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my wife owned her iPhone 7 for 2 years. we went through 4 or 5 lightning cables before we sold it. they all broke at the same location just below the plug, and the contacts start rusting.

during the same time, i was using only the included usb-c cable of my Nexus 5x at home and the Google usb-a to usb-c cable at work. still using both cables today.

lightning is one of the worst things about apple products.
"just below the plug:

Yes!! They're awful.
 
Force them to use the same wireless charging standard instead. So the EU buys all QI related patents, and then makes free for all uses. Goes beyond just phones then. And physical sync cables can still do their thing.
also need to set up grants for the research to improve QI while maintaining backwards compatibility.

problem they wanted solved, solved.
 
This is one of the few things I agree with the EU on. Can we just accept one universal charging standard at last.
My camera, external SSD, MacBook, flash drive all use USB-C. The only outlier is my iPhone.
 
"just below the plug:

Yes!! They're awful.
I’m using 3-4 year old 3rd Party lightning cables. Apples don’t hold up to abuse (like an environment where they’d rust?)...

instead of dictating USB-C instead say the cable must meet some standard where that standard means they’ll last for years under normal use. Please if you must, legislate the outcomes not the technology.
 
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I’m really torn on this.
It’s makes sense to force standardisation, but it will be Apple who is the one forced to change as it would be impossible to force the others to lighting, and Apple wouldn’t have that.

But that is also unfair to Apple and the customers.

I think Apple is only keeping lighting until it can remove the port entirely.
 



With goals of reducing waste and increasing convenience, European lawmakers today will debate whether all smartphones, tablets, and other portable devices should have a standardized charging port such as USB-C.

Governments should have no business telling anyone how to make their products unless it is directly related to public safety. I am against governments forcing pc makers to pick one standard over another or manufacturer their products to be easily repairable by customers or prohibit any companies to bundle free browser with their operating systems.

Governments should have no business picking whose the winners or losers in a free market economy. Let the free market decides. If people don't like iPhones because they don’t come with standard charging ports or people don‘t like MacBooks because they are pretty difficult to upgrade or repair, they would buy less and Apple would get the signals and react accordingly.

Governments should stop interfering with the economy. No setting the standards, no right to repair bills, no subsidies for local goods and no tariffs for foreign goods.
 
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There are so many lightning devices, isn’t it already somewhat standard? Over 1B devices use it.

I see no real consumer benefit to forcing companies to use something nor do I think the government should be in the business giving Tech tips.
 
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the EU needs to keep its nose out were it doesn't belong.

Apple will not comply as they will be no port at all, wireless that's the direction the industry is moving towards as it's greener, no wires and plugs wearing out that is were the waste is, old broken cables no matter what type of connection it is.
 
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the EU needs to keep its nose out were it doesn't belong.

Apple will not comply as they will be no port at all, wireless that's the direction the industry is moving towards as it's greener, no wires and plugs wearing out that is were the waste is, old broken cables no matter what type of connection it is.
How is wireless more efficient than a cable?

These are legitimate environment and competition concerns.
 
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Idiots in the EU at it again.. no wonder they don't have any great tech companies they stifle all innovation. While I love USB-C and hate Lightning ports and would totally love to see all Apple products use USB-C.. my worry is, if something better came along what would allow it? We can't stay on USB-C forever, we need room to innovate.. Apple will soon be all in on USB-C as their computers and ipads have all gone that way, the iphone pro's will be next this year, then the other iphones will soon phase into it as well..
 
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They are trying to protect competition and the environment.

When something better is proposed, it can be made the new standard.
Meh, it's still stupid.

For one thing, mandating these kinds of standards doesn't make any sense. Stifles the technology.
 
When something better is proposed, it can be made the new standard.

How do you propose 'better'? Wired connections are 'better' than wireless, until you want to go past the length of your wire. More pins are better than less pins, but less pins are better than more pins. It all depends on what you're trying to do. Removable batteries are better than non-removable batteries unless non-removable batteries are better.

And in general going through a regulatory process takes years. We still would be on USB 1.1 if the USB guys had waited for regulatory approval.
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Tell me how Lightning is better than USB-C.

Lightning is better than USB-C because UsB-c didn't exist in 2012 when the lightning port was introduced. A cable that works is better than one that doesn't exist.
 
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You're missing the point. The point is, laws like this prevent Apple from creating "lightning 2" because it doesn't use the standardized USB-C connector.

Pretty straightforward why this is a bad idea.
Apple needs to prove that they will make the current connector compatible with USB4 and TB4 if there's a physical advantage.
 
Again, straightforward why this is a bad idea.
It is not straightforward.

You don't need to standardize USB-C. You can just ban Lightning.
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Lightning is better than USB-C because UsB-c didn't exist in 2012 when the lightning port was introduced. A cable that works is better than one that doesn't exist.
This makes no sense. USB-C 4 already exists.
 
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Imo, I like the lightning port and I don’t see any advantage for me for a usb-c. This type of thing government should stay out of and let the economics of the situation determine the best course.
 
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Imo, I like the lightning port and I don’t see any advantage for me for a usb-c. This type of thing government should stay out of and let the economics of the situation determine the best course.
Liberalism sucks.
 
In my room watching movies on my MacBook Pro.

My friend: "Can I?" pointing at the charging cable that's plugged in my MacBook.
Me (confused): "Sure"

My friend unplugs charging cable from my MacBook and plugs it into her phone to quick charge her Android phone.

** Mind blown. **
 
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