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

[recoil80]

Good for the short term, bad for the long term.

Yes, we all would like USB-C, but when it's successor comes out, adoption will be slow because of all the government red tape put in place.

That's a good point and if you're forced to use a single connector you can't really introduce a new one, unless you put two connectors on a device to be compatible with the mandatory one, very unlikely on products like smartphones.
At least Qi is a standard, they could ask manufacturers to provide at least one standard charging method, so if you have Qi you can have a different port and if you have USB-C you can ship a product without Qi.

 

[Mdracer]

Sooo, Apple forces the USB type C for every new Mackbook user and says the industry needs to catch up, before peripherals have even started adopting it.

Now Apple throws a stink because the EU says to drop lightning in favor of USB type C... I wish I knew what was in Tim Apples head.

 

[MauiPa]

Funny how Apple wasn't so concerned for the environment when they shifted from 30-pin to Lightning. Just switch to USB-C and be done with it.

ummm! yah, you now what you said, right? 30 pin worked fine for awhile, but it was flimsy, lightning is way better, too bad usb didn't go with it, even if it met all the stated objectives, NIMBYs

 

[Gasu E.]

​

Uh… isn’t Apple the one that eliminates standard ports all the time, necessitating the use of special cables or external adapters? I mean, I’m generally ok with eliminating standard ports if it moves new technologies along, but their response here seems antithetical with their usual MO. Apple is most likely against it because of the money they make licensing their proprietary Lightning plug to 3rd parties. I say we see some of that ol’ Apple “courage” and move towards USB-C as soon as possible so I can simplify my wire collection!

That's one way to look at it. But the more coherent way to look at it is that Apple is pushing a vision of wireless connectivity, and is abandoning connectors that are unnecessary to that vision. The Apple vision isn't to sell you adaptors, but for you to go 100% wireless. Right now, in early 2010, the only place where you don't always have a first rate wireless alternative is power, which is why one connector remains. The fact that you can use that connector for other purposes via adaptors is just Apple's way of easing the transition to 100% wireless. It seems fairly clear that the future is that even power will not require a connector. I imagine behind Apple's objection to the EU is that the company believes that, by 2022-2025, ANY physical port would be purely for legacy purposes. Thus, it makes little sense to force Apple iPhone customers to have to deal with an extra set of legacy ports and devices.

 

[MauiPa]

I don't agree with the proposed law on this one, but Apple's response is bull. They'll clearly move cable when they want to, even though all the same arguments against doing so will still apply .

And you like to be told what to do and when, by someone who has no business telling you so?

 

[jeyf]

you guys always must have a hardware, touch feel.

what if there was a wireless standard?

this be better faster. At least till google perfects the solid state battery next year.

 

[ipedro]

This is simple, most phones already have Qi. It's future proof, doesn't require any cables and it's growing much faster than USB-C in replacing USB-A at public charging stations. I've seen an increasing number of wireless charging points on tables at airports, coffee shops, train stations, hotels and libraries. It even comes built into furniture.

The goal should be to have generic wireless charging be so ubiquitous that phone manufacturers won't even have to include a cable at all, USB-C or otherwise, because most people will already have a Qi charging point in their home like they have standardized electrical outlets.

 

[Gasu E.]

What standard port did Apple eliminate on the iPhone?

The audio port. But, we know that was part of a coherent strategy to go wireless.

 

[MauiPa]

umm

View attachment 888338

Good thing Samsung saw the light. oh, never mind!

 

[benface]

presumably more cables being produced and ultimately ending up in landfills, as without a standard people will need different chargers for different devices?

For instance, I use just one charger for my iPhone and iPad since their both lightning. If I had an Android phone I would need to carry to different chargers. I don’t know how much waste that actually produces, but I understand wanting to streamline things.

Personally, I’m fine with lightning, but if the switch is going to happen eventually, Apple might as well just pull off the bandaid, unless they really are just bidding time until they go totally port-less.

Exactly. But Apple is saying that having a SINGLE port would be bad for the environment. I can’t imagine why.

 

[Mity]

This is a very good idea. Companies should be required to come up with an industry standard port. This would allow for more competition and reduce e-waste.

 

[benface]

I'm not sure why this has come up again. As @Scepticalscribe points out, we had this problem a few years ago when every make of phone or even iteration of a phone came with its own specific adapter. And the end result was drawers full of the things (that's how it's bad for the environment @benface). The EU mandated that all phones should be able to us the same charger and this shifted the market towards USB charging with cables having USB on one end and either lightning or another form of USB on the other.

Having standard inputs on the phones for charging would save on the number of adapter cables being produced, but the effect would be minimal, I think.

See my reply above.

 

[gnasher729]

What about the millions of products that shipped with the 30 pin connector Tim? What happened to those products? Apple doesn’t even sell the 30 pin to lightning adapters anymore.

You are not thinking clearly.

The expensive bit is the charger, the cheap bit is the cable. I have good chargers, and the same charger can charge any kind of phone and quite a few other devices, with different cables (including my wife's watch with a totally non-standard cable). You never needed a 30 pin to lightning adapter. I never had one, and I still have some working 30 pin devices. What you needed was a cheap different cable.

This change wants to force all _devices_ to have the same port. Whoever doesn't have his device chosen will start the mother of all lawsuits against the EU. Apple can obviously suggest the lightning adapter, and offer to pay all license fees for everyone which will make it cheaper than USB - how do you think will Samsung like it if they have to change all their phones to lightning.

 

[XXPP]

"With goals of reducing waste" and hundreds of millions apple lightning accessories go to waste.

 

[gnasher729]

IIRC, The EU never mandated USB ports, just that they all had to be the same, and let the manufacturers figure it out.

Great idea. Apple: I suggest everyone uses Lightning. Samsung: I suggest everyone uses micro-USB.

 

[XXPP]

What about the millions of products that shipped with the 30 pin connector Tim? What happened to those products? Apple doesn’t even sell the 30 pin to lightning adapters anymore.

In 2012 iPhone was not so popular. Now people use bilion iOS lightning devices.

 

[gnasher729]

Although Apple wasn't part of the original USB consortium, the original iMac was the first popular computer to adopt the USB standard, in 1998.

I remember how everyone started selling transparent USB mouses suddenly (including seeing one in my supermarket), that would have looked fine with the new iMac.

 

[SuperCachetes]

A free market economy will always produce abundance, some of it will go to waste, no doubt. This is very natural. Nature is also very wasteful. Think of all the apple trees everywhere, whose apples never get picked but end up rotting on the ground below.

I don’t disagree with you completely, but this is a horribly invalid analogy.

When discarded plastic cables can be eaten by wildlife for nourishment or decompose into fertilizer, you may be closer, though...

 

[Mikey44]

I don't think government should be able to force stuff like this, but in this case if that's what it takes for Apple to go to USB-C, then great. Otherwise they'll stay proprietary for the almighty dollar. The USB-C is superior to lightning and it's the new standard. I would guess it will be around for at least another decade, just based on the life of the USB-A connector... which unfortunately, is still around.

I've had android work phones for 10 years now. I've never had a USB-C cable or port go bad in that entire time. I've had numerous lightning cables get thrown out over the years due to the exposed contacts. If you think this is done for anything other than revenue, you are being misled.

If anyone says Lightning is superior to USB-C, or that USB-C isn't the new standard, you need to stop drinking Timmy's kool-aid.

I would argue that USB-C is actually inferior in a few ways.

• While individual companies can choose to add waterproofing, the standard does not include that in the base standards (from what I can find), lighting does have this built in the spec.
• There is a tongue in the connector that still can break, and has broken for a number of users (although it has improved greatly from micro usb)
• The amount of varying connectors and cables is dizzying
  • One can fry one's device being charged by using the incorrect cable
  • Just to list some examples of differing cable types alone:
    • USB-C using the USB Standard 2.0 for charging only
    • USB-C using the USB Standard 3.1 for data transfer and charging
    • USB-C using the USB Standard 3.2 for data transfer and charging
    • USB-C using the USB Standard 4.0 for data transfer and charging
    • USB-C using the Thunderbolt 3 standard for data transfer up to 40 gbps
    • USB-C using the display port standards allowing for displays to be connected
  • This doesn't even delve into the connector types of USB-C, including Fast Charging compatibility

Lightning cables may not all be created equal (the dollar ones on eBay and Amazon) but they do provide a consistent experience across the board if they are MFI certified. I wish that Apple's were a bit more solidly built, but the expectation that they will not have the problems that USB-C has because it's used only for the 'portable' devices from Apple, and most if not all the other devices are simply charging the device (ie. magic keyboard, magic mouse, Apple Pencil (moving wireless), etc.)

Regarding the cable fraying, this is due heavily to Greenpeace. They pushed Apple to remove PVC from their products and Apple acquiesced to the request. As such, their cables have gone to crap due to use and abuse. Source: https://fee.org/articles/this-is-the-real-reason-your-iphone-cables-break/

This doesn't mean lightning is perfect. There is plenty of room for improvement, but it's a solid standard, and one that I think will likely continue to grow, at least until Apple removes all ports from it's devices. As will USB-C, but it has plenty of issues that currently plague it.

 

[mazz0]

And you like to be told what to do and when, by someone who has no business telling you so?

Sorry, I should have said I don't agree with the proposed law on this one. Oh wait, I did! Perhaps you should read things twice before making snarky replies, cos it makes you look a bit silly.

 

[thewayfaerer]

Apple wanting to avoid the shipment of unnecessary cables has a slightly ironic touch to it.

 

[RemE]

Normally I don't like govt stepping in but honestly, Apple has taken us on a few rides and NOT always for our best interests, like their "courageous" move to kill the headphone jack as well as the 30pin fun.
If all companies had to support USB-C we would be better off for many years to come and it would ensure that future switches to better options were NOT controlled by one big dog company to the detriment of us consumers.
It's about time.

 

[Bin Cook]

Hopefully the Yanks can keep Lightning but somehow I doubt it will stop them talking nonsense about laws and regulators that do not impact them in any way shape or form.

 

[Digital Skunk]

I'm glad I don't live in Europe .... then again, across the pond isn't looking too good either.

Seriously though, what a waste of time and energy. Have they not seen the adoption of USB-C USB 3.1 and other standards? Why do they have to waste time and money (salary and legal fees) "legislating" tech adoption of a standard.

Just let it happen!

 

[julianhj]

I'm not buying another product with a Lightning port. If Apple continue to hold out I'll simply migrate to Android.