EU Reaches Agreement to Force iPhone and AirPods to Adopt USB-C by Fall 2024

[deevey]

Consumers tend to like when things just "work" and don't require endless specialized (and expensive) unique connectors.

If this ruling was in place 15 years ago the iPhone would have been required to use Mini USB, or allowing for updates until now they would have been required to use Micro USB How would that have turned out ?

Does the new rule allow for innovation *like lightning did (which at the time did provide ALOT more functionality than USB could). Or do any new advances in tech now need to be vetted by the EU? (and shared to competitors).

e.g. Hypothetically, in a year or two Apple, samsung or intel develops proprietary tech capable of 400Gbps that requires a different type of connector and they want to add it to their lineup.

This isn't just about USB-C vs Lightning charging, and more an argument about what kind of connectivity could devices (legally) use in the future.

Sure USB-C will be around for a while, but whats the incentive for a manufacturer to make any significant technology leaps if they are going to be cut off at the knees?

 

[hcherry]

"Critics say the new legislation will stifle innovation by de-incentivizing manufacturers from developing improved charging standards. The EU denies this will be the case, and says it will update the legislation as new technology is developed.

“Don’t think we’re setting something in stone for the next 10 years,” said Breton at the press conference. “We have a standard that is being developed, and we have a dedicated team that will keep a close eye on all this and adapt as time goes by. We will evolve.”

USB-C will be mandatory for phones sold in the EU ‘by autumn 2024’

Along with tablets, cameras, and more.

www.theverge.com

At least the EU has stated that it's willing to adopt newer tech changes as it occurs which defeats the complaining of many commenters in this sub and other online comment board that the EU will languish and not do anything if tech standards change.

Getting permission to innovate—especially on something as innocuous as data/charging ports—shouldn’t be about convincing pseudo-government bodies to let you.

It should be about offering something to consumers and letting them decide if it’s more valuable to them than the alternatives.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

e.g. Hypothetically, in a year or two Apple, samsung or intel develops proprietary tech capable of 400Gbps that requires a different type of connector and they want to add it to their lineup.

Hypothetically, anyone that wants to sell that device in the EU won’t even go through the effort to develop any new tech for fear of having regulators prevent it from being sold. So, bye bye innovative power concepts.

More likely that some future products just won’t be introduced in the EU. Those citizens of the EU that want it will just have to go the gray market route in order to get it.

 

[Razorpit]

robust connector, arguable not. positive locking, you get the same on usbc. physical space, ok i'll give you that, but the margin negotiable. i had more lightening ports break, usbc so far, none.

No argument. Lightening is a far superior connection. The most glaring, for lightning the male connection is on a $10 cord, the thin flimsy plastic male connector is soldered to the motherboard of a $1,000 device. Pocket lint and other gunk does a number on those. There are several posts in this thread that give additional examples.

USB-C cords will break just as often for you as Lightening ones do once you start using them as much as you do your lightning cords. You just haven't figured that out yet.

Socialism at its worst.

This is what they do after they run out of ideas on how to tax you more, and raise the cost of everything you buy all while telling you how you wouldn't survive without them. 😉

Actually the market does want this. And the market decided that USB-C is the superior standard. Everyone except Apple uses USB-C.

The market didn't "decide", Apple dropped the ball.

Getting permission to innovate—especially on something as innocuous as data/charging ports—shouldn’t be about convincing pseudo-government bodies to let you.

It should be about offering something to consumers and letting them decide if it’s more valuable to them than the alternatives.

Exactly. And speaking of which don't they have like 3-4 different wall outlets over there? Shouldn't they focus on that first? 😂

 

[MrMojo1]

Getting permission to innovate—especially on something as innocuous as data/charging ports—shouldn’t be about convincing pseudo-government bodies to let you.

It should be about offering something to consumers and letting them decide if it’s more valuable to them than the alternatives.

As others already commented here, and in other online boards about the matter, many other tech companies have gone with USB-C while Apple refused to do until relatively recently for the Macs and iPads but refused to do so with the iPhones. Apple didn't want to give up control and the money that MFI Lightning accessories bring in.
If Apple actually adopted USB-C for all its products, then no govt may have intruded!
Too many Apple fanboys/girls and anti govt people just love to blame everyone else but Apple who can do No wrong in their eyes.

 

[frownface]

Actually the market does want this. And the market decided that USB-C is the superior standard. Everyone except including Apple uses USB-C.

Fixed that for you.


In a way, apple made a rod for its own back by adopting USB-C for their iPads (lesser degree their MacBook's).
The fragmentation it created for charging PEDs in the apple ecosystem simultaneously help spark this movement, as well as stripped themselves of the ability to argue that they have consistent chargers across the lineup they sell.

 

[kerr]

Other than iPhones and some other Apple products, what other most popular devices from other manufacturers do not use USB-C? I'm guessing Kindle for one?

 

[frownface]

Other than iPhones and some other Apple products, what other most popular devices from other manufacturers do not use USB-C? I'm guessing Kindlef for one?

Lots of devices still ship with Micro-USB; aside from the kindle you mention, there's lots of digital cameras, mp3 players, dictation devices, wireless earphones, rc drones, flashlights, wireless chargers, smart speakers etc etc.

Even worse, a ******** of devices use barrel connectors like this:

Including laptops, speakers, desk phones, battery packs, kids toys, power tools, screens etc.

So it won't just be apple that is affected. But i do like the idea of being able to use 1 charger to charge any of my daughter's toys, or my devices & gadgets

 

[coredev]

I will need Lightening for quite awhile as that is the connector for Apple's existing AirPod line. I do not plan to toss the $550+ AirPods Max into the trash anytime soon...... (I know that the recent AirPods 3rd generation and AirPods Pro can also do MagSafe charging). I also still have a version 7 iPod touch that only supports Lightening for charging.

We travel to the UK and Europe quite often. I guess we could take all of the Lightening chargers and cables along and dump them in a European trash can and let them dispose of all of the equipment on their nickel in their landfills.

It's not that the devices and cables that you already have will be outlawed from 2024 on. You can use them as long as you like. New devices however will need come with a USB-C port. EU is also not forcing you to throw away any of your equipment.
And finally, the UK is no longer part of EU. It is in Europe though ;-)

 

[ian87w]

I don't suppose the EU went as far as making the USB-C cable manufacturers label their cables so consumers can look at a USB-C cable and know whether it is charge-only or charge+data? And if the latter, is it USB 2.0 or USB 3.0/3.1 speeds, and if so, 5Gbps or 10Gbps? Thunderbolt 3 or 4? How many watts can the cable handle - 20W? 65W? 100W? And for charging phones, does the cable do QC or PD or both?

USB-C is a very capable cable, but for gods sake, label the cable so we know what it can do.

I doubt these regulators even aware of that. Remember how they wanted to force everything to use microUSB?

 

[coredev]

oh for christ sake it's a cable

Actually, it's a port. The current reports about the proposed legislation talk about the port, not the cable.

 

[ian87w]

But i do like the idea of being able to use 1 charger to charge any of my daughter's toys, or my devices & gadgets

That's the problem. Will this regulation actually regulate the charger? From the sound of it, it will only enforce USB-C on the device. Meanwhile, there are a lot of confusion in cable and charger choices, and which one is actually safe or not.

 

[coredev]

Lightning hurts us Apple fans because it is so damn slow for large data transfer these days. Video size got too big for it, time to move on.

So you are using the physical lightning connection to transfer data to/from your phone?
It's been years since I actually transferred iPhone data via the cable. Never on my current iPhone.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Lots of devices still ship with Micro-USB; aside from the kindle you mention, there's lots of digital cameras, mp3 players, dictation devices, wireless earphones, rc drones, flashlights, wireless chargers, smart speakers etc etc.

I know some companies don’t use USB-C because the licensing for it is not worth what they’d use it for, a dumb plug. I doubt the EU is going to dig into their pockets to pay the difference, so I wouldn’t be surprised if a wide swath of products just aren’t available there anymore.

And lots of musical instruments are quite fond of USB-B still.

 

[coredev]

Exactly. And speaking of which don't they have like 3-4 different wall outlets over there? Shouldn't they focus on that first? 😂

Actually, there is a standard EU power outlet, the UK has a different standard but they are not EU anymore.
What you will have in some regions is ancient wall outlets that have a different look, but are mostly compatible, but not as secure. That would be comparable to old phones not having the required USB-C port (they are too old) or oldtimer cars not living up to modern emission standards. That's just the way it is. You cannot change the past by new legislation.

 

[5232152]

Why not give consumers a CHOICE and offer a USB C model and a Lightning model? Then let the market decide instead of The Government Thy God?

Charging cables makes up 11 million tons of garbage every year. How can you be against fighting that.

 

[Adamantoise]

Would you say that about car safety standards?

What about aviation rules, safety and standards?

Air quality?

Water quality?

Toxic materials in products?

Electrical plug shape and interoperability?


It's nonsensical to argue that companies can't and/or shouldn't be forced to adhere to a standard

You're speaking of regulatory standards. I'm speaking of standards as in ISO standards.... You know what I meant.

Regulatory standards such as those enforced by the NHTSA have been ratified by a recognized legislative body for very good reasons. These regulations aren't a matter of consumer convenience, they're safety related and failure to adhere to them can be a life-or-death matter in certain cases.

USB type C is a not a regulatory standard and it's absurd that any legislative body decide that a company has to adhere to it.

Do all cell phones sold in the EU have to adhere to this? What about all portable electronics? At what point can portable electronics sold in the EU be allowed to use proprietary connectors and what are the limitations of these exceptions?

These are the sort of questions I expect people to ask before blindly celebrating this.

USB-C was borne out of innovation... Once you start mandating all products to use a solution you kill competing standards and thus any future innovation.

 

[switz]

Actually, the first time a new iPhone connects to the iMazing backup program, one has to actually connect the iPhone to the computer. Afterwards WiFi is used. If the program gets amnesia, a cord connection is necessary. So cordless iPhones may make some some software unusable. Also a cord is "sniffer" proof when traveling and doing backups as contrasted to WiFi.

 

[polyphenol]

Right? The thing is, if “the market” had actually decided USB-C was the best thing (compared to all the other stuff we also want in our phones), iPhones wouldn’t be the most profitable phones made.

Stated preference vs. demonstrated preference.

My stated preference is for USB-C.

For me, speed of data transfer is irrelevant - I have hardly ever plug my phone in at all, and when I have done, it has usually been a side effect of wanting to charge from a source on an intelligent device.

For me, Lightning or USB-C doesn't make much difference as I already have sufficient Lightning cables.

But I do have some two-metre USB-C cables which allow flexibility not present using half-metre Lightning cables - and I certainly am NOT going to pay Apple £29 for a two-metre cable. Nor are the various cable extension options satisfactory.

At present, it is simplicity that drives me to want USB-C for my iPhone. Just carry one cable for all devices.

My demonstrated preference is for an iPhone despite Lightning.

(Let's not forget that we also want to see Apple keyboards and mice that are USB-C.)

 

[mikethemartian]

USB-C is not as robust to ingress of water. I live in Scotland. Not sure how this will play out in the UK, but likely any product designed for the EU will be sold in the UK, so...

There is nothing about USB-C that makes it fundamentally less waterproof than the Lightning port. All that matters is the tolerances used when manufacturing the contacts and housing.

 

[hcherry]

As others already commented here, and in other online boards about the matter, many other tech companies have gone with USB-C while Apple refused to do until relatively recently for the Macs and iPads but refused to do so with the iPhones. Apple didn't want to give up control and the money that MFI Lightning accessories bring in.
If Apple actually adopted USB-C for all its products, then no govt may have intruded!
Too many Apple fanboys/girls and anti govt people just love to blame everyone else but Apple who can do No wrong in their eyes.

It’s astounding to me that people will try to frame the business choice of a data/charging port as “right” vs. “wrong” — believing it is “wrong” for apple to resist changing their phones to usb-c, as if it’s a moral question.

It’s just a business decision. and customers still chose iPhone to the tune of billions in profit. Even folks who say they want usb-c still bought the iPhone b/c there’s other stuff they value more.

To say that “apple didn’t do the right thing so the gov’t had to step in” on such an issue is basically saying it’s appropriate for gov’t to shakedown bussiness that don’t “fall in line”. The gov’t may not be demanding money from apple, but they’re certainly saying “you should run your business the way we think”.

I think using the force of gov’t this way is wrong.

 

[bluecoast]

When I excerpt your post as above, does the problem start to become more clear?

I get it. But just because we have MagSafe doesn't preclude standardising charging across the board.

The legislation has to start somewhere.

What this is really aiming at is the millions of generic mid to low range PCs sold where each manufacturer has either:

• A different sort of USB-C charging standard thus you need to use it's own power adapter in case you fry your laptop if you use another.
• (and this is really common in the PC world), different pin EDIT: barrel plug chargers which don't offer any clear advantage to the consumer.

It is going to be interesting to see what the EU's stance is on MagSafe though, which is clearly innovative and a plus point for the MacBook Air.

Will the EU encourage Apple to share the standard - just as Apple is doing with hotel room keys in wallet - or will Apple dig in their heels and say that this is a competitive advantage and propriety to them?

 

[hcherry]

My demonstrated preference is for an iPhone despite Lightning.

I’m very much in a similar place. While there’s some elements of lightning I prefer over usb-c, all things being equal I’d prefer the simplicity of one charging/data port across my devices.

You could also frame our decisions to buy an iPhone as “my demonstrated preference is for an iPhone despite the absence of usb-c.”

Which I interpret to mean the market has sent apple a signal that says “lots of us say we want usb-c but we still keep buying iPhones in droves without it so maybe we don’t want it more than all the other stuff we value in our phone experience”.

And that’s okay.

I strongly disagree with folks who believe there’s a morally right data/charging port decision to be made when in reality we’re simply talking about consumer preferences and business decisions. And both parties should be free to choose/pursue what they believe is in their best interest or creates the most value for them.

 

[ksec]

Surprised that none of the comment call for Pull out of the EU.

 

[polyphenol]

barrel plug chargers

How did we ever end up with the range of diameters and voltages that they come in? (And sometimes switched polarity.)

Just a glance at the Wiki page shows what a mess they are:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coaxial_power_connector

What's worse, some mistaken attempts to connect can be dangerous.