Truth be told, the naming convention of USB in general is atrocious.
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Apple Retail Staff Drilled to Recommend iPhone 15 USB-C Charging Accessories at Point of Sale
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Usbc has been around so long now I’d imagine most people have usb c chargers just lying around at this point from one device or another
This is what optimized battery charging is for. Still I'd like to just have a slow charge feature in iOS that gives you more control.
Reading through the comments from people that don't realize that Apple is in some places following the law by not including a charger just proves that there will be people dumb enough to try and stick a Lightning plug into a USB-C hole.
It might sound odd to many here, but there are a lot of people who are confused over Lightning, USB-A and USB-C. Particularly since a USB-C port can look a lot like a Lightning port.
There are a lot of Lightning devices still out there and it will be some years yet before they’re all gone. Hell, the 9th gen iPad still uses Lightning (albeit Lightning to USB-C). And Apple’s magic keyboard and magic mouse still use Lightning, unless Apple intends to quietly switch those over.
Having new devices all USB-C does simplify the retail aspect as buyers will no longer have to look for a different connector depending on whether they have an Android or an iOS device. It will still matter only to owners of older devices and that will diminish increasingly over time.
And we still haven’t seen an avalanche of USB-C thumb drives yet. People still buy USB(A) sticks by the boat load.
There are a lot of Lightning devices still out there and it will be some years yet before they’re all gone. Hell, the 9th gen iPad still uses Lightning (albeit Lightning to USB-C). And Apple’s magic keyboard and magic mouse still use Lightning, unless Apple intends to quietly switch those over.
Having new devices all USB-C does simplify the retail aspect as buyers will no longer have to look for a different connector depending on whether they have an Android or an iOS device. It will still matter only to owners of older devices and that will diminish increasingly over time.
And we still haven’t seen an avalanche of USB-C thumb drives yet. People still buy USB(A) sticks by the boat load.
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How many pounds of oats would one USB-A stick cost?
I thought you could bring in any apple product to an Apple store for recycling? You may not get a store credit, but I was under the impression they recycle anything apple related.
They do recycle for free yes.
But it'd be nice if they incentivized people to do it, by offering a discount off the new cable. I mean if they actually cared about the environment like they said. Because without a discount, a lot of people will just toss that old cable into the garbage.
But... how does that reduce e-waste? Apple is certainly not refurbishing the 5 watt plugs.
There are ways to recycle old unused hardware. No need to throw in the trash.
You might feel better when you get "a couple bucks" for it, but let's face it, why would Apple do that?
There you say it. Apple cares for the environment. They offer a convenient, free way to recycle unused hardware.
If customers throw away instead of recycling, why is that a sign of Apple not caring?
True. That's the way it is up until now.
But here the plot thickens, because if you are upgrading from a five year old iPhone, you cannot use your old charger/cable combo with the new iPhone. So with the iPhone 15, you need to have a USB-C charger or a USB-A to USB-C cable, or you are in need to buy a new charger for your now phone.
I think the group of people this applies to is rather limited though.
When you shop online for your phone you avoid such hassles.
Other than the New Phone Smell, is there a reason to trot on down to the store for a device that has such clear-cut choices?
I don't even bother with the local phone stores because they only have the most basic models in stock AND they like to push the accessories.
If people go into a store and don't know the sellers are going to push a lot of 'digital car floor mats' with their phone, they are just helping to finance the next generation of iPhones for the rest of us.
Other than the New Phone Smell, is there a reason to trot on down to the store for a device that has such clear-cut choices?
I don't even bother with the local phone stores because they only have the most basic models in stock AND they like to push the accessories.
If people go into a store and don't know the sellers are going to push a lot of 'digital car floor mats' with their phone, they are just helping to finance the next generation of iPhones for the rest of us.
USB-A to USB-C adapters are readily available on Amazon and eBay for roughly 99¢ each. It could make sense to buy a few today, as a lot equipment has USB-A ports (cars, computers, routers, etc), but a lot of new gear is USB-C.
USB-A to USB-C adapters are available for about 99¢. They're very frequently used by tech people that have a mix of USB-A gear and USB-C. Check it out, they're simple and effective.
The dongle would be probably useless for 80+ percent of people buying an iPhone.
- People new to iPhone switching from Android most likely have USB-C
- People upgrading from a recent iPhone use USB-C on the charger side now
- People using a MacBook that is not vintage have a fast charging USB-C adaptor
- People buying their first phone are well advised to buy a charger that fits their device
So this $2 dongle would be one pile of immediate e-waste.
Is it though? Any Lightning iPhone charger bought since 2012 works on the iPhone 14, there was no need to upgrade. That changes with the 15. The group without USB-C chargers may not be insignificant.
Still available in the UK with foldable pins.
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USBC is so great we need dongles?
This headline on this story is needlessly inflammatory. Employees will of course be taught how to sell new products.
Maybe now more folks will realize how Apple plays the long game. They knew USB C was going to be required. They removed the charger from the box in anticipation (partly) of this. This created a very effective method, buy a new charger, to make-up some of the lost revenue from their proprietary Lightning connector.
Apple in 2020: "It’s our responsibility to minimize packaging and minimize what’s in the packaging if it’s not something the customer needs."
Hey, I need the new charger and cable now. Please include it in the box this year thanks. 😊
Hey, I need the new charger and cable now. Please include it in the box this year thanks. 😊
I bet they are - imagine how much money is made by Apple selling lightning cables and licensing their tech to 3rd party vendors. Its going to hit their bottom line.