Charging ports are so 2019. I can’t remember the last time I charged my phone with a wire. Focus on improving Qi instead
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European Lawmakers Want to Force All Smartphones to Have Same Charging Port, Apple Defends Lightning
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Really? You don't have a drawer full of obsolete mini-USB/micro-USB cables that are no longer useful for your USB-C or Lightning device? These all end up in landfill, whether it's now, or in 50 years when you're dead. Either way, they end up in landfill.
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BTW - there have been micro-usb/lightning compatible cables for a long time. Charging only, but they exist. Single cable works in either port.
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So what happens in the future if and when a connector deemed superior to usb c is discovered? Is Apple (or any other company for that matter) allowed to adopt it independently of everyone else, or do they have to coordinate with other smartphone companies and change their ports in lockstep?
Personally, I feel that we are able to enjoy good things in life because companies are able to innovate outside of the constraints of standards. We got lightning in the age of micro USB, which was a very good thing for consumers given how poor micro USB is as a connector. Apple users got to enjoy lightning for a whole 3 years before there was ever a device with a USB-C connector. If anything, it’s the standards that are stopping things being ‘great’ as USB-C has taken so long to get to market and has has compatibility problems along the way. Both of which have been worse for customers in comparison to what Apple has been doing.
Personally, I feel that we are able to enjoy good things in life because companies are able to innovate outside of the constraints of standards. We got lightning in the age of micro USB, which was a very good thing for consumers given how poor micro USB is as a connector. Apple users got to enjoy lightning for a whole 3 years before there was ever a device with a USB-C connector. If anything, it’s the standards that are stopping things being ‘great’ as USB-C has taken so long to get to market and has has compatibility problems along the way. Both of which have been worse for customers in comparison to what Apple has been doing.
Well the 30 pin connector was a solution for a problem that no longer exsists : the need to support firewire ( for compatibility with max that ar rhe time dud not have usb, while still nor excluding pc users that did not have firewire) + iirc analog video and audio out (via passive dongle) when that ned was no longer important and a smaller connector was needed, apple went looking, and did not find anything that satisfied them, so came up with lighning. Now if the EU says evrything sold in the ey must have a usb-c charging port appke has realy has only one choice, if thay want to continue selling in a rather large eu market switch to usb-c and previous dongles be dames
It's sad to see all the Americans criticising EU lawmakers. Standards are a good thing for consumers and sometimes companies need to be hit over the head with a fine or two before they come around. They can always change the standard later so I don't see why folks think this locks us into USB-C until the end of time.
Yea, good luck fiting thst in a phone or tablet, even politichians can see that will never work, that connevtor is all most as Wide as an ipad air 2 (portate mide) and way thicker not to mention the thick cable. — oh you where joking, never mind, have a nice dayhoouer/pick suitable time interval
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Well yes long term, butI’m afraid a lot of people in the US think mor about right now, or at keast not longer than the replacment of nex IDevice. So the short term pain in having to teplace dongles, or god forbid havving to carry a double set for a while untill al devives have only usb-c is a sticking point
Different situation. Apple switched to Lightning because they had were far past what the 30-pin connector could do, and reaching the end of what they could accomplish by cannibalizing older pins in the connector. With the experience from that, they designed a connector that would last a long time. They have not yet really exceeded the capabilities of the Lightning connector - changing for political, rather than technical, reasons would, indeed, be wasteful.
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Only on some of the iPads. The Pro models have USB-C, the others have Lightning.
If this legislation passed, wouldn't it be highly likely that Apple would just move to ditch the physical port on the iPhone altogether? Their wireless charging pad never came to fruition, but perhaps they would just fall back to a simplified version.
This is why the Brits want out. EU is a mess of micro meddling, while Rome burns. EU has lost the plot.
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.
And you don't think having a single charging port for all your devices is THE solution to that problem?Really? You don't have a drawer full of obsolete mini-USB/micro-USB cables that are no longer useful for your USB-C or Lightning device? These all end up in landfill, whether it's now, or in 50 years when you're dead. Either way, they end up in landfill.
[automerge]1578950421[/automerge]
BTW - there have been micro-usb/lightning compatible cables for a long time. Charging only, but they exist. Single cable works in either port.
FLOVEME 0.3m/1m 2in1 Reversible USB Lighting Cable For iPhone Samsung Xiaomi Micro USB Charger Cable TPE 2A Charging Data Combo|Mobile Phone Cables| - AliExpress
Cheap Mobile Phone Cables, Buy Quality Cellphones & Telecommunications Directly from China Suppliers:FLOVEME 0.3m/1m 2in1 Reversible USB Lighting Cable For iPhone Samsung Xiaomi Micro USB Charger Cable TPE 2A Charging Data Combo Enjoy ✓Free Shipping Worldwide! ✓Limited Time Sale ✓Easy Return.
Here we go again. Govt. poking it's nose into everything. Don't y'all have more important things to do!?!? Let standards bodies define the tech, but you still can't force adherence to a particular standard, it has to be voluntary. Incentives help tho.
Right now USB-C would probably be the ideal standard for all DC power connections under 100 watts. Incentivize all power bricks to have USB-C *connectors* (not wires), then any company can ship any type of adapter cable that will allow their device to connect to the USB-C power source.
USB-C won't be the "end-all be-all" connector forever. It may be really good, and it could have a 20-30 year life span, but at some point, something better will be invented. If a current standard is mandated, then we can never progress.
Right now USB-C would probably be the ideal standard for all DC power connections under 100 watts. Incentivize all power bricks to have USB-C *connectors* (not wires), then any company can ship any type of adapter cable that will allow their device to connect to the USB-C power source.
USB-C won't be the "end-all be-all" connector forever. It may be really good, and it could have a 20-30 year life span, but at some point, something better will be invented. If a current standard is mandated, then we can never progress.
Not necessarily. Good standards were historically adopted quickly.
Besides, usb-c already offers 40gbit thunderbolt 3. Its gonna be some time before USB reaches that speed.
By then, you could double the pinout like with usb2.0 vs usb3.0 and get faster speeds with backward compatibility.
Anecdotal evidence, at best. If USB-C wasn't working, why'd Apple bet big on it since 2016 without backing down? Is it because they're afraid of losing face now, similar to how long it took to roll back the keyboard thing? A company's arrogance is hardly what should be defining standards.
And, that's what they call anecdotal evidence.
I've had a bunch of Apple devices with Lightning cables, and haven't had any Apple Lightning cables go bad, after years of use. Lightning is one of the best things about Apple products.
It'll get replaced eventually. But forcing it now seems wasteful.
More tyranny from Big Brother EU. Will people/businesses in Europe stand up for themselves?
This doesn’t make sense. Apple has Lighting on their phones and USB C on their iPads and their new AirPod pro. I wish we would all settle on the same connector only because when the kids come home, it’s a mess figuring out the charging stations.
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It’s not anecdotal, that’s why everyone is selling bullet proof lightning cables for $6.
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.