No that isnt the point, the point is to stop the waist of people have 10 chargers at home of wich there are 5 or 6 different models for different phones or legacy.
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European Commission Moves Forward on Micro-USB Smartphone Charging Standard
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No that isnt the point, the point is to stop the waist of people have 10 chargers at home of wich there are 5 or 6 different models for different phones or legacy.
It would probably be a good idea, but the EU is not a single country and each country has their own standards, just like the US.
I can’t understand the fuss, those in the US wont see any difference, the plug that is supplied to UK consumers when buying Apple products is different from the US plugs after all, the only difference is that in Europe the USB adaptor will be provided, in the US, it wont.
Whether or not the European Apple users use the adaptor is another matter.
It does however give cafe’s, restaurants, pubs, hotels and the like, the opportunity to hold 1 or 2 adapters and leads to charge ones phone (whatever the make) if one is caught short of power while out and about.
Whether or not the European Apple users use the adaptor is another matter.
It does however give cafe’s, restaurants, pubs, hotels and the like, the opportunity to hold 1 or 2 adapters and leads to charge ones phone (whatever the make) if one is caught short of power while out and about.
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This extra micro-usb adapter doesn't make any sense... You would still need to drag along an adapter with you (unless it would be so tiny that you could leave it attached all time time)
But if there isn't going to a micro-usb on apple's devices anyways it would make more sense to just use Apple's "30-pin to USB cable" and plug it into to the USB charger.
But if there isn't going to a micro-usb on apple's devices anyways it would make more sense to just use Apple's "30-pin to USB cable" and plug it into to the USB charger.
Calm down folks
1) This is a EUROPEAN initiative. Whilst it is interesting to read the opinions of you Americans on this thread, please note you will not be affected in any way whatsoever.
2) Apple has chosen to participate in this agreement. Apple is not being forced to do anything - it has chosen to take part.
3) The initiative has real benefits both to consumers and manufacturers (including Apple). Chargers will no longer be bundled with phones, which will bring down cost and save waste. Consumers will have only one charger at home - that fits today's phone as well as tomorrow's and last week's. Much more convenient, especially when travelling. And, no doubt, the standard will evenyually be adopted for other types of electronic equipment.
4) Apple iPhones make up a relatively small share of the European market. It is unreasonable to expect them to force the standard.
1) This is a EUROPEAN initiative. Whilst it is interesting to read the opinions of you Americans on this thread, please note you will not be affected in any way whatsoever.
2) Apple has chosen to participate in this agreement. Apple is not being forced to do anything - it has chosen to take part.
3) The initiative has real benefits both to consumers and manufacturers (including Apple). Chargers will no longer be bundled with phones, which will bring down cost and save waste. Consumers will have only one charger at home - that fits today's phone as well as tomorrow's and last week's. Much more convenient, especially when travelling. And, no doubt, the standard will evenyually be adopted for other types of electronic equipment.
4) Apple iPhones make up a relatively small share of the European market. It is unreasonable to expect them to force the standard.
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To Europeans it will add to the versatility of the phone, in normal use such as at home, the 30 pin connector would, I imagine be used, elsewhere, it means that only the connector would be needed on any charger to charge the phone, what it all boils down to is a freebie for Europeans.
Two options to charge.
It would also mean that as an American tourist you would be able to go into any hotel, cafe or restaurant and charge your iPhone, touch, pad, without the need for a travel plug
I cant see the argument against, if your European and don‘t want the adapter, throw it away and charge as you do now, if you are American, you wont notice a difference until you travel to Europe and see the advantage of this small standardisation when your phone needs some juice.
Two options to charge.
It would also mean that as an American tourist you would be able to go into any hotel, cafe or restaurant and charge your iPhone, touch, pad, without the need for a travel plug
I cant see the argument against, if your European and don‘t want the adapter, throw it away and charge as you do now, if you are American, you wont notice a difference until you travel to Europe and see the advantage of this small standardisation when your phone needs some juice.
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An unfortunate proportion (not all obviously) of our friends across the water don't really care about that, they just care about their own little lives and can't grasp the concept of making compromise for the greater good.
What, are they eating the chargers now?
By adding another adaptor to the box... Yeah. Sure. If you could use that logic to get Apple to give me free DVI and HDMI adaptors with my MBP then I'd be happy.
That would be extra functionality rather than basic usage.
The extra adapter would be added to Apples products, not every manufacturer would do this, in fact it's really only in Apples interest, since they seem so keen in proprietary connections, if they want to keep that unstandardised connection they'd have to bundle an adaptor with it.
Therefore, it's environment ftw!
Wouldn't it be better to actually wait and see how Apple implement the new standard before you criticise it?
Knowing Apple it will probably a very well designed and elegant solution but even if it's not to your liking it's not going to affect you in Australia.
If they were able to (and if anyone can, it's Apple) make the entire adaptor fit inside/flush with the dock connector with a micro-USB port, then it would be very successful, as you'd always have it with you. This would be the same form factor as the dock covers included with the 3G iPods.
If it's any bigger than that, it's redundant.
I must say though, not having the extra adaptor in Australia is environment ftw.
I kind of agree with what you are saying.
5v FTL go with the 12v standard FTW. Firewire knew what's up.
It's even funnier that a lot of people in germany think they're somehow intellectual superior to other nations (especially the US) while themselves are really shortsighted and obsessed with rules and regulations.
The EU is gonna be a totalitarian construct due to the german obsession with regulations.
The EU is a lot mor dangerous than the evil evil USA.
Micro-USB question answered
With the release of the new iPhone 3GI on tuesday -
http://www.theonion.com/articles/apple-claims-new-iphone-only-visible-to-most-loyal,2772/
With the release of the new iPhone 3GI on tuesday -
http://www.theonion.com/articles/apple-claims-new-iphone-only-visible-to-most-loyal,2772/
Great news, I'm all for microUSB charging and standardization.
30 pin connector is not going anywhere considering there are so many accessories out there, but hopefully Apple just adds a microUSB port to the iPhone to allow charging and syncing.
Or they could include something like this,
But the idea is that any charger is supposed to charger your phone, wherever you are... who would want to carry an adapter with them all the time? The USB port should be on the iPhone IMO.
30 pin connector is not going anywhere considering there are so many accessories out there, but hopefully Apple just adds a microUSB port to the iPhone to allow charging and syncing.
Or they could include something like this,
But the idea is that any charger is supposed to charger your phone, wherever you are... who would want to carry an adapter with them all the time? The USB port should be on the iPhone IMO.
<response to stupid racist insult with same stupid racism>
It's even the funniest thing that a lot of people in Switzerland think they're somehow entitled to comment on something as rules.
The country that has built all its wealth on being the hiding place for illegal money of all kind and OTOH lets its people vote for right wing rules, you know.
Switzerland has to be ones of the most evil countries in the world, and if it wasn't for a lot of powerful US inhabitants that have hidden their money there so you can't tax it the OECD would've put Switzerland on the black list.
The European Economic Community is now large enough to have an impact on the world economy through moves like this.
The idea behind the EU, in part, was an economic block large enough to influence world economics in the same way that 50 United States can. The US has since built on that through forming NAFTA.
The US will eventually adopt this because it's a good idea, and the benefits Europe will see will also apply to the US.
Europe has a tremendous cell phone market, it may even be large enough for manufacturers to start using this standard throughout the world because so many of their phones will now be made this way.
On a separate note I read that Heather Mills is from Tynesdale. A week ago I had never heard of the place and then all of a sudden it's showing up everywhere.
A lot of people haven't actually read the document.
Yup. From the updated document (12 Jan 2010):
(search for: TECHNICAL ANNEX TO MOU REGARDING THE HARMONISATION OF A CHARGING CAPABILITY FOR MOBILE PHONES), it's the first PDF returned by Google.
1 - "The cable assembly shall terminate in a Micro-B plug. The plug shall meet the USB- IF Connector Test Requirements (http://www.usb.org/developers/compliance/connectors/), shall be compliant to the Micro-USB Cables and Connectors Specification, Rev 1.01 (Micro-USB 1.01), and shall be rated to meet all electrical specifications."
2 - "An EPS provided with a detachable cable shall be equipped with a USB Standard-A receptacle. Standard detachable cable assembly, supplied for use with the EPS, shall have Standard-A and Micro-B plugs and meet the USB-IF Cable Assembly Test Requirements for Compliant Usage of Connectors and Cables in Micro-USB 1.01. (http://www.usb.org/developers/compliance/cable/)."
3 - "Above requirement also applies to detachable cables used as adaptor i.e. where the Micro-B is replaced by a proprietary plug"
(numbers and paragraph breaks added by me)
Paragraph 1 is the part that everyone seems to know about. If your power supply has a permanently attached cable, (e.g., Nokia / Sony barrel connectors, Motorola blade connectors, etc.), you need to switch it to a Micro-B plug.
Paragraph 2 is where it gets interesting. If the power supply has a removable cable (like the Apple chargers), it needs to connect the cable via a USB-A (the flat rectangular "host" socket you see on computers) (like the Apple chargers already do)
And Paragraph 3 is where it's codified that Apple is ALREADY in compliance. If you have a proprietary connector (i.e., the dock connector), you only need to have the "head" end of the cable terminate in a USB-A plug (again, like Apple already does).
Not a single thing needs to change. At all.
Even if this was, in any way, a binding document / agreement. Which it isn't.
And even if the iPad was included in the agreement. Which it isn't.
Can we PLEASE put the "USB is coming because of the EU" comments to rest?
By the way, even if it was coming, it's the DEVICE end of the cable that it would be getting. USB is asymmetrical. You'd never be able to connect anything TO the iPad. Only connect the iPad TO something.
b
I aint swiss, I'm just working there (earning money $$$, you know). But go on...
(Did you knew, that germany, UK etc are in fact the bigger hiding places for illegal money than switzerland is?)
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The very same conclusion you reached as well as this endless torrent of ill-informed bellyaching was present the last time this topic aired on MR.
Given a choice between reading a document, understanding and only then commenting upon it or venting one's spleen without the slightest grasp of the facts, the latter wins. Every time.
Must be a slow news day.
In other news, Apple struggles to break even as their worst recorded sales figures since the 90's threaten the companies security. 2011 was not the year for Apple.
Simple. Just include a micro-USB port on the side of the iPhone (like blackberries) and keep the 30-pin connector.
Why is this so hard?
Why is this so hard?