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

[DaveP]

I find it interesting that very few are making the argument that reducing e-waste would actually happen or is a compelling reason. Rather nearly all those for this are because they personally prefer USB C and therefore are in favor of the EU mandating this change.

 

[sjinsjca]

This is what gave us Brexit.

If EU bureaucrats had had their way, this is what we're be using to post here:

...Because the Wizards of Smart always know what's best for us.

Minitel - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[cmaier]

This is what gave us Brexit.

Already been said.

 

[sjinsjca]

Already been said.

If it might make you happier, I updated my post with a kickin' Minitel reference. If that's also duplicative of another post, I'll look for your further guidance here.

 

[m4mario]

Thanks to this regulation, we will finally have no ports on iPhones going forward.

 

[cmaier]

If it might make you happier, I updated my post with a kickin' Minitel reference. If that's also duplicative of another post, I'll look for your further guidance here.

Nope. Minitel reference approved.

 

[s66]

ALL the EU needs to do is outlaw bundling chargers with phones. Force them to be sold separately so we don't get more than we need.
Every unused power adapter I have at home is one I got "for free" with a device. Same goes for cables.

If they want to protect the environment more: force manufacturers to commit to stick to whatever proprietary connector they use for the next 5 years. That way they'll at tleast try to future-proof their stuff and not try to make things obsolete by changing all too often.

 

[vpndev]

Stupid EU commission.

They would do far better to standardize the power plug/socket circus across Europe. The power itself is standard (220-240V, 50 Hz) but you need one of about a dozen adapters to get it out of the wall and into your device.

There are rectangular pins (UK, Ireland), fat round pins and thin ones, some with a ground strip (Germany, Holland, etc) and others with a ground pin (Italy). On and on it goes.

If the commission wants to be useful it should develop a new standard or adopt one of the existing ones (Schuko, or Europlug for example) and then mandate that all multiple-outlet wall sockets contain at least one of these. Pretty soon it would become the standard. Why? Because people everywhere would know that they could rely on it being there.

Don't ban the old sockets - there are plenty of devices that will use those for decades. But make new construction contain at least some of the new standard.

Of course UK will complain, despite Brexit, just because they're British. In reality they do have a point. In UK power distribution ("ring main"), the fuses are in the plugs. But this is easy to solve - the EU-style outlet can have a fuse right there. That way un-fused plugs are OK and safe.

 

[s66]

nearly all those for this are because they personally prefer USB C and therefore are in favor of the EU mandating this change.

I for one would love to get rid of the USB-A side of the cables and have apple go to USB-C there. But on the device side: I've gotten: Apple TV remotes, Apple Magic Mice, Apple Magic Keyboards, iPhones, iPad, a charging station for a watch all using the lightning port, and I've yet to break any lightning connector on either a device or a cable (I've messed up cables, just not the plug itself) so I'd rather see some more stability there.

 

[TheColtr]

I would hate for new iPhones (or any phone) to not have a charger in the box. People heavily abuse cables, I can just imagine the anger when someone buys a $1000 iPhone and there no charger in the box.

 

[sideshowuniqueuser]

Dear idiots of the European Parliament, what about all the different wall plugs in Europe?

For example, most of Europe uses C or E/F type plugs, however in the UK and Ireland, you will only find type G sockets. In Italy, you might see a type L outlet, and in Switzerland, you might find a type J plug.

That's true, but not the same. In your home you will have all the same type of plug, so you don't have to have multiple types for your devices depending on which wall you want to plug it into. And same when you go over to a friend's house. You only need an adaptor if you go travelling.

Now sure, ideally, it would be great if every country in the world adopted the same plug and same voltage. But that ain't going to happen.

 

[Woochoo]

And to reduce clutter & waste..
Everyone should drink the same beer and eat the same chips and drive the same car & ride the same bike and live in identical houses and have 1.2 children - Where does it stop?

No, more like not having to have a new charger from every damn phone you buy instead of an universal one? Since I started having mobiles I have various charger with USB mini B, various with micro B, micro A, and now one with C, and each one with different amperage from 1 to 2A and if I had an iPhone I would have lighting aswell.

Every phone is charged with 5V and whatever amperage you want depending on fast charge/supercharge/superduperfancy name charge you wanna call it. But all do the same, just different form. Just make an universal one with good specs (let's say 30W) and update it in some years when the standard changes. I doubt USB C stops being the standard for cables in at least 10 years, we've been using USB A devices for 26 years.

 

[sideshowuniqueuser]

Apple's argument is both reasonable and unreasonable at the same time.

They are absolutely correct in that forcing one standard will stifle innovation. Can you imagine if we were all stuck with micro USB in 2020 waiting for the EU to approve a better standard? While USB-C is pretty flexible, do we think it will be cutting edge 10 years from now? They should be able to control their own product.

Their other argument (waste) is idiotic. Apple changes connectors all the time. What happened when they moved from 30-pin to Lightning? From magsafe to USB-C? From lightning to USB-C (iPad Pro)? From every style port to USB-C (macbooks). Each time they move volume buttons or change the shape/size of an iPhone or iPad.

So when someone upgrades, the case/charger/accessories/smart keyboards/dongles move to the next owner (if sold/traded in), get lost in a junk drawer somewhere, get recycled, or end up in a landfill. This process doesn't change if the EU forces a new standard.

Edit - this is one of many junk drawers of cables and dongles that no longer fit or do not work well with (like 5W chargers) current generation Apple products.

What? But this is exactly why the EU wants to enforce this. You've actually exactly highlighted the problem they want to fix.

 

[benji888]

I don’t have time to read through 9 pages of comments, so not sure if this has already been said, but:

I really don’t see the problem...chargers are mainly USB and you can plug a cable in to charge an iPhone with lightning on the other end or other phone with micro USB on the other end, why should the cables be the same? Seems like nitpicking to me...or an attack on Apple since they patented lightning.

anyway, to have a “universal” charger that charges all of the various devices is really out there...these devices range in size and greatly in battery size, the people that want this have no technical understanding of what it takes to charge a small battery in the cheap phone, over the much larger battery in a 13” tablet...does it extend to laptops? If so, then this is really ridiculous! It’s like saying every car has to have the same size and MPG engine in it and only one brand and one grade of gasoline. Seriously, this is confounding.

 

[Jmausmuc]

It seems pretty short-sighted to suggest having a common connector would result in "unprecedented volume of electronic waste and greatly inconvenience users". Any change in technology brings that kind of inconvenience (think of when Apple switched from the 30-pin connector to the Lightening one) but in the long run it turns out to be better for customers and the environment, especially when we use them for many years and that we eventually buy a new one. In 5-8 years, it's going to be so simple.

A grandfather clause (for existing products on the market) would solve most of the issues too. I'm sure it's already included.

Why don't Apple just make the switch already. Their fan base has been asking for USB-C for years across all devices. It's really simple.

It seems short sighted to force everyone to USB-C without considering future innovations.
what if somebody were to come up within all around better connector in a few years which will undoubtedly happen?
Will we have to wait for old, slow and lazy EU politicians to allow us to use it?

No wonder the EU has like 0 relevant tech companies with an attitude like that.

Those politicians don’t have a clue how today’s tech economy works, they don’t have a clue what the people want and all they do is enjoy the fruits of yesterday’s Labour.
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I don’t have time to read through 9 pages of comments, so not sure if this has already been said, but:

I really don’t see the problem...chargers are mainly USB and you can plug a cable in to charge an iPhone with lightning on the other end or other phone with micro USB on the other end, why should the cables be the same? Seems like nitpicking to me...or an attack on Apple since they patented lightning.

anyway, to have a “universal” charger that charges all of the various devices is really out there...these devices range in size and greatly in battery size, the people that want this have no technical understanding of what it takes to charge a small battery in the cheap phone, over the much larger battery in a 13” tablet...does it extend to laptops? If so, then this is really ridiculous! It’s like saying every car has to have the same size and MPG engine in it and only one brand and one grade of gasoline. Seriously, this is confounding.

Just imaging this law had been put in place 10 years ago. We would still be using micro-usb to charge our phones.

 

[sideshowuniqueuser]

The reducing e-waste argument is actually very ironic. What do you think happens to all the incompatible chargers? We need to focus on REAL sources of waste, not this imagined problem. I’m very disappointed that the EU has chosen to take on this issue as opposed to another with more tangible impact

Those incompatible chargers will remain in use until the devices they charge die. Then you get a new device, and a new charger that will work with every device you buy from then onwards. And you will know that you can go absolutely anywhere, and ask absolutely anyone to borrow their charger, and they will, of course, have the correct charger for your device. You will know that anytime you jump into a friend's car, you will be able to plug in your device to their car charger. And being non-proprietary, chargers will be cheap, so you will have far less incidence of people stealing your genuine Apple charger or lightning cable (because the cheap aftermarket cables come up with the "this cable is not compatible" after a while, even though they work perfectly fine). And possibly people will start just leaving them plugged in all over the place, so maybe it will get to the point where you don't even have to bother carrying a charger around with you, they're just everywhere.

 

[Freeangel1]

If I were APPLE I would go USB C. lighting port SUCKS. the contacts on the charging cable side always get scraped and shorted or worn out. I have to buy new cables at least twice a year USB C never wears out
crappiest connector Apple ever invented.

They better do it too. The iPhone along with the App Store and Apple Music is THE ONLY PLACE APPLE IS NOT LOOSING SALES.

MAC sales are DOWN 3 Percent. and I suspect next quarter to be SAME or just as bad
iPad sales are down a whopping 17 Percent!

Apple is surviving off the iPhone and APPS and Apple Music or iTunes

SAD that the Mac is doing so bad along with the ipad
they put all there focus on selling iPhones. now with the coronavirus APPLE is getting slaughtered due to production issues.

 

[cmaier]

If I were APPLE I would go USB C. lighting port SUCKS. the contacts on the charging cable side always get scraped and shorted or worn out. I have to buy new cables at least twice a year USB C never wears out
crappiest connector Apple ever invented.

They better do it too. The iPhone along with the App Store and Apple Music is THE ONLY PLACE APPLE IS NOT LOOSING SALES.

MAC sales are DOWN 3 Percent. and I suspect next quarter to be SAME or just as bad
iPad sales are down a whopping 17 Percent!

Apple is surviving off the iPhone and APPS and Apple Music or iTunes

SAD that the Mac is doing so bad along with the ipad
they put all there focus on selling iPhones. now with the coronavirus APPLE is getting slaughtered due to production issues.

I’m confused. Is “loosing” sales good or bad?

 

[shadowbird423]

My beef with this is more that it seems to outline what the solution should be and having an option picked and then rolled into actual legislation. If the legislation was the creation of a mandatory standards body that is given the control required to to sort out the details, be petitioned by the industry when changes occur, etc. It would make more sense to me.

It'd be as if we rolled "all broadcasts must be NTSC" into a bill rather than giving the FCC authority to handle picking the broadcast spec, and then had to revisit it in a deadlocked Congress down the road when ATSC showed up.



Yeah, this exactly.

I find your profile pic quite funny, I really thought no one watched that show.

As the EU parliament isn't quite as dysfunctional as our congress I do disagree with you though.

 

[SidricTheViking]

Dear idiots of the European Parliament, what about all the different wall plugs in Europe?

For example, most of Europe uses C or E/F type plugs, however in the UK and Ireland, you will only find type G sockets. In Italy, you might see a type L outlet, and in Switzerland, you might find a type J plug.

Good point...however.... the UK & Switzerland are not part of the EU...and would not be (directly) affected by such a regulation.
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Pardon my ignorance, but couldn't Apple make a port that was compatible both with lightning and USB-C?

Now THAT would be something to see!

 

[SuprUsrStan]

I have a feeling Apple's going just say FU to the EU and go wireless and remove all charging ports from the next iphone lol.

 

[-AG-]

Is it just me but if both kinds of connection have basically the same function and technology type but the form factor is the only difference. Could you just say Lightning is just USB-C with a prolapse?

 

[TETENAL]

I'm the first to admit standardized charging connectors might be a benefit to some, but I totally disagree with what the EU Parliament did with this decision. This proves we no longer have a free market with consumers deciding what is best for themselves. Mark my words, this is a terrible precedent and it's going to have negative consequences on society for years to come.

Consumers haven't had a free choice of which electrical power plug they want to purchase for almost 100 years, and society seemed to have coped quite well.

 

[redpandadev]

I would welcome usb-c on iPhone. In particular it would be wonderful to simply plug my iPhone into my MBP charger to charge it. However, I'd be rather upset at breaking the existing lightning ecosystem. They will need to offer a usb-c (male) to lightning (female) adaptor that works with all or at least most lightning accessories.

 

[MadDawg2020]

“ 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.”

Oh please!

Apple has no problem whatsoever abandoning standards - but only when they can profit by all the forced upgrades and overpriced proprietary adaptors they sell!