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A Guy Walks into an Apple Store

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Re: A Guy Walks into an Apple Store

#51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> > it really feels like a cost cutting measure they are trying really hard to spin as an eco-friendly one > This is cynical. The iPhone SE launched with earbuds and a plug. It no longer ships with them. The retail price hasn't changed. It can be good for the environment and a cost-cutting measure. Another commenter has noted that by making the box about half as thick, that doubles the number of units that can fit in…

Maybe prices for materials or manufacturing or handling went up? Maybe they want to make some more profit this year for their workers and shareholders? Times are hard. Why is any of this your business? Either the price works for you or it doesn't. There's no moral component to this. You aren't entitled to low costs.

[deleted]

Re: A Guy Walks into an Apple Store

#52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> > it really feels like a cost cutting measure they are trying really hard to spin as an eco-friendly one > This is cynical. The iPhone SE launched with earbuds and a plug. It no longer ships with them. The retail price hasn't changed. It can be good for the environment and a cost-cutting measure. Another commenter has noted that by making the box about half as thick, that doubles the number of units that can fit in…

Maybe prices for materials or manufacturing or handling went up? Maybe they want to make some more profit this year for their workers and shareholders? Times are hard. Why is any of this your business? Either the price works for you or it doesn't. There's no moral component to this. You aren't entitled to low costs.

> Why is any of this your business?

Because I am the person paying for the thing?

Re: A Guy Walks into an Apple Store

#53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> > it really feels like a cost cutting measure they are trying really hard to spin as an eco-friendly one > This is cynical. The iPhone SE launched with earbuds and a plug. It no longer ships with them. The retail price hasn't changed. It can be good for the environment and a cost-cutting measure. Another commenter has noted that by making the box about half as thick, that doubles the number of units that can fit in…

Maybe prices for materials or manufacturing or handling went up? Maybe they want to make some more profit this year for their workers and shareholders? Times are hard. Why is any of this your business? Either the price works for you or it doesn't. There's no moral component to this. You aren't entitled to low costs.

[deleted]

Re: A Guy Walks into an Apple Store

#54
All of the iPad and Macbook charging bricks have been USB-C for a while, there is definitely a huge population of users that already have one. Plus, you know, it plugs into any usb-c port, it doesn’t have to be white. You can also get a standard Qi charger for what, $15?

Re: A Guy Walks into an Apple Store

#55
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why? All of those old USB-A chargers and USB-A/Lightning cables will still charge the new iPhones perfectly well. So will every iPad charger ever made, btw. And every USB-C Mac charger ever made. Honestly, it doesn't matter whether you or any particular observer wants to give credit for this reducing e-waste or being "eco-friendly". It's a plainly obvious fact that it will massively reduce e-waste and be a massive ne…

Apple’s move and their explanation honestly feels about as genuine as hotels asking you to be eco friendly by hanging the door-tag to skip room cleaning. The difference is that hotels at least give you the option.

Isn't Apple giving you a new option here?

Before, you were forced to buy the bundled wall wart, now you have the option to keep using what you had or buy a charger if you need it?

They're still forcing a bundled cable, but it's a different cable you probably don't have many of?

Re: A Guy Walks into an Apple Store

#56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe prices for materials or manufacturing or handling went up? Maybe they want to make some more profit this year for their workers and shareholders? Times are hard. Why is any of this your business? Either the price works for you or it doesn't. There's no moral component to this. You aren't entitled to low costs.

> Why is any of this your business? Because I am the person paying for the thing?

But why do you care what their costs are? What will you do with that information? Either the product is worth it for what you need or it isn’t.

Re: A Guy Walks into an Apple Store

#57
post #54

All of the iPad and Macbook charging bricks have been USB-C for a while, there is definitely a huge population of users that already have one. Plus, you know, it plugs into any usb-c port, it doesn’t have to be white. You can also get a standard Qi charger for what, $15?

But they don't support the new faster Magsafe charging in the iPhone 12.

Re: A Guy Walks into an Apple Store

#58
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why? All of those old USB-A chargers and USB-A/Lightning cables will still charge the new iPhones perfectly well. So will every iPad charger ever made, btw. And every USB-C Mac charger ever made. Honestly, it doesn't matter whether you or any particular observer wants to give credit for this reducing e-waste or being "eco-friendly". It's a plainly obvious fact that it will massively reduce e-waste and be a massive ne…

> a massive net positive on the eco-friendly front Isn't wireless charging a big step backwards with respect to power efficiency? With the millions of phones they sell and the fact that every one of them is charged daily, are the losses due to Apples new charging scheme insignificant?

If a MagSafe charger can charge at 15W using a 20W Apple charger, that's a 75 percent charge efficiency. The charger itself is about 80 percent efficient converting from the wall, so the whole thing is about 60 percent efficient. An iPhone 12 has a 15 wh battery, so you need about 25 wh to charge the battery fully vs 19 wh. So the losses for 17,000 full charges using MagSafe over a regular cable would equal the charge in a 100kwh Tesla Model S.

ETA: the total charging loss from ten million iPhones charging 0-100 percent via MagSafe every day for a year would be 21,505 teslas.

Re: A Guy Walks into an Apple Store

#59

Literally every one of the existing options still works. Ok with charging at 5w? Plug your lightning-to-A cable into the little tiny cube charger they've been selling since forever. Already have a faster USB charger? It works. Ok with Qi at 7W? Works Oh, you want the new shiny MagSafe puck system? Great. Buy it. This analysis completely ignores that the new shiny system is supposed to be a better experience . It's co…

I'm disappointed Apple hasn't dropped Lightning and just made all their devices use standard USB-C. I could see their motivation for developing their own connector when everyone else was using micro-B, which has a number of disadvantages, but now USB-C is used to power virtually every other phone and tablet, and many laptops including Apple's own.

Re: A Guy Walks into an Apple Store

#60
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why? All of those old USB-A chargers and USB-A/Lightning cables will still charge the new iPhones perfectly well. So will every iPad charger ever made, btw. And every USB-C Mac charger ever made. Honestly, it doesn't matter whether you or any particular observer wants to give credit for this reducing e-waste or being "eco-friendly". It's a plainly obvious fact that it will massively reduce e-waste and be a massive ne…

> a massive net positive on the eco-friendly front Isn't wireless charging a big step backwards with respect to power efficiency? With the millions of phones they sell and the fact that every one of them is charged daily, are the losses due to Apples new charging scheme insignificant?

Wired chargers are 85%-90% efficient, Qi is somewhat between 75-85%. If you live in a country powered by green energy it shouldn’t be a concern :)
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