EU Warns Apple About Limiting Speeds of Uncertified USB-C Cables for iPhones

[Freida]

And as mentioned before, these are just stats based on most common behaviour. The reason why it doesn't apply to everyone is because there are people that are willing to work hard to get somewhere which is not a common trait and hence the statistics show only one thing: -> how comfortable/lazy the majority of people are.
If majority will become driven as much as the 'exceptions' then you will see how things dramatically improve for better. But thats for a longer conversation

P.s.: You can sit on your butt and blame the systems/parents/circumstances etc. OR you get up of your butt and change that!

Anecdotes are not statistics. Demographic statistics show that the vast majority of folks stay approximately at their parent’s economic level without significant outside boosts. The socioeconomics and demographics of your parents and your home are the single biggest predictors of your future state in this respect. Does that apply to everyone? Of course not, that’s how stats work, but it’s true of the vast majority of people

 

[monstermash]

The EU requirements are mostly concerned with charging interoperability. If you want to use your cables for transferring data then it's up to you to check the specs and buy the right cable.

What would be really funny is if Apple added USB for charging only and kept lightning for data....but only for the EU.

 

[monstermash]

Apple has mollycoddled the majority of its users into thinking it knows best. I've never quite understood why some americans don't like the idea of the government having too much reach but happily let private companies run riot.

Because you can buy a company's products or not. You have no choice but to live under the control of Jack-booted govt authorities.

 

[t0rqx]

No button-gate, no USB-C gate...things start to look good for iPhone 15.

 

[darngooddesign]

Did it occur to you that EU regulators may have inside scoops or tips they dont feel the need to share with the public right now because it’s not official from Apple? Or that the put out the public letter to discourage *other* companies from considering such actions?

Has Apple ever limited non-MFI cables?

 

[darngooddesign]

No button-gate, no USB-C gate...things start to look good for iPhone 15.

Don't worry, people will still find something to complain about.

 

[monstermash]

Don't worry, people will still find something to complain about.

It's amazing to me how much people complain about how evil, greedy and anti-consumer Apple is, but still buy its products.

 

[DavidSchaub]

It's amazing to me how much people complain about how evil, greedy and anti-consumer Apple is, but still buy its products.

Well, that just means they think Google is worse. It isn't like there is much consumer choice out there.

 

[I7guy]

Sure, but most people go through cables like water anyway, they are on the churn of cheap gas station cables and replacements. Most people also know other folks who they might give the cables to, cascade their phone down to another family member, or sell bundled with the cables. This forum is a bad selection of people to make generalizations about use

Also speaking personally I’ll still have use for my spare lightning cables for years after my next phone and usbc for the wireless kbs, mice, etc I’ve got around that use them too, I doubt I’m alone

And look, eventually lightning would have had to be replaced anyway, the one USB3 lightning device Apple made had some creative use of pins and chips to do it, long term in some ways lightning was less future proof than the old connector was (though far nicer to use of course). So this problem was eventually going to surface with another Apple plug if not lightning

Lastly with all other Apple devices using USBC a lot of people will be able to have less cables around, reducing eventual waste

Most people do not go through cables like water. And this one cable for everything is just a myth.

 

[darngooddesign]

It's amazing to me how much people complain about how evil, greedy and anti-consumer Apple is, but still buy its products.

Most of it is complaining about rumors which support how they perceive Apple to be.

 

[monstermash]

Well, that just means they think Google is worse. It isn't like there is much consumer choice out there.

There is more consumer choice right now than any time in human history.

 

[apmos]

So the EU will compensate people who have their phones destroyed by cheap cables from China? Will they compensate people who have property destroyed when cheap cables melt and start fires? Complain all you want about MFI certifications but at least it guarantees that the cable will be robust enough to handle the draw from the device.

I've been using cheap $2 chinese usb-c cables for years and had zero issues.

 

[iOS Geek]

Still doesn't address how it reduces waste.

Exactly! Especially when you start to ask people if they charge their devices one at a time. If the answer to that question is "no, I don't charge them one at a time", then you still need a cable for each.

As an example...I don't charge my devices one at a time. So having them all use the same cable type does absolutely nothing for me in terms of "reducing waste". It doesn't matter if all of my devices are USB-C or if I have a mix of USB-C and lightning. I still need the same number of cables because I don't have the luxury of time to sit around and wait to charge one at a time. I travel with 4 devices. No matter what the cables are...I still need to travel with 4 of them.

I'm not saying there aren't benefits to switching to USB-C across the product line. But the "reducing waste" and "only needing one cable" are NOT an argument to be made for "benefits". My AirPods and phone are the only lightning devices I have left...and I have a TON of lightning cables sitting around. As soon as those both switch to USB-C...those lightning cables are now considered waste...now multiply that by the countless numbers of Apple customers that will have the same happen. Sure, it'll help the waste problem later...but in the short term that is going to be a MASSIVE problem. I'll send my then useless cords to Apple to be recycled. The average Joe will most likely throw those cords in the trash like they do with every other cable. Imagine the math... "x" number of cords thrown out * "x" number of people = insane number of cables that are now waste because the average person isn't going to bother sending them to be recycled.

 

[iOS Geek]

Because you don't need to buy and carry a different cable for each device you want to charge. When cables are standardized, then they can be shared between devices, and re-used between devices.

Yeah...and unless they want to sit and charge one at a time...how many people are going to do that? I'd wager not many. I know I won't. I don't have that kind of time. I'll need a cable per device so they can all be charged and ready at the same time...just like I need now. Standardization isn't going to change that for a lot of people.

Funny thing is...unless I were to buy a USB-A -> USB-C cable...I wouldn't be able to use a USB-C iPhone with CarPlay in my car. Or be able to charge my phone in the car! I have a 2021 car that for some dumb reason does not have wireless CarPlay...and doesn't have USB-C ports. Only USB-A. So I'll either need a different cable...or a cable and an adapter. Yeah...that's standardization alright! That doesn't reduce the number of cables I need. It actually makes it WORSE!

 

[makitango]

Exactly! Especially when you start to ask people if they charge their devices one at a time. If the answer to that question is "no, I don't charge them one at a time", then you still need a cable for each.

As an example...I don't charge my devices one at a time. So having them all use the same cable type does absolutely nothing for me in terms of "reducing waste". It doesn't matter if all of my devices are USB-C or if I have a mix of USB-C and lightning. I still need the same number of cables because I don't have the luxury of time to sit around and wait to charge one at a time. I travel with 4 devices. No matter what the cables are...I still need to travel with 4 of them.

I'm not saying there aren't benefits to switching to USB-C across the product line. But the "reducing waste" and "only needing one cable" are NOT an argument to be made for "benefits". My AirPods and phone are the only lightning devices I have left...and I have a TON of lightning cables sitting around. As soon as those both switch to USB-C...those lightning cables are now considered waste...now multiply that by the countless numbers of Apple customers that will have the same happen. Sure, it'll help the waste problem later...but in the short term that is going to be a MASSIVE problem. I'll send my then useless cords to Apple to be recycled. The average Joe will most likely throw those cords in the trash like they do with every other cable. Imagine the math... "x" number of cords thrown out * "x" number of people = insane number of cables that are now waste because the average person isn't going to bother sending them to be recycled.

Do you have friends? The purpose is to being able to charge something that everyone uses wherever you are, no matter what brand and model your friends and other folks around you use.
It‘s to reduce the dependency on everyone bringing and buying additional cables because of incompatibility.

 

[darngooddesign]

Do you have friends? The purpose is to being able to charge something that everyone uses wherever you are, no matter what brand and model your friends and other folks around you use.
It‘s to reduce the dependency on everyone bringing and buying additional cables because of incompatibility.

I have a few, most of them own iPhones but all of them own cables. So what does your friend do if you are charging your device with your cable? If I am traveling I will have a Lighting and a USBC cable because I have an iPhone and an iPad, with me so they can use either because if my bag has space for one cable it has space for two.

 

[monstermash]

Do you have friends? The purpose is to being able to charge something that everyone uses wherever you are, no matter what brand and model your friends and other folks around you use.
It‘s to reduce the dependency on everyone bringing and buying additional cables because of incompatibility.

That's about the dumbest excuse for a "universal charger" that I can imagine.

Yeah, sure, let's all depend on ONE GUY to bring the ten charging cables needed for all of us to keep our device charged when we get together.

Come on man...

 

[iOS Geek]

Do you have friends? The purpose is to being able to charge something that everyone uses wherever you are, no matter what brand and model your friends and other folks around you use.
It‘s to reduce the dependency on everyone bringing and buying additional cables because of incompatibility.

I do. And we ask to borrow chargers so infrequently that again...this solves pretty much nothing.

Don't know about you, but "hey, good to see you! I need to borrow your charger!" isn't a common statement when my friends and I are around each other If I had a dollar for all the times I've needed to borrow a charger from someone, I'd have maybe $2 and both of those times were when I was visiting someone in the hospital and was there a LOT longer than I thought I'd be. Anecdotal? Sure. But it fits squarely into the column of reasons that's so insignificant/infrequent that I wouldn't even consider it a "pro".

 

[Reason077]

Still doesn't address how it reduces waste.

Because less cables need to be purchased/produced over time. And therefore fewer cables are thrown away.

 

[Crowbot]

Because you don't need to buy and carry a different cable for each device you want to charge. When cables are standardized, then they can be shared between devices, and re-used between devices.

I tend to charge my stuff at night when I go to bed. So I need a cable for each device. I made a travel kit with a USB-C cable and some adapters so I can make any cable I need.

 

[monstermash]

I tend to charge my stuff at night when I go to bed. So I need a cable for each device. I made a travel kit with a USB-C cable and some adapters so I can make any cable I need.

I have charging setups in my bedroom, in my office, in my wife's office, at my TV, in my garage, in my car, in my wife's car, plus travel kits for me and my wife, plus a few more setups.

I'm not buying less cables any time soon.

 

[Reason077]

I tend to charge my stuff at night when I go to bed. So I need a cable for each device. I made a travel kit with a USB-C cable and some adapters so I can make any cable I need.

Great. And even better, when those devices are obsolete and you replace them with something else, you won't have to buy new cables!

 

[Reason077]

Yeah...and unless they want to sit and charge one at a time...how many people are going to do that? I'd wager not many. I know I won't. I don't have that kind of time. I'll need a cable per device so they can all be charged and ready at the same time...just like I need now. Standardization isn't going to change that for a lot of people.

That's fine. The big benefit in this case is not having to worry about which cable goes with which device. No more proprietary connectors!

 

[seek3r]

Most people do not go through cables like water. And this one cable for everything is just a myth.

On the first part ok, sure dude, gas stations, bodegas, corner stores, smokeshops, supermarkets, and retail stores in general just sell super cheap crappy cables to no one, they stock them for the hell of it /s. On the second, how is it a myth? My iPad, MBP, MBA, backup battery, newer kindle, over ear headphones (I have APPs for earbuds and Sony XM4s for over-ear depending on use and mood), and all my other travel gear including my multicharger for my phone/watch/apps all use USBC. I can share cables between them and I don’t need to literally carry a cable/device, just a couple cables. What’s the myth?

 

[seek3r]

Yeah...and unless they want to sit and charge one at a time...how many people are going to do that? I'd wager not many. I know I won't. I don't have that kind of time. I'll need a cable per device so they can all be charged and ready at the same time...just like I need now. Standardization isn't going to change that for a lot of people.

Funny thing is...unless I were to buy a USB-A -> USB-C cable...I wouldn't be able to use a USB-C iPhone with CarPlay in my car. Or be able to charge my phone in the car! I have a 2021 car that for some dumb reason does not have wireless CarPlay...and doesn't have USB-C ports. Only USB-A. So I'll either need a different cable...or a cable and an adapter. Yeah...that's standardization alright! That doesn't reduce the number of cables I need. It actually makes it WORSE!

It’s pretty rare for me to want to charge literally every mobile device I’ve got on me at the same time, don’t know about you.