Apple Stops Selling iPhone 14 and iPhone SE in More EU Countries

[surferfb]

You can cling to Micro-USB argument (which the EU did not mandate on smartphones) and conjecture about (inhibited) development of "superior connectors" all you want...

They passed a regulation mandating either Micro-USB or an adapter, then decided that wasn't good enough and passed a new regulation mandating USB-C without an adapter. If USB-C didn't exist they absolutely would have mandated Micro-USB because they think they know better than tech companies. We're lucky they didn't demand computers keep serial ports in the 1990s.

👉 The inclusion of USB-C has made it a better product.

For the same reasons that Apple began to introduce it to their iPad lineup ages ago (6 years - a long time in tech).

It allows for faster charging, faster transfer speeds. And importantly, connection of peripherals with a standard connector. iPhone users - a minority of device buyers in Europe (by your own argument) - were long enough ridiculed for Apple's slower, proprietary connector, the price premium for their cables and inability to plug in...things like a normal flash drive. No one's shedding a tear for Lightning.

Ridiculed is a bit harsh, but overall I agree with pretty much everything you wrote here. Still doesn't mean the government should be mandating which connector products use. Especially if you're right and Lightening was costing Apple sales. The market is perfectly capable of taking care of that on its own.

 

[titanium alloy]

What happens when you click on "Shop iPhone"? That icon still has the SE showing...

weird, the icon does show the se but its not listed on that page anymore

 

[AppliedMicro]

If USB-C didn't exist they absolutely would have mandated Micro-USB because they think they know better than tech companies

They prudently waited for a better connector to be established.
And they're leaving the door open for new connector developments - which are very unlikely to happen for a generation.

If they did, I have little doubt that Chinese manufacturer would introduce a superior port anyway - European regulation or not.

PS: And if regulation spurred the development and adoption of a superior connector (USB-C), that's good as well.

 

[Hank001]

weird, the icon does show the se but its not listed on that page anymore

So much for attention to detail.

 

[Jamie0003]

Like I said, they switched to MagSafe, with the plans to go entirely cableless in the future. But then they backpaddled on that and started testing USB-C iPhones. It takes around 2-3 years for a port to be implemented (and all accessories to switch etc). So you end up at 2023... with the.. iPhone 15.

Rubbish. MagSafe is and never was a replacement for plugging in

 

[SanderEvers]

Rubbish. MagSafe is and never was a replacement for plugging in

It's not? I don't see a USB port on my Apple watch. Apple was clearly moving to a cable free future. However that failed because they couldn't get the efficiency right. (so chargers would be slow and overheat) This is why iPhones didn't support fast charging for the longest as well.

So no MagSafe isn't a replacement to plugging in. I know that. But it was supposed to be. That's my point.

A wired charger is about 95% efficient, a (non-magsafe) wireless charger is around 70%. MagSafe is around 75%. If / when Apple could get that to around 85% they will release an iPhone without a charging port. But with current technology that's not possible.

 

[danny842003]

It's not? I don't see a USB port on my Apple watch. Apple was clearly moving to a cable free future. However that failed because they couldn't get the efficiency right. (so chargers would be slow and overheat) This is why iPhones didn't support fast charging for the longest as well.

So no MagSafe isn't a replacement to plugging in. I know that. But it was supposed to be. That's my point.

A wired charger is about 95% efficient, a (non-magsafe) wireless charger is around 70%. MagSafe is around 75%. If / when Apple could get that to around 85% they will release an iPhone without a charging port. But with current technology that's not possible.

I’m not sure the fact Apple Watch isn’t wired proves anything other than the Apple Watch isn’t wired.
It’s a jump to suggest anything else based on that.