European Lawmakers Want to Force All Smartphones to Have Same Charging Port, Apple Defends Lightning

[germinator]

About time. Apple should have switched to USB-C for the 2019 iPhones. If it doesn't switch in 2020, I will go Android.

Standardization makes a lot of sense and USB-C is the right port.

 

[Baymowe335]

They are trying to protect competition and the environment.

When something better is proposed, it can be made the new standard.

Why would the government decide what is better?

 

[cube]

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. **

Could you reuse your iPad dock if you bought an Android tablet? Or the reverse?
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Why would the government decide what is better?

They can hire experts.

 

[thedevsaddam]

I think Apple will remove all ports in the future. But if you are comparing the lightning to USB type-c then it's far better than the lightning because it can deliver more power & data. Apple used the type-c in their mac books though. Putting universal port can reduce the proprietary ports costing as well as you don't have to carry 4/5 different cables for your devices.

 

[jingbugle]

Apple should move to usb-c across the board. Not sure what the hold up is. They should be penalized for continuing the usage of lightning.

Governments shouldn't interfere as long as common sense is prevailing in the marketplace. When it is not, Governments have the responsibility to step in.

 

[bigpoppamac31]

The government in many countries have overreached their boundaries and have far too much power and control. Apple should just switch to USB-C and be done with it. But do it because it makes sense. Not because the government forces them to.

 

[iJustines]

The government in many countries have overreached their boundaries and have far too much power and control. Apple should just switch to USB-C and be done with it. But do it because it makes sense. Not because the government forces them to.

It is for reducing wastage across different vendor of device and USB-C can do it.

 

[MacBH928]

I don't get it, Apple in 2016 saw USB-C as the future so much so they dropped all ports on the macbook. Now they won't let go of lightening? Wasn't the idea 1 port to rule them all?

 

[BvizioN]

What a waste of law making energy. Im guessing the European Parliament has nothing better to do if they are making laws like this.

EU is a bunch of bureaucrats. They always come up with stupid stuff. Like the EV to have digital "engine noise" to alert bypassers that there is a car on the road

 

[cube]

EU is a bunch of bureaucrats. They always come up with stupid stuff. Like the EV to have digital "engine noise" to alert bypassers that there is a car on the road

The EU cares more about its population than the US or UK governments.

 

[beanbaguk]

I just chucked away 8....yes EIGHT bin bags full of redundant cables and power supplies from gadgets dating back 12 years. It's mainly plastic and will all go to landfill. There is nothing I can do to recycle any of it.

This legislation is excellent and Apple will be able to do little about it.

As much as people criticize the EU, we are one of the most progressive unions around. Our US counterparts will be shocked to learn we offer a standard 2 year warranty on all electrical products (regardless of the terms Apple state to try to scare off consumers), and in the UK, the Consumer Rights Act can offer warranties up to 6 years on electronics devices which are legally enforceable. (5 years in Scotland).

My point is the EU Commission does a huge amount to protect consumers, the environment and this act does both this.

• Reduces waste (Proven by the amount of junk I threw away this weekend)
• Protects the consumer by reducing cost (no need to buy dozens of different cables, thus meaning I have to spend less).

It doesn't stifle innovation as Apple hypocritically state, since they offer USB-C on all their laptops. This truly has to be one of the dumbest statements to come from Apple in a very long time. They're obviously learning from the top....
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EU is a bunch of bureaucrats. They always come up with stupid stuff. Like the EV to have digital "engine noise" to alert bypassers that there is a car on the road

When you're knocked down by a silent car, you won't be moaning then.....
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Why would the government decide what is better?

Because Apple is only interested in itself and its profits. The government *should* be working on behalf of its citizens and working to protect them from multinational corporations like Apple....

 

[cyb3rdud3]

They will move to a different port, perhaps even for a short period of time, it may be the same as others. But that isn't the point.

Government dictating that it all needs to be the same will stop innovation. It is not a good situation and wholly unnecessary.

 

[beanbaguk]

If you don't like it, just don't sell iPhones and iPads in the EU.

On that notion, we'll stop selling our cars to you (27% of all your cars), along with our planes (Boeing aren't exactly doing great these days), etc, etc....

Silly comments deserve silly replies....
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They will move to a different port, perhaps even for a short period of time, it may be the same as others. But that isn't the point.

Government dictating that it all needs to be the same will stop innovation. It is not a good situation and wholly unnecessary.

Nonsense. How do you suggest it'll stop innovation?

 

[cube]

On that notion, we'll stop selling our cars to you (27% of all your cars), along with our planes (Boeing aren't exactly doing great these days), etc, etc....

Silly comments deserve silly replies....

No problem if the UK stops selling cars to the EU.

Airbus can take their wings elsewhere.

 

[beanbaguk]

No problem if the UK stops selling cars to the EU.

Airbus can take their wings elsewhere.

Did you get that from the Daily Mail? Sure you can ditch those 124,000 jobs!

And regarding the cars....aside from McLaren or Aston Martin, there isn't much more out there that is entirely British owned!

Vauxhall - German
Bentley - German
Jaguar - Indian
Land Rover - Indian
Lotus - Chinese
Mini - German
Rolls Royce - German

 

[Muzzakus]

I recently got an iPad Pro 11” and the couple of USBc cables I have lying around won’t charge it. Work fine with a crappy android phone, what’s up with that?

 

[cube]

Did you get that from the Daily Mail? Sure you can ditch those 124,000 jobs!

And regarding the cars....aside from McLaren or Aston Martin, there isn't much more out there that is entirely British owned!

Vauxhall - German
Bentley - German
Jaguar - Indian
Land Rover - Indian
Lotus - Chinese
Mini - German
Rolls Royce - German

More jobs for the EU.

 

[01Shambrook]

This would result in an unprecedented volume of electronic waste and greatly inconvenience users.

I find that wording ironic, as killing the headphone jack led to a huge amount of electronics becoming useless overnight, and thus (probably) leading to a huge amount of electronic waste.

 

[hakonik]

Apple's reasoning on this is absolutely ridiculous. If they would have ever been conscious about environment when selecting ports for their devices all recent Macbooks would have 2 usb-c ports and 2 usb-a ports. But they just always want to have no transitioning periods and force people buy all the f*in adapters and custom cables. Besides every household already owns usb-c peripherals so ditching Lighning is not an issue.

I have a brand spanking new nearly fully specsed out MBP and new iPhone Pro. And I caught myself envying one of my friend for having a random laptop and cheapo Android phone. Just for the sake that she did not have any dongles and same cable could charge all the devices.

My pile of all old Apple adapters and custom cables is the problem, not EU.

 

[BvizioN]

The EU cares more about its population than the US or UK governments.

Don't get me started.
Can't wait from the day we break away from these freaks.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I can’t tell if you missed the /s tag for sarcasm.

It didn’t work in the old Nokia days. It didn’t work with mini-USB and it didn’t work with micro-USB. If the EU had their wish, we would still be stuck on USB-A.

Probably.

I pay little heed to emojis.

However, the EU did away with the nonsense of each phone brand and model having a different charger, a charger that changed with each fresh model - and compelled the companies to come up with something that was interchangeable.

Sensible and necessary regulation.

 

[antonis]

When government should be worried about other, more important issues rather than ports on mobile phones. I can have that trade off, and get to work on other more pressing matters please, sheesh.

EU is not a government or a nation in order to take decisions for critical matters. The European Parliament works as a supplementary institution for matters that apply to all of its members. Creating standards that will reduce monopolies and proprietary solutions is one of their responsibilities.

It might be more interesting for one to wonder why is apple defending a proprietary, old port when everyone else (including apple itself for the rest of their devices) have moved forward. Hint: check for an explanation containing the words "money" and "greed".

 

[beanbaguk]

EU is not a government or a nation in order to take decisions for critical matters. The European Parliament works as a supplementary institution for matters that apply to all of its members. Creating standards that will reduce monopolies and proprietary solutions is one of their responsibilities.

It might be more interesting for one to wonder why is apple defending a proprietary, old port when everyone else (including apple itself for the rest of their devices) have moved forward. Hint: check for an explanation containing the words "money" and "greed".

Spot on.
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Don't get me started.
Can't wait from the day we break away from these freaks.

Freaks? Enjoy your £350m per week for your NHS. The only people to benefit will be the bosses who will get bigger bonuses.

 

[oldmacs]

Apple should have done this with the iPhone 7 when they dropped the headphone port. Real 'courage' would have been going industry standard back then.

The fact that the resident Apple investors are against this probably means Apple retaining lightning is only for monetary reasons.

 

[cube]

Freaks? Enjoy your £350m per week for your NHS. The only people to benefit will be the bosses who will get bigger bonuses.

It was not clear from which side of the border he was talking.