle them for everything but the iPod.
It would of been nice if apple really followed the spirit of the standard instead of this wanna be way.
Right - the main goal was to avoid the wastestream from all the adapters that get junked when your phone is lost/antiquated/ditched. You can continue to use old adapters with new phones. After a few iterations you should have a cable everywhere that works for everything.
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While this is an elegant "solution" it sure would be nicer if Apple had just added a microUSB port next to the standard connector.
Except whenever you get a phone you get a charger anyway. So you still end up with multiple cords. The charger should be something separate from the phone, so people can simply decline if they already have one at home. This also means energy/resources aren't wasted manufacturing unneeded chargers. That is how you do things in an environmentally friendly way.
so you are given an extra charger that can be recycled and reused. Plus do not forget about your car charges or extra chargers people tend to buy (one for home, one for work ect)
They can be reused instead of all of them having to be tossed.
Also I believe the law gives the companies as a group some room to move so say USB becomes outdated they can all move to a new standard. Chances are USB 3.0 will replace usb 2.0.
It just the industry has to decide on a new standard.
I still want to see why people think it is a bad thing all the companies going to a single standard (well every one but Apple). It reduces the crap we have to throw away and allows use to reuse stuff.
If you mean actually recycling the components, that would be helpful, but now we're using energy to reclaim value from something that didn't need to be made to begin with.
My original idea of just making chargers and phone separate items would be better. Once the two are not counted together in the supply chain, we can do things like have smaller production runs of chargers to better meet consumer demand. Plus, the phone seller can tailor the accessory package to better meet the customer's needs. Every phone comes with an AC mains adapter now at least. If the customer had a choice of declining the charger as I proposed, they could just as easily be given a choice of an auto charger instead of a household AC charger if that's what they needed. Or a travel charger that's more compact than a regular AC charger and has collapsing blades on the plug.
I can't remember the actual timescale, but that's what's ultimately happening under this EU move; the move to a common charger is just the first stage. In a few years time mobile phones sold in the EU won't come with chargers.
I think you miss understood what I meant by recycled which is my fault. What I meant was it could and will be reused for the future produced. It is not thrown way to be trashed but instead used with the new device add this to things like car chargers do not need to be replaced.
Also the long term goal was to stop putting chargers with the phones is just a matter of time.
Its not a bad idea, but the slightly dumb part is that the industry was already converging on a similar idea: making everything charge via USB and building power adapters with (full size) USB sockets. My Kindle, my HTC phone and my iDevices all came with power adapters equipped with full-size USB sockets. When I travel, I only have to take my iPad adapter and the appropriate leads. Most new-ish cars have USB sockets and, if not, you can get a cigar lighter-to-USB adapter.
Sure, you still have to carry multiple leads, but they're not as bulky or dolphin-unfriendly as wall-warts.
Pretty soon I'll have enough USB wall-warts to keep one wherever I need it (the Apple ones are the nicest) and it won't bother me if new gadgets come without adapters. Even without regulation I'd now see not charging via USB as a potential deal-breaker when gadget shopping. The EU should have standardised the sockets on the chargers, not the sockets on the mobile devices. What happens if manufacturers want to look at inductive charging or MagSafe-like solutions?
The irony is that the original EU draft specified that you could either offer a charger with a fixed cable terminating in a micro-USB socket on the device or an adapter (as Apple are now offering) OR a charger with a removable cable (that could terminate in a bespoke plug) as long as the cable connected to the charger via a standard USB... in other words exactly what Apple were already offering and what you describe above.
I stopped following the progress of this, so I'm not sure how the second option disappeared and we got left with just the first one - both would have served the same purpose but the second option seemed easier to implement based on how common it already was in the real world.
Reason that regulation came in place was more of a request from the same group. It made them all go that way.
Also it does not effect them wanting to go with inductive charging. It just means 2 ways of charging it. Go look at Blackberry. They could be charged by USB port or by the contact chargers. Contact chargers went in a nice little stand.
I want to say it was Apple's doing that had it be weakened up. The orginal law would of required a Micro USB point on the phone. The wall socket part was not on there. Most went with the wall wart thing because well they only need to put on cable in the box.
This is retarded. His logic is retarded. If you forget to charge your phone, then forget to bring the charger, but you remember this extra piece you have absolutely no other use for, then you can borrow the cable from someone else whom is better prepared then you, but does not have any Apple iOS device, to charge your phone.
I wish they would just update the 30pin to make able to take either cable. Maybe integrate a usb next the 30pin?
I wish they would just update the 30pin to make able to take either cable. Maybe integrate a usb next the 30pin?
Can you please provide some evidence to support this?
I don't remember seeing any of the draft regulations requiring a Micro USB port in the phone.