Those EU crooks who never could have founded a company as apple dictate a tech, of which they understand nothing, while lining their pockets.
Environmental benefits, reduced waste, convenience, and $293 million in annual savings for users are said to be among the advantages of the new directive.
half of all charging cables sold with mobile phones had a USB micro-B connector, 29 percent had a USB-C connector, and 21 percent had a Lightning connector.
• Apple releases iPhone 13 with ProRes codec video & pseudocinematic tools
• iPhone 13 releases with Lightning at USB2 transfer speeds
Hey Apple, tell us you don't believe in your own new flagship feature without telling us.
Saddest part is all these cheapo consoles now come with USB-C standard, making Apple actually seem antiquated. Apple can't be bothered to put USB-C on a $1200 phone. Nice.
The European Commission has presented legislation that would compel Apple to use a USB-C port on all iPhones, iPads, and AirPods in Europe (via Reuters).
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The proposal, known as a directive, would force all consumer electronics manufacturers who sell devices in Europe to ensure that all smartphones, tablets, cameras, headphones, portable speakers, handheld videogame consoles feature a USB-C port. This "common port" would be a world first and impact Apple in particular since it widely uses the Lightning connector instead of USB-C on many of its devices.
In 2018, the European Commission tried to reach a final resolution on the issue but it failed to come into law. At the time, Apple warned that forcing a common charging port on the industry would stifle innovation and create electronic waste as consumers were forced to switch to new cables. A European Commission impact assessment study conducted in 2019 found that half of all charging cables sold with mobile phones had a USB micro-B connector, 29 percent had a USB-C connector, and 21 percent had a Lightning connector.
Environmental benefits, reduced waste, convenience, and $293 million in annual savings for users are said to be among the advantages of the new directive.
The draft legislation also proposed that chargers should be sold separately from electronic devices, a move that Apple already started with the iPhone 12 and Apple Watch Series 6 models last year. The European Commission is also planning to revise its eco-design regulations to ensure that external power supplies for devices are interoperable.
In a statement shared with Reuters, Apple said "We remain concerned that strict regulation mandating just one type of connector stifles innovation rather than encouraging it, which in turn will harm consumers in Europe and around the world." The company also expressed concerns about the proposed two-year transition period to switch to USB-C.
The directive now needs to be greenlit by the EU Parliament and national governments, who may suggest amendments, before it can come into law. The European Commission hopes that this will occur in 2022. From that point, companies will have two years to transition to USB-C on their devices.
Article Link: EU Proposes to Force Apple to Switch iPhone, iPad, and AirPods From Lightning to USB-C
I'd like to see them try!and rail gauge...
The story in the UK, as related by Wiki is:I don't believe so - seems mostly various industry organizations/associations adopted a standard for their particular area. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC_power_plugs_and_sockets
Probably because the EU cares about consumers more than about businesses trying to extract the potential maximum for proprietary technology.Why so authoritarian, EU? It's like you want to be up in everyone's business... let the market decide.
USB-Crybabies go home.
Exactly - they’re just pushing the punchline out a few more years to keep the cash flowing.Surely their "let's use lightening" argument is now moot with even the iPad mini using USB-C now.
And all powered docks and hubs that use less than 100 Watts. No more barrel power connections.Can’t wait to have just one charging cable. This should be applied equally to all portable electronics with a rechargeable batter, of course.
But then apple can't collect licensing feesWell, from a charging perspective already USB-C allows 100 watt power output.. Seems more than enough from a charging point of view..
The amount of power used to charge your phone is negligibleLet's hope not. Wireless charging is incredibly inefficient and thus a waste of electricity.
That would be terrible, the future is clearly wirelessit might be prevented from doing so.
In the interim it will likely increase waste and costs. That's short-term thinking though. In the long-term it's quite advantageous on both of those counts to be able to charge all of your electronic devices with potentially a single cable/brick. In the future, people switching between Android and iOS will no longer have to buy new charging cables or other accessory devices. And the only reason micro USB is around is because some phone manufacturers are cheap bastards. It should've disappeared from most new devices several years ago.The ultimate example of design by committee.
Nothing reduces waste and cost while increasing convenience quite like suddenly obsoleting 71 percent of people's stuff...
You clearly don't know what kind of people 'seat' in the EUProbably because the EU cares about consumers more than about businesses trying to extract the potential maximum for proprietary technology.