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

thettareddast said:
While I'm a fan of USB-C I have to say there's something more satisfying to the design and feel of plugging in the Lightning jack
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To note, when break a lightning connector it snaps off in the hole and can be removed with some pliers and the lead replaced.

If you do the same with USB-C it levers the USB-C socket off the board and rips in the traces requiring a new board.

Fortunately Apple seem to be fairly adept at making sure that the USB-C sockets are on replaceable daughter boards unlike most other vendors.

A fine example of this is the large pile of duff thinkpads we have where Lenovo soldered the USB-C connectors to the main board and they were destroyed by careless users (which is most of them). The only way to replace them is to replace the board and that means replacing half the RAM and the CPU these days. And people moan at Apple for soldered on storage...
 
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Prabas said:
There's absolutely zero disadvantages of switching to USB-C. Zero.
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No disadvantages at all? Lightning cables going to landfills? Some people having to buy lightning to USB-C cables/adapters? What about people who still use the EarPods with lightning connectors? Now they need to buy other headphones. That's not a problem for many people but it is a cost. Do those headphones just get thrown away now? The lightning port is smaller than USB-C, that requires adaptation in design. Now, the net advantages for switching might be positive but there are easily disadvantages to switching.

Also, while I do not have data supporting this, Lightning ports should be more durable than USB-C because of the design of the USB-C receptacle. If someone jams a Lightning plug in, there's not a lot of possibility to damage much in the receptacle (of course, they can be damaged but the design of the receptacle for Lightning is better than that for USB-C). If the same thing happens with USB-C, there's clear potential for damage.

Edit because people are misunderstanding what I wrote. I was replying to the parent poster who said "zero disadvantages of switching". I pointed out some disadvantages and clearly wrote: "Now, the net advantages for switching might be positive but there are easily disadvantages to switching." I'm in favor of the switch to USB-C, I just think we cannot ignore that there are some problems with it.
 
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It would be great to see the details of the proposal. It would be extremely short sighted to only pay attention to the port on the device, while the problems usually lie on the cables and chargers themselves. Instead of forcing USB-C, which is just the physical connector, the EU should be enforcing the adoption of USB-PD as the actual charging standard. Too many Android OEMs came up with their own fast charging methods (and many are still using USB-A on the charger). Apple is kind enough to adopt USB-PD instead of coming up with their own, but Android is a hella worse with Qualcomm having their own QC, Oppo with VOOC, Xiaomi with HyperCharge, etc. This creates major confusion amongst consumers. Which charger they can buy, and what cable that actually good enough to support the fast charging method?
 
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MysticCow said:
Firewire kind of did this also, but the port shape magically changed when FW 800 happened. If the plug wouldn't have changed, we might still have Firewire today.
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A little side trivia. The original Firewire port/connector came from the GameBoy. It was the link cable that allowed multiplayer games. Apple saw how well it performed in the wild and kids were unable to destroy it so they adopted it for Firewire.
 
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MysticCow said:
How do you know? Where is your economic/market research to justify this rather bold statement?

Why are people so afraid of CHOICE and letting people CHOOSE what they want and the company reacts based on that CHOICE? Why are people so anti-CHOICE?
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Granted I don’t have any data to prove this assessment. But given that USB-C is in almost every way better than Lightning, I don’t see why people would stay with an inferior and proprietary connector.

If you want that much a Lightning port, for a reason that I don’t understand, I’m sure you will be able in a few years to buy some adaptor from USB-C to Lightning
 
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neuropsychguy said:
No disadvantages at all? Lightning cables going to landfills? Some people having to buy lightning to USB-C cables/adapters? What about people who still use the EarPods with lightning connectors? Now they need to buy other headphones. That's not a problem for many people but it is a cost. Do those headphones just get thrown away now? The lightning port is smaller than USB-C, that requires adaptation in design. Now, the net advantages for switching might be positive but there are easily disadvantages to switching.

Also, while I do not have data supporting this, Lightning ports should be more durable than USB-C because of the design of the USB-C receptacle.
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Well you can blame Apple for sticking with Lightning for so long ;) And times change, things evolve. We got rid of (as in they're unpopular now) firewire, micro-usb, DVI, etc. cables and it's all for the better. There may be some minor and temporary inconveniences but USB-C change is only a positive one.
 
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neuropsychguy said:
No disadvantages at all? Lightning cables going to landfills? Some people having to buy lightning to USB-C cables/adapters? What about people who still use the EarPods with lightning connectors? Now they need to buy other headphones. That's not a problem for many people but it is a cost. Do those headphones just get thrown away now? The lightning port is smaller than USB-C, that requires adaptation in design. Now, the net advantages for switching might be positive but there are easily disadvantages to switching.
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Upon the introduction of the lightning port, Apple said they would utilize it for at least a decade. The drumbeat to change to USB-C is just playing the sheet music that Apple already wrote. Like many, I also have expensive devices that will still use lightning after some future transition. I still have a 30-pin connector iPod and micro and mini USB devices. With a gradual introduction of adapters and the phasing out of aging accessories over time, we all can of reach some state of stasis where our stuff works with minimal inconvenience. It's not like everyone rushes out and buys a new iPhone the moment they are released. Some people take years to upgrade. I already have a mixed environment of Apple products utilizing USB-C and lightning ports and I can't think and anything important that I'm not able to charge or doesn't work cross platform.
 
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It's sad that our government here in the US is useless so we end up on depending on the EU (and the fact that making multiple versions of a device is a massive supply chain mess) to standardize our charging cables.

But either way, way to go EU, now we'll have one charging cable standard across all our devices.
 
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neuropsychguy said:
No disadvantages at all? Lightning cables going to landfills? Some people having to buy lightning to USB-C cables/adapters? What about people who still use the EarPods with lightning connectors? Now they need to buy other headphones. That's not a problem for many people but it is a cost. Do those headphones just get thrown away now? The lightning port is smaller than USB-C, that requires adaptation in design. Now, the net advantages for switching might be positive but there are easily disadvantages to switching.

Also, while I do not have data supporting this, Lightning ports should be more durable than USB-C because of the design of the USB-C receptacle. If someone jams a Lightning plug in, there's not a lot of possibility to damage much in the receptacle (of course, they can be damaged but the design of the receptacle for Lightning is better than that for USB-C). If the same thing happens with USB-C, there's clear potential for damage.
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By that logic we should never upgrade anything to a better/more universal port because it might create e-waste in the short term or make items obsolete. As it is right now EarPods are only compatible with iPhones and the base iPad. They’ve never been compatible with Macs and are not compatible with the iPad mini, Air, or Pro. There are adapters on the market for those who want to continue using them and the adapters would allow the EarPods to be used with any device, not just the limited iPhone and base iPad.
 
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More spending you say?
The plan, unveiled last year, was provisionally approved Tuesday and will save consumers an estimated 250 million euros ($267 million) each year according to the European Commission. The European Parliament and 27 EU countries need to sign off on the agreement.
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maxfromdenmark said:
A guy from the EU here. I have some mixed feelings about it. I'm happy with the endless swapping cables when charging iPad Pro and iPhone to end soon. However, I am an owner of Philips headphones with a lightning connector and they will be useless soon unless I buy an adapter.
Anyway, the big winner is the Earth and maybe consumers.
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So the headphones only work with Lightning devices? That's rather limiting and I'd never buy something like that, but, there are USB-C to lightning adapters and cables.
 
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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.
 
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Yep so my next iPhone will be the iP16 - but rumours say that already the iP15 (2023) switches to USB-C and personally I'd like to see at least the iP14 Pro equipped with USB-C.

No matter what, my iP11Pro is prepared to wait at least until 2024. I still love this device (beside of the Apple glitches) and when I wanted to make a list of all the iPhones I used, the best were iP4, iP7 and the iP11pro.

So, story told. Lightning ist history, lets nuke the AppStore with DMA ...

If you don't change with the times, the times are going to change you, Apple.
 
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Well, it will be nice to only have to carry one charging cable for everything - from my iPhone on up to a MacBook.

I actually have that kind of one-cable setup now, as I am still 100% Lightning if you can believe it! I use an older gen iPad Pro, AirPods, iMac (so no charger), and even have a small lightning adapter for my Apple Watch, so everything that needs to be charged can charge with one cable. However in a year or so, if Stage Manager is as cool as it looks, I am really considering getting an M1/M2 iPad Pro with an external display. I need mobility with access to note writing and a bigger screen at times for viewing multiple documents, so no heavy lifting processor-wise, but screen space is a must. That’s the only reason I have my iMac now, but it feels like kind of a waste as everything I do could easily be done with an iPad that has proper external display support.

Anyway, I digress - all this is to say that it would be so nice to still have the one-cable setup when I upgrade my iPad next year.
 
Really wish the EU could mandate USB-C to replace barrel connectors too which would mean that the vast majority of electronic devices would use USB-C cables. For the first 2 generations the Echo Dot could be powered from USB, but from the 3rd generation it moved to a barrel jack.

I wonder if this will mean Apple will move to no longer including a cable in the box too - just the device.
 
ilikewhey said:
oh for christ sake it's a cable, this isn't some abortion vs anti abortion thing. bottom line the lighting cable is slow and fragile, the whole industry is moving towards usb-c, apple included. the writing has been on the wall since 2016 when apple slapped on tb3/usbc on the mbp.
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Fragile???

It’s far more rigid that the flimsy USB-C. It isn’t a friction connection, as USB cables all are. If you stomp your feet, it doesn’t disconnect and reconnect. The ports themselves are also more durable, since it’s a male cable and female port. Not a male port hidden inside a female housing with a female cable. If you manage to break the male piece, you replace an entire phone with one, but only a cable with the other.
 
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Prabas said:
More spending you say?
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Their economic impact studies always assume the best case scenarios. In this case they assume that all charging cables are bought separately from their devices and that consumers will share a single cable among multiple devices. In my reality, I have about 5 cables per devices and would maintain that ratio no matter what flavor cable they use. Anyone with kids knows that charging cables are routine consumables that you buy as often as getting a haircut.
 
switz said:
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.
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Just take one of those Mini Adapters and be happy (both types are available USB-C<->Lightning)


61L32f9hNGL._AC_SL1500_.jpg
 
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