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You say this while hilariously ignoring that Apple is choosing to use a connector that has long jumped the shark. You’re also viewing this incorrectly, as an antagonistic relationship. The EU isn’t trying to lock people into outdated technology (that would be Apple). I have no doubt that if 10 years from now a new higher performance connector is created, that the EU would listen to a consortium of tech companies asking to have the standard changed.
For once I agree with you. The innovation cycle in the EU is going to be 10 years.
 
All the BS EU is pulling I'd love to see Apple, Google, and Microsoft pull out of the market all together just to make them collapse to their knees and beg them to come back. Think about it. No iOS, no Android. No macOS, no Windows. No gmail. No YouTube.. nothing. The people would riot until the government caved.

That would never happen. Companies exist to make money, Europe is either their second or third biggest market, there is no way they will abandon it.

It would perhaps even revive the European tech world.
 
Couldn't Apple just sell USB-C iPhones in EU and continue with Lightning in the US and other countries? I mean, with iPhone 14 there's now a US variant without SIM and International with SIM.
eSim is special, and over time there will be more countries that will be only eSim. If they don't go full portless, I don't see them making two different ports. Apple remembers how much people screamed when they changed from 30pin to Lighting, now they can say the EU made us blame them ...
 
It is but they still spent time and money to make their own charger. Why even bother when they could have left it to others.

With lightning cables dead they need to keep some sort of revenue stream from charging cables and the MagSafe charger will do that. They won’t be changed as much but still it’s easy money for what Apple charges for them.

MagSafe I believe goes through the same certification process, so more revenue to Apple.

In this case, there’s backward compatibility; I’m not forced to buy a MagSafe compliant product to charge my phone, whereas I am required to use a proprietary connector which experience has shown has frayed cabling.
 
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Well to me, lightning is better. But I can envision Apple releasing EU only phones with USB-C and other locales with different/better/worse connectors.

This is where we disagree, but we can agree that currently no locale exists with differing port installations.

I agree lightning as a concept is better but current execution has more to be desired, even wanting to transfer large files off a phone without media conversion is a pain
 
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It’s not about being “incorrect.” It’s about the fact that one is slower and is used by only a single company. And as far as using the same solution goes, it’s all but certain that any better standard to come out in the future will come through the USB-IF. Connector standards aren’t exactly a competitive marketplace.
Of course speed is an important factor (well, actually it’s the USB specification and not the connector, as we saw with the iPad Pro using lightning with USB3.0, but let’s consider it altogether), and it will be very relevant for people that copy big files via wired connection.

But that’s not all. For example, I prefer the fact that Lightning has a male end (specially because you don’t have a exposed floating male conector inside your phone, susceptible to dust and breaking). Also, it’s smaller, which means more space for other components. And finally, a lot of people have Lightning accessories. It’s not my case, but I guess way more people will be pissed off because their stuff is not compatible, than people who will be happy because of the change.
 
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Yes they are. Lightning is competing great in that marketplace with a huge portion of premium phones and devices supporting it.
"Lightning is competing great in that marketplace with Apple products supporting it" would be a more accurate statement.

And your first point is still wrong. The EU passed their silly law because they are concerned about transfer speeds or one company? All solutions have tradeoffs and having a different tradeoffs preference still doesn’t make it incorrect.
The EU passed the law to reduce waste caused by using different charging connector standards. A tangential benefit would be Apple finally implementing a higher speed connection in their iPhones.
 
The requirements that all laptops also need to use USB-C for power by 2026 is the more interesting part for me - and not just for Apple products, but the variety of Windows laptops I use, ALL of which have a different charger and connector.
Is it that they need to be able to use USB-C, or only use USB-C (e.g. MagSafe isn't allowed)? Because that's a big difference, as most laptops sold today can charge via USB-C, Magsafe macbooks included.
 
I agree- however, this should also extend to vehicles, too. No way a 2023 new (re-debut) of a has should only have usb A- I’m looking at you Acura Integra.
That's what I'd rather go after. End A and B (Micro). Lightning is fine if you just charge since you can insert it either way.
 
Kills all the accessories people have at home.
Only good thing is USB-C already exists. Not like when Lightning first appeared. And how is this good for the environment. The Lightning cables become obsolete over time, and people who never needed C now need to buy new cables.
 
If I am not mistaken, Apple will now be REQUIRED to have usb-c charging on their phone and can no longer go portless. This is an example of how this might holdback innovation.

Gonna be honest with you fam: A portless iPhone is a horrible idea on so many levels. Data transfer through wireless is jank and awful and slow, as is wireless charging. Not to mention going portless makes OS and data recovery a nightmare or near impossible. Professionals wanted USB-C on the iPhone for a reason.

And this isn't even counting headphones. It was bad enough when they cut the headphone jack. With no port for a dongle then wired headphones can't be used period, which means no more lossless quality or aux power.
 
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Had a USB-C cable get squeezed in my computer bag. It would not fit into the slot as the the internal connection blade was out of line with the mating space. Never had that issue with a Lightning cable.

Have had fewer than a dozen Lightning cables fail since they first came out and I have has many dozens of devices and traveled the world. It has been the most reliable cable end for me vs the dozens of proprietary cable ends (especially in the Windows/Android world).

Apple's recent laptops have both a MagSafe connector and several USB-C ports, any of which can be used to charge the laptop. No issues there.

It will be years before ALL of my Lightning devices die so will be using these cables for a long time.
 
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