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A Guy Walks into an Apple Store

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Re: A Guy Walks into an Apple Store

#61

Post by p1esk »

toast0 wrote: post #55
ochoseis wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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?

But, just like with hotels, you’re still paying the same price.

Re: A Guy Walks into an Apple Store

#62

Post by toast0 »

chrisseaton wrote: post #20
908B64B197 wrote: post #7

Had they not recently changed the charging options (shipping USB-C cables and MagSafe) and stuck with the classical Lightning to USB-A scheme I would have been fine with Apple not bundling the cables and chargers in the box. Because most folks have them in excess and these don't ever die. But since they changed the charging options, it really feels like a cost cutting measure they are trying really hard to spin as an…

Why do you want a USB-A charging cable in 2020? My laptops don't have that anymore, and I don't even have recent laptops. Like most people I know would have to to use a dongle. No thanks. Move as quickly as possible to USB-C, please Apple, and no need for charging bricks anymore. > it really feels like a cost cutting measure they are trying really hard to spin as an eco-friendly one This is cynical.

As a not Apple user, I've got way more usb As than usb Cs. All of the laptops I have have at least two usb As, and may only have one C, which is often the charging port. My desktops currently have one usb C each, but since they're mostly useless, my next round will have all As and no Cs. The couple of devices I have with C plugs have attached dongles to A plugs, so I'm not losing anything by preferring A.

Re: A Guy Walks into an Apple Store

#64

Post by filoleg »

ertemplin wrote: post #19

People are forgetting that you usually have to return your accessories (charger brick and cable) when you trade-in an old iPhone. So it's not like people have that many chargers laying around.

No, you don't.

I did their upgrade program trade-in for the past 2 years, not once did they ask to include the charger. The box instructions (in which you give them back your old phone) explicitly mention what needs to be included, and the charger (or any other accessories) is not there.

Technically you might not count it as a trade-in, but it is effectively the same procedure. And I had plenty of friends who did trade-in not that long ago, they weren't asked to return the charger either.

Re: A Guy Walks into an Apple Store

#66

Post by bpicolo »

jonny_eh wrote: post #57
jiofih wrote: 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.

People have been reporting that the Magsafe charging is tremendously slow, unless you specifically have the paired 20w charger.

Re: A Guy Walks into an Apple Store

#67

Post by whynaut »

oarsinsync wrote: post #28
Bud wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For me it's an optimal experience: my device cost went down, I get to choose what I spend that money on (such as superior 3rd-party chargers with multiple ports), and I get the satisfaction of knowing that Apple didn't waste planetary resources making inflexible single-port chargers and $5 wired earbuds that I will never, ever use. I do admit that it's not optimal for every single user, but I do think it's a net impr…

> my device cost went down This seems to be a common narrative, that the savings have been passed onto the consumer. Is it really true? It's difficult to be sure, as there's no iPhone 12 that comes with the plug + earbuds bundled. However, there is one data point that most people don't bother to consider. The iPhone SE (2020) base model launched at $399 in April. It still retails for $399 today. In April, the iPhone…

I wasn't aware of the change to the SE 2020, but for 12s, storage is doubled across the line (or price dropped $100, depending how you look at it).

Re: A Guy Walks into an Apple Store

#68

Post by samatman »

Zak wrote: post #59
samatman wrote: post #38

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.

I'm indifferent.

On the one hand, yeah, USB-C works great, and everything else I own takes it. On the other hand, Lightning also works great, USB-C isn't an improvement on the merits, and iPhone users have a bunch of accessories for it. Like in my car, I have a 12v charger with one USB-A port and a built-in Lightning cable, and I'd have to either junk it or just ignore the built in cable if they went USB-C.

I'm pretty sure the writing is on the wall with MagSafe: Apple intends to ditch the port entirely. That makes me nervous, frankly, and there are people out there who use an SD card reader who would be furious.

But I think that future is more likely than one in which Apple ditches the Lightning port for USB-C. We'll see.

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