The EU Wants All Phones to Work With Interoperable Chargers, Here’s What That Means for Apple's Lightning Port

H2SO4 said:
I'l start with your first response and not go any further as you don't appear serious.
My post said My experience. I even italicised the My.
Good day sir.
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I guess the answer is NO as you are unable to provide any credible statistics. Dismissing my post doesn’t exempt yours from being nonsense. Good day sir.
 
MartyvH said:
How is e-waste reduced when there will still be the same number of devices? Does it matter what connector those same devices have when they are thrown out in 5 years? If the split between USB-C and Lightning is 60-40 or 50-50 or 80-20, it's still the same volume of e-waste.

There will be an increase in e-waste when connectors are forced to be changed. An increase! And more adapters will be made and then thrown out later....
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Lightning cables are notorious for fraying and breaking. I use an iPhone for more than 1-2 years so I don't get a new Lightning cable once a year. I've had to buy multiple Lightning cables over the years instead of just using all the other Micro USB and now USB-C cables I have lying around the house. Every time I need to throw out a Lightning cable and get a new one instead of reusing one I have, e-waste is increased.
 
PortoMavericks said:
People working video production on the go, using the video out with a monitor. Let’s just remember it’s not only the iPhone: all but the iPad Pro uses the lightning port.
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I was talking about phones. Sounds like a very niche need - working video production on the go with external monitor yet only having their phone?

Current iPad Pro has USBC - likely since iPadOS now supports usage as more of a host system than a client system.
 
jayducharme said:
And that's really the important point Apple is making. Given how slowly most government agencies react to changes, tech certainly would be hampered. What if Apple came up with a magnetic charging solution like MagSafe, but with completely flush-mount? That would be amazing, yet the EU wouldn't allow it without years of deliberation.
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Even Apple wouldn’t develop an amazing new connector over night. There would be several years involved for conceiving, developing and testing such a thing. Surely long enough to apply for an update to the common standard and give government time to react and update the standard by the time the new connector is ready for primetime.

The one major reason I see for Apple being against such a common standard is that they’d lose a USP, no matter how proprietary. Surely a valid reason for concern from the companies POV, which then has to be weighed against the common interest of saving resources and environment.

Also very amusing, how some people are so against a common charging port, while at the same time defending the common audio (headphone) port as a good thing for interoperability reasons ... 😄
 
Neodym said:
....Also very amusing, how some people are so against a common charging port, while at the same time defending the common audio (headphone) port as a good thing for interoperability reasons ... 😄
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It could be the headphone jack, unlike electrical outlets and charging ports are one of a select few standards. One can still use their headphones even without a port and without throwing away cables and bricks and buying new.
 
i see a good point for less waste with worldwide standard
not sure if it will fly in the usa though
changing gears a bit - the usa should have converted to metric decades ago
what a waste having to buy 2 sets of allen keys
 
Substance90 said:
Lightning cables are notorious for fraying and breaking. I use an iPhone for more than 1-2 years so I don't get a new Lightning cable once a year. I've had to buy multiple Lightning cables over the years instead of just using all the other Micro USB and now USB-C cables I have lying around the house. Every time I need to throw out a Lightning cable and get a new one instead of reusing one I have, e-waste is increased.
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It's common knowledge that *Apple* Lightning cables are notorious for fraying and breaking.

But I've been using this Anker Lightning cable in my car for years and it still works great. It survives going from freezing temperatures in winter to over 100 degrees in summer. It cost me a whopping $13 in 2016.

I have another of those Anker cables in my travel bag primarily for its 6-foot length. It makes it easier to use if you have to plug in far from a wall outlet.

I kinda wish Apple would not include their crappy short cable in every box. I've had multiple iPhones, multiple iPads, and Airpods that include their Lightning cable. So I have quite a collection. But I don't use them.

But people would freak out if there wasn't some cable in every box. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
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LV426 said:
No, he’s not being nasty. I carefully connect my MacBook Pro to my monitor via USB-C on my desk each working day, and have done since 2016. This past year, the USB-C port on the MacBook is starting to wear out: sometimes the monitor won’t be recognised, or there will be data drop-outs. Luckily, I have three other identical ports to choose from. But they do wear out / loosen over time.
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So your anecdotal experience is that Apple use sub-standard USB-C sockets in their laptops. My anecdotal experience is that Apple Lightning cables are sub-standard as both a cable my son uses for an iPod and a cable for my wife's iPhone SE had the white outer insulation fray and start to fall apart. This has never happened to the multiple USB mini/micro/USB-C cables and device sockets I have used over many years supplied by Samsung, HTC, Sony, Motorola, Lenovo, Huawei and FiiO. Common denominator for sub-standard products by my anecdotal experience is Apple.
 
I'd be telling the EU where to shove it. Governments don't tell what companies might do/should do with their products.
 
People’s’ memories are bad. USB-C first showed up on phones 5years ago(2015), lightning ports shipped 3years earlier(2012).

The EU forced-out the industry-standard mini-USB connector with similar laws. I considered mini-USB superior to micro-USB in almost every way(harder to plug in upside down, fewer pins, no stupid retention clips to rip).
 
deeddawg said:
I was talking about phones. Sounds like a very niche need - working video production on the go with external monitor yet only having their phone?

Current iPad Pro has USBC - likely since iPadOS now supports usage as more of a host system than a client system.
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niche? You’re referring to creatives, producers, writers and directors? Podcasters, musicians, etcetera are influencers and it’s a “niche” inherently attached to the perception the Apple brand has.
 
Wow, there are a lot of valid points presented here and issues that need to be resolved. Industrial strength bashing does nothing to change anyone's mind. Standardization is generally considered good especially if it is market-driven. Government-driven standardization artificially chooses winners and losers by fiat. Agree or disagree as you may. I believe this will lead to the fragmentation of product lines. Suppose a new plug is adopted and has new capabilities that consumers want but are not available using USB C. EU Apple consumers are not going to be happy they can not use those capabilities due to current EU regs. Apple is not going to be happy because they don't want any fragmentation and they want all of their customers to have the same experience. That is a problem. On the other hand, perhaps Apple is afraid that USB C devices having access to the phone gives them pause, possibly development/security issues. Your thoughts?
 
Such BS that USB-C is too wide for iPhones. Firstly its not and secondly iPhones are actually getting thicker. I hate lightning and Apple make a fortune on cables that cost a few cents to make and they charge a premium for. Also buying cheap third party ones are prone to all sorts of problems. They should be forced to switch to USB-C as standard. End of story. If Apple love Lighting so much then put a USB-C to Lightning dongle in the box rather than the other way round.
 
jdoyle said:
Such BS that USB-C is too wide for iPhones. Firstly its not and secondly iPhones are actually getting thicker. I hate lightning and Apple make a fortune on cables that cost a few cents to make and they charge a premium for. Also buying cheap third party ones are prone to all sorts of problems. They should be forced to switch to USB-C as standard. End of story. If Apple love Lighting so much then put a USB-C to Lightning dongle in the box rather than the other way round.
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“They should be forced...”

Do you hear yourself?
 
deeddawg said:
Not if you don’t abuse them.

Take care of your stuff and you don’t have issues.

I’ve never had a cable fray or break, Lightning or anything else.
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There is a big difference between people here. I'm still on my September 2017 iPhone SE's cable. Using it with my iPhone XS. The XS's cable I've used a few times away from home but is otherwise unused.

Then there was a tenant of mine who was buying a new one about once a month. I could not believe one of hers when I saw it. Absolutely shredded. The difference has got to be in handling.
 
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