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The only reason Lightning even exists is because Micro USB sucks, and USB-C was not ready in time for the iPhone 5 which needed a physically smaller port.

Apple should put Lightning to rest already and move to USB-C. They already have on iPads and Macs, why is the phone the odd one out? Enough already, Apple! I won't even mind having to buy new cables because it'll probably be the last time.
The vast, vast, majority of iPhone users are not MacRumors readers and they don't know the difference between USB C, Lighting or USB A. They do know if you switch connectors on they're favorite smartphones, they will cut you.
 
LOL. Shut your face apple, I hate that you've never used the 'regular' cables. And it's obviously been awful for the environment ever since you switched to lightening rather than micro usb. And there's even an iPad with USB C isn't there? FFS.. .
 
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.

The law can have an expiration. I.e. all phones sold through 2023 must have USB-C ports.

This is the best of both worlds -> simplicity today and flexibility for tomorrow.
 
Ive tried them and they suck. They work for a while and then stop.. the genuine Apple ones work well except I lost one. For a company that prides itself with caring for the environment, I suppose I’ll have to throw away all of the thunderbolt 2 adapters (Ethernet, FireWire, DVI, HDMI) (spend over $100 on all of them) and buy new adapters when I upgrade to a revolutionary and magical USB C only machine.

EBay. Genuine Apple in original packaging, ranging from USD $36 to $54. Not cheap, but Apple (if the packaging and seller statements are to be believed).

I get that you don't want to throw money at it, but if you need it, it's there.
 
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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.

While I agree in principle, I think perhaps we're all conflating the signals with the connector. USB-C is both. IMO, USB-C as a *connector* would be a great universal standard where all manufacturers would support the base requirements. Individual manufacturers could, then, support faster speeds, newer protocols, expanded capabilities, etc. Assuming that these connectors could have a 10-15 year life-span, I would suspect we'll be fully 'wireless' (e.g. NO connectors) long before that happens. Then for those devices that do still require a connector, this could still be a win.
 
Ive tried them and they suck. They work for a while and then stop.. the genuine Apple ones work well except I lost one. For a company that prides itself with caring for the environment, I suppose I’ll have to throw away all of the thunderbolt 2 adapters (Ethernet, FireWire, DVI, HDMI) (spend over $100 on all of them) and buy new adapters when I upgrade to a revolutionary and magical USB C only machine.

EBay. Genuine Apple in original packaging, ranging from USD $36 to $54. Not cheap, but Apple (if the packaging and seller statements are to be believed).

I get that you don't want to throw money at it, but if you need it, it's there.
They did...you’re just thinking about the wrong end. How many decade-old boxy black wall warts do you have lying in a drawer, with little round connectors that look somewhat alike but don’t quite fit the gadget you’re trying to plug in? Those were great times...

Oh my god...don't remind me...nightmarish. Also a reminder that dongles were NOT an Apple invention, either.
 
The bazillion dollar company, pushed around by a bunch of Euro-bureaucrats.

I kinda like it, to be honest. Especially with all the shenanigans Apple pulls with their power cords and adapters. USB-A to lightning. Lighnting to USB-C. USB-C to USB-C, and so on.

And the crappy adapters still packaged with "flagship" phones.

Watch how fast everything Apple goes to USB-C. It'll be like the blink of an eye...
 
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Apple, please adopt USB-C on iPhones. It’s the right thing for your customers, and for the future.

Lightning had a good run, but it’s increasingly a liability that works against convenience and interoperability.
 
The only reason Lightning even exists is because Micro USB sucks, and USB-C was not ready in time for the iPhone 5 which needed a physically smaller port.

Apple should put Lightning to rest already and move to USB-C. They already have on iPads and Macs, why is the phone the odd one out? Enough already, Apple! I won't even mind having to buy new cables because it'll probably be the last time.

Apple's view might have changed since the time they said this. I agree, USB-C is more than adequate now for a transition but it'll still take years still because lightning is on older phones, ipads, pencil and headphones etc.
 
This is a VERY bad idea. How do we ever move beyond USB C if the entire industry has to move at the same time?? USB C isn't the best port that will ever be invented.

I think we all agree that legislation is a last resort and should be avoided if at all possible.

But Apple only have themselves to blame for this. They could have moved to USB-C 2-3 years ago, yet despite their “commitment” they are still making new iPhone models with proprietary lightning ports even today. Legislation may be the only way to stop Apple dragging its heels on this.
 
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I work in a school that has a bunch of iPads in each class. A while ago, we got iPad charging stations from this company called Hercules Tuff. The charging stations & the lightning cables were super cheap (both price & quality). They broke easily, so I had to replace them. Plus, pretty poor customer service. I'll never buy from them again.

As for going to USB-C, I'm meh. So many accessories are already for lightning, so you'll have a lot of trash and/or adaptors needed, not to mention a lot of angry users. On the other hand, it will allow for a much broader range of accessories, too.

It would be interesting to see what would happen if iPads went to Thunderbolt 3/USB 4. I'd like to see what kind transfer speeds they would have with other iPads/Macs, as well as accessories.

Something I'd love to see, but know it'll never happen, is also add an SD card to iPhones & iPads.
 
While I really do want USB-C in my iPhone, I don’t support this type of legislation. This has the potential to stifle future innovation such as USB-D.
 
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Of course, they should be forced to use the same as the rest of the world. There is not a single factual evidence that the lightning bolt is any better and it costs consumers money to have multiple cables.

Good job EU!
 
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Nearly a year ago, Apple said regulations that would force all smartphones to have the same charging port would "freeze innovation," be "bad for the environment," and be "unnecessarily disruptive for customers."

More than 1 billion Apple devices have shipped using a Lightning connector in addition to an entire ecosystem of accessory and device manufacturers who use Lightning to serve our collective customers. We want to ensure that any new legislation will not result in the shipment of any unnecessary cables or external adaptors with every device, or render obsolete the devices and accessories used by many millions of Europeans and hundreds of millions of Apple customers worldwide. This would result in an unprecedented volume of electronic waste and greatly inconvenience users. To be forced to disrupt this huge market of customers will have consequences far beyond the stated aims of the Commission.

Pot calling kettle black? Projection by Apple?
 
I would love for all devices to converge on the USB-C connector, but no two USB-C compatible devices seem to offer the same consistent protocol support, which is a nightmare. Honestly I think they should wait till USB4 is available and mandate a combination of that with USB-C. That way, we get up to 100W Power Delivery, up to 40GB data transfer speeds, full backwards compatibility with older USB standards, and all kinds of other guaranteed capabilities.

Between my Switch, MacBook Pro, iPad Pro and a few other devices, Lightning is slowly becoming obsolete in my home anyway.
 
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Wasn't this what happened when Europe insisted that a common charging port was required? https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MD820AM/A/lightning-to-micro-usb-adapter

I'm not a big fan of lightning because of the fritzed 4th (is it the 4th? others have seen it) pin that happens eventually on cables you have used with devices that draw a lot (arcing on that pin) and eventually renders the cable useless.. I've had 3 cables and an original Belkin Rockstar die this way before I found that the tedious answer is to connect the iPhone or iPad and THEN connect the other end... however, I think that these cables are common enough _not_ to require this kind of standardisation/regulation.. I mean it's not like the old Sony chargers with the wierd ends that were wire into the power brick is it?
 
The only reason Lightning even exists is because Micro USB sucks, and USB-C was not ready in time for the iPhone 5 which needed a physically smaller port.
sorry, no. The only reason Lightning even exists... licensing.

Apple should put Lightning to rest already and move to USB-C. They already have on iPads and Macs, why is the phone the odd one out? Enough already, Apple! I won't even mind having to buy new cables because it'll probably be the last time.
Apple will soon be moving to USB-C for the iPhone because the USB consortium last year approved the ability for companies to have a certification requirement for certain USB-C cables. This will allow Apple to only allow Apple-approved USB-C cables to be used with iPhones. Apple-approved=company paid a fee. ;)
 
This kind of legislation will force phone makers to have two or three charging ports.
 
Gee, if only a huge central bureaucracy could make ALL our decisions for us. That would make life just perfect.

yea, it would make a pleasant change to it being a mega-rich private corporation that changes its mind every 5 years....
 
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