Apple to Adopt Micro-USB Connectors for iPhone Charging in Europe

[Master Chief]

I think it's dubious, note how the point was really to stop selling phones with chargers!

Ugh I love the way European countries do things, they can't get people to willingly adopt so they force them.

You mean like Apple is forcing you to purchase Apple products (just read the OS X EULA)?

Did you know that it took 50.000 casualties (car crashes) in the USA before the US car manufacturers adopted the seat belt? And that it took nearly ten years before they did? Seems like regulations works after all

I just looked up Euro NCAP and Euro-5 which to me seems like perfect things to adopt for the US of A.

 

[alex4bes]

I think the adapter that people are refering to would be a male micro-usb to female dock connector.

i.e the iphone would have a micro usb slot....

And what would this mean for the rest of the ipod range.... perhaps apple will distance the phone market from its music player side..

 

[NicP]

Arent there advantages with the dock over usb?

here is a pinout of the dock connector:
http://pinouts.ru/Devices/ipod_pinout.shtml

If the dock connector goes we lose analog audio in/out via a dock as well as the serial control and video out

These things are not impossible to get over USB but from my understanding a USB connection would require decoding hardware in the accessory rather than using the onboard decoding of the ipod/iphone which would make some accessories considerably more expensive

 

[applecultvictim]

As others have said, they are not about to ditch their very popular and very functional connector, to fall into line with other companies, so I expect they will include an adaptor with all new iPhones. It will probably look a bit like this ...

Excellent post.

Btw, micro usb looks like a bunch of crap. Keep the dock connector apple and screw the rest.

In any case with about $20 we pay per simple cable for the ipod/phone I think you can pretty well afford the cost of it, cant you boys?

 

[Freyqq]

easy. Just include a usb-ipod dock converter or add in a usb elsewhere

 

[windywoo]

Really, reducing junk is a laudable goal, but should never come at the expense of the end-user experience.

Not saying that's the case here, but if the choice is between an easier solution and an environmentally-friendly solution, give me the easier solution 100 times out of 100.

There's plenty of landfill space in New Jersey.

No it should always be a priority above end user experience. You can't put luxury items above the need to keep our world clean. Landfill is a very short term solution. And you need to take a long hard look at your priorities.

 

[peters438]

No it should always be a priority above end user experience. You can't put luxury items above the need to keep our world clean. Landfill is a very short term solution. And you need to take a long hard look at your priorities.

A long hard look at reality would make more sense.

So the power adapter is saved from the landfill. What about the old phone? If it's trashed, then what's the point? It's going in the landfill. If it's recycled, why not recycle the power adapter too? If it's sold or given away, then I'm betting the new user would like the charger as well, to um... charge the phone!

 

[s4yunkim]

It's probably goign to be what Korea has been doing for years....

All cell phones have the same adapter here in Korea. It's a generic 20 pin connector, and when you buy a cell phone, it comes with a little adapter to go from the 20 pin to whatever your phone accepts... My guess is it will look exactly like that USB->Dock connector plug that was posted earlier.

 

[aristotle]

I think the adapter that people are refering to would be a male micro-usb to female dock connector.

i.e the iphone would have a micro usb slot....

And what would this mean for the rest of the ipod range.... perhaps apple will distance the phone market from its music player side..

So this tells me two things.
1. You did not bother reading the other posts in the thread.
2. You are not aware that the iPod dock connector carries not only power and USB signals but also control signals for controlling the iPod/iPhone via buttons on the dock device or via a remote paired with the dock as well as audio "and" video.

Were you completely asleep when Apple made a big deal about the new API in iPhone 3.0 for controlling add-on hardware such as sensors that use the dock port? They did not do that just to use with an iPod touch.

You can have a dock port and add an adaptor for microusb, not the other way around.

You are basically suggesting that Apple will throw away their competitive advantage of the built up ecosystem of car integration kits, add on sensor products for use with iPhone 3.0 and the iPhone and the plethora of radios, TVs and speaker systems with a dock connector. You are serious?

 

[aristotle]

No it should always be a priority above end user experience. You can't put luxury items above the need to keep our world clean. Landfill is a very short term solution. And you need to take a long hard look at your priorities.

Windywoo, this is a technology site. The door is there for you to leave through if you don't like it.

I think it is more effective to buy products that last rather than fragile products which will end up in the landfill more quickly.

 

[windywoo]

A long hard look at reality would make more sense.

So the power adapter is saved from the landfill. What about the old phone? If it's trashed, then what's the point? It's going in the landfill. If it's recycled, why not recycle the power adapter too? If it's sold or given away, then I'm betting the new user would like the charger as well, to um... charge the phone!

Well people should be using their phones longer not throwing them out as soon as the new model comes out. And phone companies shouldn't be releasing new phones every other week encouraging upgrades just so they make more money.

Windywoo, this is a technology site. The door is there for you to leave through if you don't like it.

I think it is more effective to buy products that last rather than fragile products which will end up in the landfill more quickly.

Where is the rule written that technology has to be unfriendly to the environment? That short term profits and rapid advancement in technology are more important than the long term consequences? Technology companies are just making headaches for their children further down the line. A technology site is just the sort of place that environmental issues should be discussed.

There are plenty of cheap iPod port compatible products out there, and Apple has had several revisions of that port. There is nothing lasting about it. Is it because the standard does not come from Apple that you consider it fragile and short lived?

 

[aristotle]

Well people should be using their phones longer not throwing them out as soon as the new model comes out. And phone companies shouldn't be releasing new phones every other week encouraging upgrades just so they make more money.



Where is the rule written that technology has to be unfriendly to the environment? That short term profits and rapid advancement in technology are more important than the long term consequences? Technology companies are just making headaches for their children further down the line. A technology site is just the sort of place that environmental issues should be discussed.

There are plenty of cheap iPod port compatible products out there, and Apple has had several revisions of that port. There is nothing lasting about it. Is it because the standard does not come from Apple that you consider it fragile and short lived?

Every current iPod compatible dock product works with the current iPod Touch/iPhone. The only products that no longer work are devices that expect Firewire charging/connectivity. Apple gradually phased out firewire connectivity by first removing syncing capability and then charging.

I have yet to throw out a single Apple product. I either still use them or have sold them on for other people to enjoy. I see a lot of poorly designed hardware that barely lasts a year before it breaks and ends up in the landfill.

 

[TK2K]

what exactly does this mean for iphone device computability??

 

[aristotle]

what exactly does this mean for iphone device computability??

Nothing has been announced yet. They will probably just include a dongle that attached to the dock connector port. I don't see why they would every want to give up their competitive advantage which the dock connector offers or give up the additional functionality it provides.

Apple has spent a lot of effort developing an entire API in 3.0 iPhone OS to allow third party devices to interface with the dock connector so I don't see them all of a sudden abandoning it.

 

[TK2K]

Nothing has been announced yet. They will probably just include a dongle that attached to the dock connector port. I don't see why they would every want to give up their competitive advantage which the dock connector offers or give up the additional functionality it provides.

Apple has spent a lot of effort developing an entire API in 3.0 iPhone OS to allow third party devices to interface with the dock connector so I don't see them all of a sudden abandoning it.

dongle would make sense, some sort of charge only function?

 

[talkingfuture]

Great news that there will be universal phone chargers. For all the worried I am sure that Apple will find a way of neatly integrating this solution that makes half of us happy.

 

[all-in-my-head]

I know everyone is focussed on the change of connector on the phone, but if the end goal is a universal charger, what are the implications for the battery inside the phone?

As all the different batteries require a particular voltage etc, will this hamper Apples own battery development? Or is it a non-issue?

 

[Habakuk]

Memorandum of Understanding

Nothing has been announced yet.

One page previous in this thread, a German-language blog quotes an official statement by an Apple spokesperson, I tried to translate it:
https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/7977109/

The iPhone's charger is the smallest and handiest one in the world. Very easy to transport. I hope they don't change it (or charge extra for it). I love to use the Apple AV cable for watching YouTube content on my TV set (or on almost any hotel room TV set in the world). I hope they don't change it.

For your information. Official PDF document:

MoU regarding Harmonisation of a Charging Capability for Mobile Phones
by DigitalEurope and the European Commission

 

[niuniu]

Excellent news, you should see the mess of chargers in one of my drawers.. terrible waste..

 

[VaDor]

They will not do away with the 30 pin dock adaptor. This is European MPs in suits who have no idea of the consequences of their actions forcing something on everyone. The aim is to keep everything 'simpler' for the average user so they don't get confused about which of 20 different chargers to use.

That I'm all for. Forcing manufacturers into a particular specification without any regard or thought for the limitations it might present is what I'm against. Same fiasco as with European software patents.

However European Union didn't force nobody to enter in this "new standard". If Apple agreed is because its capable of deliver a new iphone with a micro-usb without hurting the actual connection!

What I mean is Apple isn't stupid if it agreed is because they have a plan to incorporate a mini-usb port.

 

[Habakuk]

Poll: How many chargers do you have for your iDevice? (Honestly.) I have six of them.

#1 The one that came shipped with my iPhone is on my desktop at home and works very well with the original Apple dock for iPhone.

#2 The second one came (complete with UK plug) with the Apple AV cable and is resident in my living room beneath my TV set (I am taking it with me on trips for watching YouTube or slideshows on hotel room TVs). It can be used for syncing and charging as well.

#3 + #4 A bit cheaper ones by Belkin for my primary bedstand and office. Not so small, not so handy (no second plug), a bit shorter cable (you can change it against original Apple cable), not so well designed but they work.

#5 Car charger by Griffin

#6 The JBL speakers dock "On Stage" can load my iPhone, it's on my secondary bedstand ;-)

And I could use easily two or three additionally. I am using more than one car, I have more than one office, one for my bag on railroad trips...

 

[aleksandra.]

You're assuming that the cable will be connect to plug adapter.

Also Apple can get by just buy introducing a USB to Micro USB adapter. Since the only purpose of this adapter is for charging.

No. You can have a USB - micro-USB cable. You can't have an adapter like this. You would need a micro-USB port on the phone's side, either directly or through an adapter. Then you could use a cable to connect it to a charger or a computer with USB port.

 

[Anuba]

Personally, I liked the original port idea that combined firewire and USB functionality. USB only iPods have seen an across the board sucky data transfer speed drop as a result of going to only USB. The one and only potential benefit of this is that the dock connector could stay, go back to being firewire and we could go back to being able to download and album in 10 seconds or less.

USB 3.0 is just around the corner and will allow up to 5 Gbit/s... faster than any iPod hard drive of Flash memory could possibly handle, runs circles around firewire 800 (and outperforms the upcoming firewire 3200 too). iPods and iPhones will be USB 3.0 capable in a year or so.

The majority of iPod and iPhone users are PC users, and firewire never took off on PCs. Laptops have a 4-pin firewire 400 port at best. Once USB 3.0 arrives they'll probably drop firewire completely on the PC side. It wouldn't make business sense for Apple to go back to dual interface iPods at this point.

Poll: How many chargers do you have for your iDevice? (Honestly.) I have six of them.

One - the one that came with my iPhone. Then I have an XtremeMac Luna clock radio with an iPod dock, but I have a white iPod Video 4G sitting there pretty much permanently. I have two universal docks, an iPhone dock and an iPod Nano dock but those are all connected via USB only.

 

[twoodcc]

now this will be interesting. i bet somehow apple will put it in the dock connector

 

[fmaxwell]

Windywoo, this is a technology site. The door is there for you to leave through if you don't like it.

aristotle, this is an Apple site and Apple is on-the record as being in favor of "green" products and manufacturing. The door is there for you to leave through if you don't like it.

Windywoo is absolutely correct: Technology does not have to be environmentally hostile.

I think it is more effective to buy products that last rather than fragile products which will end up in the landfill more quickly.

So you're in favor of the micro USB connector, since it is designed for 10K plug/unplug cycles. Good. You like the fact that you will be able to charge through the alternate connector if either the dock or micro USB connectors is damaged. Great. Now let's move on.