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EU lawmakers snub Apple's pleas, vote to push for charging cable standard

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Re: EU lawmakers snub Apple's pleas, vote to push for charging cable standard

#221
post #208

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think Apple genuinely believe that they can provide a better product, and I believe they can too. I just don't care. The inability to borrow cables or swap them between devices in the past was a not insignificant hassle. Keeping boxes of cables, not being able to borrow a friend's charger when visiting, not being able to replace cables except by ordering a new one from the manufacturer half a world away. Constant m…

Maybe it doesn't matter to most people anymore, but these ports are for more than charging. This regulation could stifle using this port for other features. That said, it's pretty obvious where everything is going (wireless), so it's not clear to me that this regulation will matter too much either way.

If the phone manufacturers care enough, they can always pay the fine per device

Re: EU lawmakers snub Apple's pleas, vote to push for charging cable standard

#222
post #61
post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It may be legitimate when the regulated action causes direct physical harm to someone else. For example: I think it's reasonable to regulate particulate emissions. It's not legitimate to regulate manufacture or commercialization of products when that manufacture or commercialization poses no direct threat to the physical well-being of other individuals.

Why draw the line at physical well-being? Why should it be fine to waste someone's time, cost them money, even destroy them emotionally, so long as you don't directly physically harm them? Your scope is absurdly narrow.

Because in this case the consumer is choosing to waste their own time and their own money. If the charging situation is so terrible people are free to buy other phones.

Re: EU lawmakers snub Apple's pleas, vote to push for charging cable standard

#223

A great way to stifle innovation. Apple has been trying out cables and transfer types over the years (thunderbolt, CD-ROM, USB, wireless) and they do it on the backs of the luxury users, not too far off from what the luxury car makers in testing what to propagate downstream. Apple has set a standard to use their cable format, which works. If you go through the litany of USB-B there were power issues, transfer rates,…

It is absolutely not,in any way or form.Charger is only second to a power plug.My TV, router, washing machine and hair dryer use the same type of plug to get electricity from a socket. It's 2020 and yet we argue how it's beneficial to have x types of phones with z types of connections...Come on!

Re: EU lawmakers snub Apple's pleas, vote to push for charging cable standard

#224

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wow so now every time that Apple gets ready to introduce a new connector they have to wait for the entire industry to agree to it? But guess what? Only the end connecting to the wall is standard, the end connecting to devices in the house are far from standard. How is this different than iPhones?

I am not sure I understand your argument "my toaster does not have a standard connector, so neither should my iphone"? I mean, maybe they should, or maybe none cares to regulate toasters. Or maybe its only relevant to portable electronics, so laptops should have them but toasters shouldn't. Think a bit broader - if apple wants to introduce a new phone communication standard, like 5g but different? It can't - frequenc…

If Apple introduced a phone that didn’t comply with the 5G standard it wouldn’t be able to interoperate and would be less useful.

But the government didn’t mandate that iMessage had to be compatible with SMS (even though it is somewhat) nor did they mandate that AirDrop had to interoperate with a standard.

Should the government also mandate a standard messaging protocol must be used or that it has to work with SMS?

Should FaceTime be forced to be interoperable?

Re: EU lawmakers snub Apple's pleas, vote to push for charging cable standard

#225

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So because it would be more convenient for you we need government intervention?

No. Because it would be better for the environment.

Seeing that Apple is always bragging about their 90%+ retention rate, not many people are switching from iOS devices and throwing away cables.

But is “think about the environment” the new “think about the children” and “terrorism” war cry for more regulation and big government?

Re: EU lawmakers snub Apple's pleas, vote to push for charging cable standard

#226

A great way to stifle innovation. Apple has been trying out cables and transfer types over the years (thunderbolt, CD-ROM, USB, wireless) and they do it on the backs of the luxury users, not too far off from what the luxury car makers in testing what to propagate downstream. Apple has set a standard to use their cable format, which works. If you go through the litany of USB-B there were power issues, transfer rates,…

> Apple has set a standard to use their cable format, which works.

And precisely which other manufacturers have Apple licensed this standard (Lightning) to?

And by that I mean not "we will deign to allow you to make cables for our products", but "here's a new standard connector everyone can use".

It's absolutely laughable to claim Lightning as any kind of standard.

Re: EU lawmakers snub Apple's pleas, vote to push for charging cable standard

#227
post #208

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think Apple genuinely believe that they can provide a better product, and I believe they can too. I just don't care. The inability to borrow cables or swap them between devices in the past was a not insignificant hassle. Keeping boxes of cables, not being able to borrow a friend's charger when visiting, not being able to replace cables except by ordering a new one from the manufacturer half a world away. Constant m…

Maybe it doesn't matter to most people anymore, but these ports are for more than charging. This regulation could stifle using this port for other features. That said, it's pretty obvious where everything is going (wireless), so it's not clear to me that this regulation will matter too much either way.

I recognise that, but I once again point to our experience with non-standardised cables in the past. In theory, those cables could have introduced new capabilities. In practice, they really didn't. Cables got much better after standardisation, and the USB Group have proven to be substantially more motivated to advance standards than any of the manufacturers ever were.

Re: EU lawmakers snub Apple's pleas, vote to push for charging cable standard

#228

I'm with Apple on this one. Apple has kept working on improving the charging experience for its phones over time. The original iPhone cable, then lightning, then wireless charging. This stifles innovation. Also: doesn't the government have more pressing concerns to worry about? I doubt Apple's lobbying against this for some nefarious reason, like locking users into their proprietary technology.

Apple adopted Qi, an existing standard for wireless charging.

> like locking users into their proprietary technology

What else is it? They won't license Lightning to anyone else, they didn't license 30 pin to anyone else.

Re: EU lawmakers snub Apple's pleas, vote to push for charging cable standard

#229

I'm with Apple on this one. Apple has kept working on improving the charging experience for its phones over time. The original iPhone cable, then lightning, then wireless charging. This stifles innovation. Also: doesn't the government have more pressing concerns to worry about? I doubt Apple's lobbying against this for some nefarious reason, like locking users into their proprietary technology.

> The original iPhone cable, then lightning, then wireless charging. It's also worth noting that Apple began the move from Lightning to USB-C charging on iOS devices in 2018. The next generation of iPhones won't use Lightning. EDIT: The point is that Apple's been moving to standards-based charging for both macOS and iOS products for some time, making this EU effort even less necessary than it may first appear.

Wuh? They can release the 2018 iPad Pro with USB-C but the late 2019 iPhone 11 still has Lightning. But don't worry, the next will be USB-C?

We shall see.

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