Greg Joswiak: Apple Will Have to Comply With the EU and Switch iPhone to USB-C

[Apleeseed84]

Let me introduce you to the Apple Dongle. The best most powerful dongle we’ve ever made.

Good thing I have a bunch of USB C apple branded dongles from using my ipad pros already lolol

 

[dwaite]

Yeah, I’m holding off on buying AirPods Pro 2 because I know next year they will release the same product with a USB-C case.

Why next year? They don't even need to switch over for the 2024 mandate AFAIK.

All current AirPods models will be incompatible with next year’s iPhone charger. There’s no reason for them not to offer an option for a USB-C case today.

Modern chargers are USB-C today and will be USB-C in the foreseeable future.

 

[gpat]

The right timing for this would've been with the iPhone X.
2016 Macbooks
2017 iPhones
2018 iPads.

They obviously had prototypes for this but decided to nickel and dime their customers instead. Shame.

 

[iZac]

You must have missed where it said USB-C Charging Cable - e.g. meant for power, not meant for high-speed data transfer.

Apple really only sells charging cables and thunderbolt cables (for charging with data transfer) first-party. Any gaps for cheaper cables at lower power levels/speeds get filled in by third parties.

AFAIK only way you get a high speed data cable included from Apple is with a monitor purchase. The only way you get a USB-C charging cable included is if the port is nonstandard (e.g. USB-C to lightning) or if they are also bundling a charger (MacBook Air/Pro).

Yeah I understand it's a charge cable, but when a consumer is standing in front of a wall of cables and it says USB-C, they may assume it's using a somewhat recent standard. I assume the Thunderbolt cable will charge a device too?

When the cable description says "...is ideal for charging, syncing, and transferring data between USB-C devices" and makes no mention of transfer speeds, is it unreasonable to assume that it uses something a little better than data transfer technology from 22 years ago? 😅 I mean even USB 3.2 is 5 years old at this point.

Apologies - if you haven't guessed, this is a very personal gripe regarding me looking for a 2m long USB C cable for a little Samsung SSD a couple of years back and just grabbing a cable from a local Apple Store. This one's even better. I honestly forgot that the original Thunderbolt cable used the Mini DisplayPort shape and the top down product shot on the front of the box looks just like a USB C cable! I think I actually returned two cables in an afternoon, which couldn't be resold and just ended up being 'recycled'. I felt really guilty about the e-waste but quite indignant toward Apple.

grumble grumble

 

[BuddyTronic]

This. USB-C was designed to be future-proof. It has enough pins with appropriate impedance matching for high speed data that it really can't get much better without moving to an optical connector.

I like USB-C

Lightning was mostly good, except for a flaw in which the copper connections can turn black - especially if your phone gets dirty. I had a few Lightning cords with a couple black "pins".

USB-C and Lightning are both easy to plug in.

I really dislike micro-USB


So Apple maybe has to cope with the design constraint of USB-C with respect to the larger dimensions of the socket I suppose. I think they should be allowed to do whatever they want - that's how better things get invented.

Apple might just as well try to delay for a year or two while the entire EU breaks apart if they really do not want to change to USB-C. Or maybe Apple will switch to USB-C after 3 years of time allowed for redesign and retooling future designs.

I'd vote that the next iPhone comes with BOTH connectors and also make the phone 2mm thicker for a larger battery.

Make an iPhone Ultra

 

[danny842003]

You should be able to make whatever power cord you want. Stupid.

You can. You just can’t sell it in the EU. Governments set the rules.

 

[Neepman]

They'll love it. Shorter replacement cycles due to broken internal USB-C connectors.

 

[genovelle]

of course it doesn't mean that. if we all need a new cable then we'll move over it to. need to wait and see. there's no need to replace usb c for many years. the cable will keep the same form factor and be updated and newer cables will be backwards compatible.

Honestly USB-C is a mess. It’s one of the reasons Apple has been slow to move. Imagine if you could by 4 or 5 different lightning cables with different capabilities, but there is no standard or requirement to label this on the cables being sold.

 

[genovelle]

You can. You just can’t sell it in the EU. Governments set the rules.

Right! But it’s still stupid

 

[trip1ex]

Way too many care about this nothing burger.

 

[black_knight]

Watch them dump the connector completely and make it wireless only.

That would be pretty sweet. I’m so tired of hearing of the whining about USB-C.

Or, Apple could stop selling the iPhone in the EU. The company is rich enough anyway.

 

[johnnytravels]

Everyone complaining about the supposed restrictions on innovation resulting from EU legislation:
Please look at Apple as the last phone company using USB 2 speeds over a proprietary connector in 2022. To me this feels more like 2002.

 

[3rdiguy]

I really look forward to this. I will hold onto my 13PM until the 15PM comes out. That USB-C will be so convenient

 

[Wildkraut]

😂 Good to see Apple with their tail between the legs. Soon they will have to comply to EU’s Digital Markets Act and Digital Services Act.

Looks like the EU is helping Apple to modernize their hardware, lightning is crap and outdated.

 

[contacos]

So does this mean we're stuck with the USB-C form factor forever? If no device can have a different connector how do we ever get to what comes after USB-C?

What change did Apple make to Lightning in literally 10 years? NOTHING. It even still uses usb-2 speeds!

 

[inkswamp]

I know the EU is well-intentioned, but I don't trust political entities to made technology decisions. Having them assert themselves ostensibly on behalf of the consumer is nice but I'm hopeful there aren't any unforeseen consequences of this.

 

[carinobtl]

I can’t believe people defending this lightning connector until now and the hate on EU. If USB C is a mess what more is the lightning. Lightning cables must be on the museum already.

 

[Radeon85]

Only a few years too late.

 

[inkswamp]

For all of you complaining about the prospect of a better connector that may come in the future...
Guys the legislation is not set in stone. It can adapt if something better comes along!

At the moment usb-c is the best we have.

It can adapt but now we've set the precedent that the EU can dictate what tech companies must use. Imagine if the EU were around back when Apple dumped the floppy disk or SCSI. If you want USB-C, buy something else. I trust Apple's judgment about what components and technologies work best far more than I trust any political body.

 

[infinitejest]

Watch them doing that only for EU iPhones and the rest will keep Lightning

 

[MuppetGate]

Because a solid monolith with rounded corners is easier to connect without looking in addition to being more durable, to add to what the user I quoted was saying about the discrepancy in port durability. Solid shape > hollow, sharp, flat-ended oval 🤷

Yup. Lightning put the delicate part where it’s cheapest to replace: on the cable, not inside the port.

 

[nStyle]

I’m carrying around multiple cables anyway to charge multiple devices at once so I don’t really care if it’s USB-C or Lightning.

Lightning is still the superior connector except transfer speeds.

 

[Steve63]

Apple could have avoided the EU debacle if they just did the right thing years ago. They manufactured this problem.

Yes and no. Remember, the EU advocated for micro USB at that time, which is the worst of all standards. I am glad that it did not happen! USB - C is a much better connector and will be Ok for many years to come.

 

[grist44]

Agreed I wish these stupid poor people complaining about having to buy 2 cords would get off this forum.

I mean seriously. I like lightning. I would rather have it than usb c personally. But nope people cry and whine to get their devices closer to androids.

With as much as people complain about apple i don’t see why they just don’t go to Android

Explain what you like about lightning.

 

[Reason077]

I am betting it's just the USBC connector...so Thunderbolt 4 would work since a USB-C Charger will still work with TB4. So Apple can still be Apple and say all devices come with TB4 ports that will work with USB-C chargers.

Correct. USB-C just refers to the physical connector spec/shape. It’s capable of supporting all sorts of different signals and protocols that run over it.