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EU: Call to introduce common charger for all mobile phones

europarl.europa.eu

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Re: EU: Call to introduce common charger for all mobile phones

#151

Post by microtherion »

zaarn wrote: post #104
jalk wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well the rest of the phone manufacturers settled on mini usb followed by micro usb. Prior to that there were a ton of proprietary phone charger/data cables, so it did help some

The EU luckily didn't put their foot down so phones were allowed to progress from mini-usb over micro-usb to USB-C. It definitely helped a lot (but Apple still kinda ruined it).

Yeah, I was thinking that getting stuck on micro-USB for an years or decades would have been a less than happy outcome.

Not quite sure what to think of USB-C yet. Certainly feels more mechanically solid than micro-USB, but subjectively, the plug connection seems a bit slippery. Cables seem to disconnect spontaneously more than they do with e.f. Lightning.

Re: EU: Call to introduce common charger for all mobile phones

#152

Post by qwerty456127 »

qqii wrote: post #88
qwerty456127 wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

IMHO everything that can be safely and reliably powered via a USB cable (of whatever a relevant standard connector type) should be powered that way nowadays (with exception of PoE and other cases where a non-USB power supply actually adds significant value for the consumer). An unpleasant surprise I have recently experienced was a Nintendo Switch refusing to connect to an HDMI TV without being attached to a Nintendo…

DC jacks still have their use, especially in simpler devices. The complexities USB PD specification doesn't make that much sense to impliment in say an electric drill.

That qualifies as significant value for the consumer - making the device notably (relatively to the price of the rest of its parts) cheaper to produce and easier to repair.

In just so many cases using a proprietary DC jack (like in my Dell laptop) decreases the value by forcing you to carry around your PSU wherever you go and buying overpriced replacements every now and then. The same applies to batteries - having a single (or some) standard for easily replaceable Li-Ion blocks would increase the value a lot.

Re: EU: Call to introduce common charger for all mobile phones

#153

Post by danaris »

coldtea wrote: post #106
Renaud wrote: post #32

Apple really dropped the ball on this and the argument they make (thing about all of the old accessories!) is pretty moot for the consumer. I want all phone to standardise on USB-C. No adapter for Apple, no exception. The point is not just about charging: accessory manufacturers have to develop 2 physical versions of their equipment, for Apple devices and for Android devices. This increases development and manufactur…

> Apple really dropped the ball on this and the argument they make (thing about all of the old accessories!) is pretty moot for the consumer. Not entirely moot. A billion people (1-2 hundreds of millions in Europe) have at least an old accessory with lightning interface). When the old style interface was deprecated many people were angrt (but at least the new one had some benefits - size, reversibility, etc). That sa…

> The "speedy" part of USB-C is Thunderbolt

Sadly, it is (to the best of my understanding) not quite that simple.

The same physical port and cable that support USB-C can also support Thunderbolt 3. However, both ports and cables can support either just TB3, just USB v3.1, or even older versions of USB, with a dizzying variety of different capabilities and power-delivery levels supported.

Re: EU: Call to introduce common charger for all mobile phones

#154

Post by zaarn »

microtherion wrote: post #151
zaarn wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The EU luckily didn't put their foot down so phones were allowed to progress from mini-usb over micro-usb to USB-C. It definitely helped a lot (but Apple still kinda ruined it).

Yeah, I was thinking that getting stuck on micro-USB for an years or decades would have been a less than happy outcome. Not quite sure what to think of USB-C yet. Certainly feels more mechanically solid than micro-USB, but subjectively, the plug connection seems a bit slippery. Cables seem to disconnect spontaneously more than they do with e.f. Lightning.

In my experience, it depends on the cable. Some cables feel much better and don't come off as easily as others.

Re: EU: Call to introduce common charger for all mobile phones

#155

Post by fierarul »

Kuinox wrote: post #37
fierarul wrote: post #25

Why stop at mobile phones? Is there a reason laptops need so many different connectors? I am willing to bet many random connectors are just planned obsolescence or a secondary revenue stream for producers. Also, let's take this further. Any reason laptop displays can't internally have a rather standardised connector? We are throwing away perfectly good displays on broken laptops. What if I could buy a $20 adaptor and…

Some brand get the same connectors, and it's been for years, for example, dell has the same big connector for laptops, and a smaller one for ultrabooks. They are switching to usb-c charging, but keep their old connector. Laptop displays have already a standardised connector it just need an LCD controller! https://www.amazon.fr/s?k=LCD+controller So yes, you are throwing perfectly fine laptop screen when you could hav…

> Laptop displays have already a standardised connector it just need an LCD controller! https://www.amazon.fr/s?k=LCD+controller > So yes, you are throwing perfectly fine laptop screen when you could have used them as external screens.

What I had in mind was more of a 'monitor stand' with the wiring where you just connect / slide into the laptop screen and voila you have some new small external display.

I'm not really certain right now just looking at those boards which one would fit to an old broken laptop but I understand these are not targeted newbies.

Re: EU: Call to introduce common charger for all mobile phones

#156

Post by jononor »

fierarul wrote: post #25

Why stop at mobile phones? Is there a reason laptops need so many different connectors? I am willing to bet many random connectors are just planned obsolescence or a secondary revenue stream for producers. Also, let's take this further. Any reason laptop displays can't internally have a rather standardised connector? We are throwing away perfectly good displays on broken laptops. What if I could buy a $20 adaptor and…

eDP (Embedded DisplayPort) is becoming more and more popular for laptop screens. It has 2-3 different connectors for different resolutions, but much more standardized than before.

Re: EU: Call to introduce common charger for all mobile phones

#157

Post by ken »

9HZZRfNlpR wrote: post #145
ken wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why stop at computers? Dewalt, Milwaukee, Makita, and every other power tool uses its own proprietary battery connector. Why stop at DC power? Last I checked, Germany, France, England, Italy, and many of the smaller countries all had their own AC power connectors. Why stop at hardware? iMessage, Hangouts, Messenger, Slack, and all the rest use their own proprietary interfaces. I still can't even save "a spreadsheet"…

AC wall plugs all work with each other besides the UK.

How’s that? We don’t agree on voltage. Japan alone uses two different frequencies!

Re: EU: Call to introduce common charger for all mobile phones

#158

Post by dzhiurgis »

yummybear wrote: post #9
dzhiurgis wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple could easily make 2 types of iPhones and let users choose - USB-C or Lightning.

That depends on your definition of "easily". Besides the logistical issues in producing, selling and marketing two different connector models, it also means third party accessories need to support these connectors. Want that new FLIR camera for your phone? Please choose between Model A or Model B. One connector may also end up being the primary, where third parties only create versions of their hardware for that one…

You are already presented with a choice - iOS or "everyone else" option. Besides, sometimes options are good. We're not talking here about some super hard choice between thousands incomparable insurance policies. This is a fucking connector. Fix it Apple.

Besides most of accessories are disappearing with Bluetooth, Wifi, cloud, etc.

Re: EU: Call to introduce common charger for all mobile phones

#159

Post by dzhiurgis »

astannard wrote: post #6
dzhiurgis wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple could easily make 2 types of iPhones and let users choose - USB-C or Lightning.

Would a usb-c to lightning cable not solve this problem? The apple chargers are standard usb, modern phones sometimes come with a usb-c female plug. If we could just choose the cable required or no cable at all.

No it wont. Maybe USB-C female to Lightning male would, but they are still rare. It's one of the shittiest things Apple does with no clear advantage to it's users. It's "just because we can".

Re: EU: Call to introduce common charger for all mobile phones

#160

Post by dzhiurgis »

zaarn wrote: post #154
microtherion wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, I was thinking that getting stuck on micro-USB for an years or decades would have been a less than happy outcome. Not quite sure what to think of USB-C yet. Certainly feels more mechanically solid than micro-USB, but subjectively, the plug connection seems a bit slippery. Cables seem to disconnect spontaneously more than they do with e.f. Lightning.

In my experience, it depends on the cable. Some cables feel much better and don't come off as easily as others.

Also ports. First MacBook Pro ports sucked and weren't firm at all. New ones are great. Some connectors are actually too hard to push in.
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