chucker23n1
macrumors G3
No, the niche is doing that production on an iPhone or non-Pro iPad.
The EU Wants All Phones to Work With Interoperable Chargers, Here’s What That Means for Apple's Lightning Port
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No, the niche is doing that production on an iPhone or non-Pro iPad.
maxjohnson2
macrumors 6502
If they adapt USB-C for all devices I'm sure a lot of customers would complain about Apple forcing them to buy new cables, dongles etc.
USB-C is more convenient for people with an iPad Pro so they can have a single cable for both, but people with an iPad or iPad Air are happy to share the Lighting cable with their iPhones.
There isn't a perfect solution to the problem, they're going to make some people mad anyway.
If they switch to USB-C I'm fine, but I have an iPad Mini and my AirPods case is Lighting so I'm going to need two cables. I can live with that, but if they switch the iPhone I want all their iOS devices to adapt USB-C as well
Apple already takes your freedoms away, the EU takes away less than Apple does.
If you are ok with Apple taking your freedoms away, you'll be fine with the EU
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Most laptops now have usb-c. I have quite a few of every type of cable so I don't think people will complain.
Quite the opposite:
I can also attest that out of all the cables I have from all the usb types, the old apple 30 pin connector and lightning connector.
The worst performing connector out of all of those is the lightning connector, followed by the 30 pin connector and all the usb connectors coming out on top.
I have had more Apple cables fail than any other cable, they just don't stand up as well as other cables.
I guess partly due to the strain relief and partly to do with how the lightning connector is held in the cable.
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There is nothing stopping companies from proposing improvements to standards. Case in point - we are not stuck with a large hdmi connector, nor are we stuck with SD TV or 2G phones.
I would rather have usb-c on my iPhone and iPads, at least they are cheaper cables
Going forward, I don't see many iterations of the physical aspect of the usb-c connector due to its small size already.
Phil Fennessy
macrumors newbie
Interesting that the EU has focused on Apple and cellphones , I have three different types of Phillips shavers all use a 5v 1 amp power unit and all three have different plugs to the actual shaver obviously the rules for EU manufacturers are different
Mojohanna32
macrumors regular
except it wont eliminate waste or even reduce it. Today, even though incompatible, all devices ship with a charger. In the future, regardless of what standard is forced upon the industry, all devices will ship with a charger. The logic here doesn't work.
gnasher729
Suspended
The EU wouldn't care. European consumers would be very unhappy. But most importantly, Apple shareholders would be extremely unhappy if the share price drops by half because Apple is giving up in the world's biggest market out of pettiness.
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I've already thrown out many 30 pin cables.
Lightning cables have a limited life time. There are multiple lightning devices in my household, so if I replace one with a USB C device, none of the lightning cables will be thrown out.
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gnasher729
Suspended
That's the whole point: They can and they do. And if a company doesn't like what the EU tells them to do, tough luck.
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Actually, that's not due to the EU, that's due to the websites. Like the one where I'm typing right now is most definitely in violation of GDPR. (The rule is: There must be a button whether to accept cookies or not, and there must be ONE button immediately accessible that REJECTS all cookies. Not one button ACCEPT ALL. Plus, it is entirely legal to have a cookie to remember that a reject all other cookies. )
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I7guy
macrumors Westmere
True. I have some lightning cables going on 7 years, but I don’t expect to get more than 10 years out of them.
Re-read my post. You've misunderstood what I wrote.
I was referring to people who need to connect their phone to an external monitor and USB equipment in order to do video production work on the go.
Presumably that would be a niche subset of the overall creatives, producers, writers and directors.
Or are you suggesting all of those folks use only their phone and don't instead use better suited equipment like macbooks and ipad pros?
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Indeed. While I've not kept track of which cables are which, I've had iphones since the 3GS and thus must have at least a couple of lightning cables dating back to 2012.
Ueuezaza
macrumors newbie
Actually, I am doing that for 3 years now. With the last gen Macbook Pro chargers, you can use the USB-C to Lightning cable to quick charge your iPhone and iPad...
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Sure the iPhone 5 included the 30-pin to Lightning adapter? I remember that beeing so, for the 30-pin products that were substituted under warranty with a product having th elightning port.
The same could easily have been said of the USB mini-B connector. It's narrower than USB C and only slightly thicker.
USB micro-B is narrower and thinner than USB C.
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cmaier
Suspended
And they had so much room left over for other great hardware in it that it is taking the world by storm?
Or chooses by whomever has the most lobbyists / makes the most contributions.
It may very well. Either with different builds of the same phone model or by having different phone models for different markets.
Some earlier suggested Apple's resistance as being a "don't throw me in the briar patch" tactic. I'm unsure of EU tax regulations, but perhaps there's an angle here in being able to claim an expense of conforming to the regulations, thereby reducing tax burden?
We shall see what happens. To date Apple's lineup seems to use lightning on client devices and USBC on host devices. The latest ipad pro being the first to cross that threshhold with the newer version of ipadOS offering more support for peripherals.
I7guy
macrumors Westmere
Government oversight. That’s where innovation really happens. /sTo all those worried about limiting innovation and evolution, just two things:
1. Apples is not only member, but part of the board of USB-IF. They only have to bring their innovations to the table and improve USB specifications together with the rest of the industry.
2. Just spend 5 minutes to read what has been agreed by the EU parliament and to find this:
"The European Parliament [..] points out that the Commission, without hampering innovation, should ensure that the legislative framework for a common charger will be scrutinised regularly in order to take into account technical progress; reiterates the importance of research and innovation in this domain to improve existing technologies and come up with new ones; "
Texts adopted - Common charger for mobile radio equipment - Thursday, 30 January 2020
www.europarl.europa.eu
Jcxa
macrumors member
Your point about client vs host devices is very observant. I had not made that connection before. Thanks
Many have mentioned that USB C connectors become loose over time causing intermittent connection issues. Could Apple be viewing this as a warranty/Applecare cost issue? That is, by going to USB C, Apple increases its repair cost in warranty claims?
Re: Briar Patch comment; Apple's history shows repeatedly, once Apple decides to do something, everyone else's opinion on the matter does not matter. I don't see Apple hiding behind the EU. I believe Apple has a reason but is recalcitrant about revealing it for some reason. The income stream from a proprietary connector, granted is a reasonable argument but I think it is more than that. I think it is more about access to the phone via the port.
HandITOVER
macrumors 6502
SMH.
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maxjohnson2
macrumors 6502
Aside from the small battery, objectively it was a decent phone for 2016. It has a 1440p AMOLED screen. At the sametime the iPhone 7 Plus was released with a 1080p LCD screen. So yeah it wasn't too bad for it's time.
LuciusWrong
macrumors regular
I’m wondering if they’ll try to standardise driving on the right! Those of us who live in the parts of the world where we drive on the left would like to keep it that way, please.
I’m curious. In what fictional future did we get universal electrical outlets?
It looks pretty non-standardised still...
(Forgive the sarcasm. Maybe I misread your post?)
Plug & socket types
www.worldstandards.eu
Yeah, i think i was saying something completely different. Actually, im sure of it.
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Lightning is....very much like an inverted USB C....and the socket inside the phone must be bigger than the plug that goes inside of it.
Therefore thickness is the same...what may be different is that Apple wouldnt be able to have a perfectly round edge all the way around the phone.
And, oh wait, isnt there already a "thick" spot on iphones? Yeah, the camera is thicker and near an edge, so even if thickness of the plug was an issue, they could design the plug be near the camera....using the same bump.
Apple, with its claims of being innovative and a design company, is talking like someone who doesnt know how design/engineering works!
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Michael Scrip
macrumors G3
The thinnest iPhone ever made was the iPhone 6 which was 6.9mm... with a Lightning port.
But as @maxjohnson2 posted earlier... Motorola made the Moto Z which was 5.2mm... with a USB-C port.
So can we PLEASE stop saying that USB-C makes devices too thick?
I see no correlation between device thickness and the size of the USB-C port itself.
Yes... Apple would have to use their engineering prowess to make this different connector fit inside a future iPhone. But they're smart people. Apple has already had over 5 years experience using the USB-C port in their other devices. I'm sure Apple is well-versed in its specifications and requirements.
And since Apple's iPhones have been getting thicker over the years... and since they seem to have no motivation to reverse that... the USB-C port should not be a hindrance in a future iPhone.
iPhone thickness:
6.9mm - iPhone 6
7.1mm - iPhone 6s
7.2mm - iPhone 7
7.3mm - iPhone 8
7.7mm - iPhone X
7.9mm - iPhone Xs Max
8.1mm - iPhone 11 Pro
8.3mm - iPhone 11
If Apple wanted to make a future iPhone ~8mm with a USB-C port... I believe they could.
It really becomes a question of whether Apple wants to abandon the Lightning iPhone ecosystem that they created. And its licensing fees.
It shouldn't have anything to do with the size of the port.
mzeb
macrumors 6502
Agreed completely. But Apple saying they "can't" for future phones? Do you think the top talent in terms of engineers that Apple has "can't"? That's the BS, they can and their devices show it. They may not be able to make the phone thinner than the current models if they add a USB-C port but at this point who cares if their phone is thinner? 😁 (Also, isn't the Taptic Engine thinner than 3D Touch? It's simpler tech... yet the iPhone 11 is thicker than the XS... I'm guessing they actually were considering USB-C for the 11...)
Another reason for junking Lightning. Who needs thinner phones?
HandITOVER
macrumors 6502
SMH.
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