I mean, it's good to reduce disposable cables, but it's not like Apple is egregious about this. The Lightning port has been in use longer than the time between the release of USB and Mini-USB, Mini-USB and Micro-USB, Micro-USB and USB-C, or USB-C to today. The 30-pin connector was current for 9 years, even longer than Lightning has been around.
Apple may have to abandon Lightning connector cable
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Re: Apple may have to abandon Lightning connector cable
#12If every new phone comes with a charging cable how much are we truly saving?
Re: Apple may have to abandon Lightning connector cable
#13Don't most folks speculate they're going to abandon it within the next generation or two? I don't want government telling me what ports I can use in my design to be frank. I get there are issues out there, but this is something that the invisible hand of the market has done a good job of culling. Remember how it used to be with every device having a wack connector? Nowadays you can count on pretty much anything being…
The EU seems to be making an environmental argument, which seems credible?
Re: Apple may have to abandon Lightning connector cable
#14While I'm fraustrated with the connector diversity in my home, I'm not at all keen to have technology design mandated.
Would this forbid a certain type of product from using something better, and force new design to be via committees?
I mean, it's not like Europe uses all the same mains power plugs. Well, I guess UK leaving will help there.
Re: Apple may have to abandon Lightning connector cable
#15So basically some subset of EU Parliament legislators have an opinion about something. In Apple's defense, the lightning connector and previous iPod connector both served as a charging cable and computer interface cable. So it was never the same situation as the old devoted phone chargers. And they invented them without any standard alternatives available. If this passes, the next time you think about inventing an in…
They are telling the industry to choose one common connector, and to standardize around it....
They are not dictating which one.... and that the one they choose has to be set in stone (i.e. never change)
De facto it is going to probably be USB-C, and I think it is a good move....
If years down the road, there is a new connector called USB-D (or whatever it is called), they can switch to it.... Also, this is for charging, and not data..., so it shouldn't hamper adoption of new data transport protocols.
Re: Apple may have to abandon Lightning connector cable
#16So basically some subset of EU Parliament legislators have an opinion about something. In Apple's defense, the lightning connector and previous iPod connector both served as a charging cable and computer interface cable. So it was never the same situation as the old devoted phone chargers. And they invented them without any standard alternatives available. If this passes, the next time you think about inventing an in…
Frankly phones are all limited by the USB connection on the other side of the cable. The industry can easily standardize on something, update that standard every ~5 years and be fine.
Mini USB (2000) Micro USB (2009) both predate the Lightning cable and could charge and communicate with phones at the same time.
Re: Apple may have to abandon Lightning connector cable
#17While I'm fraustrated with the connector diversity in my home, I'm not at all keen to have technology design mandated. Would this forbid a certain type of product from using something better, and force new design to be via committees? I mean, it's not like Europe uses all the same mains power plugs. Well, I guess UK leaving will help there.
I share you concern, but I wonder if a strong law could account for this?
"You must use the standard, unless doing so would have a substantial impact on your product's capabilities." (I wrote this in 30 seconds, replace with more legally sound version.)
I feel like Apple would have a hard time arguing the lightening is technically more capable than USB-C. But if they want to create something that is a clear improvement, they can go for it... until a standardized version catches up.
Re: Apple may have to abandon Lightning connector cable
#18To everyone that thinks no ports, Qi only iPhones are the future. What if you want to use your phone while it chargers? Charge your phone in the car? I think we are another 10 years at least from having a device that could last long enough off a single charge to warrant occasionally leaving it on a pad over night as the main charging method.
They could do something like the apple watch. There would be a strong magnet on the bottom of the phone and a miniature coil? Or just like a couple contact pads on the bottom exclusively for power. Kinda like the smart connector. They could do it and still have the ability to satisfy wire-like use cases.
Re: Apple may have to abandon Lightning connector cable
#19Does anyone know if there's any merit to Apple's claim that USB-C isn't compatible with the iPhone's slim dimensions? (From the article: "Apple insisted that its slimmer devices would be unable to fit the then-new USB-C technology ...")
Just looking at the tech specs for the iPhone 11 (lightning) [1] versus iPad Pro (USB-C) [2], the former is actually thicker at 8.3 mm compared to 5.9 mm, and yet the iPad Pro can have USB-C.
Especially given that it's so prevalent in their other hardware, it almost seems like stubbornness at this point that Apple doesn't want to switch, but admittedly that doesn't pass the test of Hanlon's razor. It seems like there must be a better explanation out there somewhere for why they've desperately clung to lightning for so long (backward cable compatibility within the iPhone ecosystem? inertia in circuit/case design?).
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Re: Apple may have to abandon Lightning connector cable
#20Please no. Design. by committee, specially political ones, is the worst thing that could happen to innovation.