The biggest argument against this is that they were about to standardize on mircro-USB. Any body that contemplated that disaster cannot be trusted with technology decisions.
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EU Proposes to Force Apple to Switch iPhone, iPad, and AirPods From Lightning to USB-C
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There's more to it than just the headline.
"The European Commission is also planning to revise its eco-design regulations to ensure that external power supplies for devices are interoperable."
Once mobile device charging is standardised for the long term we can start doing away with charging bricks altogether and just build USB power into wall sockets.
Oh do enlighten me please! I only spent close to four decades in there but this shall be so eye opening.
I do know that my last few iPhones in particular had issues with broken proprietary lightning ports while my USB-C devices still work.
Proprietary chargers were a bad idea to begin with and I hope we’ll get rid of that nonsense asap.
I’ve never had a USB-C port break (the piece you’re speaking of is inset such that the connector isn’t physically able to exert enough force on it at such an angle to break it, so it’d have to be something else breaking it off) but I have had multiple Lightning cables, from Apple and others, where the connector broke off through normal — if not relatively gentle — usage.
Of course, and things like warraties are offered by corporation as a gesture, right? Just how many days of warranties would you have if it was up to them?
Why's that? They're not mandating power bricks ship with gear, this doesn't effect older products, and new products still have a mix of USB-Mini, USB-Micro and USB C.
If people keep their older devices, they still use whatever cables they had. If they were going to stop using the device, thereby making the cord not-useful, they're still generating more waste with the device being discarded than the cable.
I'm totally not in favor of mandating a connection type, but I'm not sure how it generates more waste. Even if you throw out all the existing Micro and Mini cables, that's got to be less waste than switching to one standard, so all new devices can continue to use legacy cords on new devices.
At some point those older cables are getting thrown out anyhow, so that's a sunk cost. This might hasten when they get thrown out, but they're still getting thrown out some day.
As others suggested, good luck getting Apple to acquiesce. They (and other companies) profiteer off all these accessories and ports, plugs, etc. It's a huge profit center that standardization would threaten.
But I agree, I'm sick and tired of this cable, that cable, this standard or that. At some point, our tech will mature enough that it will all be wireless -- then we can all deal with those standards
But I agree, I'm sick and tired of this cable, that cable, this standard or that. At some point, our tech will mature enough that it will all be wireless -- then we can all deal with those standards
Best news I heard today relating to this topic. iPhone 14 with USB-C port and it will boost sales, Apple is not loosing sleep over it I believe Apple knew this was coming hence it switched iPad Air 4 and Mini 6 to USB-C. In 2022 the Lightening connector will celebrate a decade of its consumer existence similar to the 30 pin connector that was replaced. USB-C has far more advantages over disadvantages and as a shareholder and customer I gives this news two big thumbs up and I believe Apple will too as it will eventually cease including the USB-C charging cable and the iPhone capabilities for USB-C accessories opens up multi fold to take advantage of the capabilities of the device.
The Debbie downers here can say whatever until 2022 when iPhone 14 is released with it and then Lightening will be forgotten in a flash (get it 😜).
iPhone 13 customers are the unfortunate “victims” going forward. Hence I decided to wait this year out and upgrade to iPhone 14. 😎
The Debbie downers here can say whatever until 2022 when iPhone 14 is released with it and then Lightening will be forgotten in a flash (get it 😜).
iPhone 13 customers are the unfortunate “victims” going forward. Hence I decided to wait this year out and upgrade to iPhone 14. 😎
EU gave the industry 12 years to find something out. They did not. Reminds me of when EU gave the telecom industries several chances to ditch steaming. They did not until EU made the legislation.
A standard would allow us to ditch all the transformers as well as USB-C ports, at least the power, would be in the walls.
A standard would allow us to ditch all the transformers as well as USB-C ports, at least the power, would be in the walls.
Fact: Apple uses USB-C and (USB-C)Thunderbolt on several of its iPads and MacBooks. Why? Because of high data transfer speeds and high charging wattage paired with a neat compact and reversible design. Overall, specs on these ports outperform all of the Lightning port iterations on all of Apples Lightning-only products.
Fact #2: In the last 10 years or so, Apple hasn’t developed a new port or iteration of Lightning that outperforms the best USB-C/Thunderbolt ports or its the best iteration of its own Lightning ports.
Considering these two facts, how would having the EU force Apple to implement USB-C stifle innovation or create more e-waste?
I’d gladly accept Apple’s anti-e-waste argument if Apple had never strayed from Lightning. But they did stray on the iPads and MacBooks because those products require way higher charging speeds and compatibility with things like cameras and external drives that naturally are USB-C because Lightning’s data transfer and charging speeds are too slow to meet the needs of both the iPads/MacBooks but also the other gear you’d want to power via
Yes, Lightning was a better port and cable when it debuted in some ways. But those days are long gone to the point of Apple even creating the arbitrary USB-C to Lightning cables while also implementing USB-C ports on its iPads.
The only new ways of charging Apple has given us is MagSafe and whatever you want to call the Apple Watch charging puck -both are proprietary and don’t offer any substantial benefits over other ports and wireless standards.
Why would the company that touts itself on sustainability go USB-C for some products and Lightning for others? Doesn’t that create unnecessary expenses and e-waste for both those who only use Apple products and those who use both Apple products and consumer electronics with USB-C ports?
There’s tons of room to upgrade the specs on USB-C/Thunderbolt while keeping the same ports and cables that fit the rest of the market.
I hope Apple and all manufacturers are forced to innovate to USB-C or ditch cables entirely if USB-C/Thunderbolt isn’t good enough for them.
if this new law is genuinely stifling their attempts to put out a truly superior port then they can just sue the EU.
Fact #2: In the last 10 years or so, Apple hasn’t developed a new port or iteration of Lightning that outperforms the best USB-C/Thunderbolt ports or its the best iteration of its own Lightning ports.
Considering these two facts, how would having the EU force Apple to implement USB-C stifle innovation or create more e-waste?
I’d gladly accept Apple’s anti-e-waste argument if Apple had never strayed from Lightning. But they did stray on the iPads and MacBooks because those products require way higher charging speeds and compatibility with things like cameras and external drives that naturally are USB-C because Lightning’s data transfer and charging speeds are too slow to meet the needs of both the iPads/MacBooks but also the other gear you’d want to power via
Yes, Lightning was a better port and cable when it debuted in some ways. But those days are long gone to the point of Apple even creating the arbitrary USB-C to Lightning cables while also implementing USB-C ports on its iPads.
The only new ways of charging Apple has given us is MagSafe and whatever you want to call the Apple Watch charging puck -both are proprietary and don’t offer any substantial benefits over other ports and wireless standards.
Why would the company that touts itself on sustainability go USB-C for some products and Lightning for others? Doesn’t that create unnecessary expenses and e-waste for both those who only use Apple products and those who use both Apple products and consumer electronics with USB-C ports?
There’s tons of room to upgrade the specs on USB-C/Thunderbolt while keeping the same ports and cables that fit the rest of the market.
I hope Apple and all manufacturers are forced to innovate to USB-C or ditch cables entirely if USB-C/Thunderbolt isn’t good enough for them.
if this new law is genuinely stifling their attempts to put out a truly superior port then they can just sue the EU.
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Perhaps, but it's worth noting that pro-consumer laws have a cost which is passed on to the consumer. It's a tradeoff.
The directive appears to be aimed at charging only and not specify any other requirements, which means any USB-C plug configuration compies as long as you can charge from it. Unless it specifies pinouts a company could even have a custom configuration if they want that while compatible with a standard charger no otehr cable would work with it. Absent a detailed standard configuration, nothing in switching to USB-C would prevent Apple from adopting a proprietary cable standard to replace MFi and licensing it.
The whole directive may be pretty toothless in the end, especially since it must first be debated and passed, then member states have 2 years to enact laws and companies 24 months to comply. It's also possible some member states may insist on amendments that change the requirements or make exemptions, and the whole thing die due to no agreement on what the rule should be.
If my math is right, by the time it becomes mandatory we're nearly 5 years down the road; at which point USB-C may be surpassed by something else.
I haven't been able to use the iPhone MagSafe part of it yet as my 13 Pro won't arrive until tomorrow but the Qi charger in the base and Apple Watch part are very nice. I really like how the Watch 'snaps' into place unlike on the standard watch charger. It's expensive for what it is but it is very nice and I'm glad I bought it. Will also charge my wife's iPhone 8 at the base.
If you want my opinion I'd say buy it. I'm tempted to buy the 2-in-1 for my desk now. Feels like something Apple built themselves.
Apple's intransigence pretty much ensures this to pass
It sucks. But if Apple wasn't so thick headed about USB-C we wouldn't be here right now.
It sucks. But if Apple wasn't so thick headed about USB-C we wouldn't be here right now.
Do you think all the consumers with 10 years of accumulated lightning accessories think that?
There was a clear benefit in moving from the 30pin to Lightning. I don’t see that benefit here, just hassle and the need to replace a bunch of stuff I already have with something bigger that does the same thing about as well.
From the Reuters article: "The move has been more than 10 years in the making, with the European Union executive touting environmental benefits...."
But USB-C only came out 7 years ago?!? (I know micro-USB prior)
Reuters link
FWIW, this seems to be a means of controlling an industry that is moving too fast to be controlled. Legislative processes take too long to implement solutions to real problems. (fake news, privacy) And the desired standards are put in place by the industries that rely on those standards (IEEE et al)
And then there is this nugget from day's past: https://www.macrumors.com/2015/03/13/apple-invents-usb-c/
But USB-C only came out 7 years ago?!? (I know micro-USB prior)
Reuters link
FWIW, this seems to be a means of controlling an industry that is moving too fast to be controlled. Legislative processes take too long to implement solutions to real problems. (fake news, privacy) And the desired standards are put in place by the industries that rely on those standards (IEEE et al)
And then there is this nugget from day's past: https://www.macrumors.com/2015/03/13/apple-invents-usb-c/
🤷♀️ Seems legit. Don’t know why it’s not on USBC anyway. The iPad Pro is already on thunderbolt. What’s the issue? When the next big standard comes out, they’ll petition the EU for that, and hopefully get more standards applied across the industry. Lightning cables SUUUUUCK. They’re not a universal standard, and the apple ones tend to fall apart too rapidly.
I think it should be recognized that they did not end up going down that route. USB-C is the future (and present) and should last decades.
I am a simpleton but if the market decided why does Apple still have all the best selling phones? Maybe the market tolerates more variation than regulators do.
like USB-A, USB-B, SCSI cables, et al.
If the market decided, why is this regulation necessary?