Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

A Guy Walks into an Apple Store

birchtree.me

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

151–160 of 385 posts

Re: A Guy Walks into an Apple Store

#151

Post by pilsetnieks »

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…

For some reason, and I really cannot fathom why, a lot of people seem to think they changed charging options.

They didn't. They added a new, optional one. Everything that used to charge an iPhone 11 will still charge an iPhone 12. I'm even willing to bet money on the fact that the original 30-pin connector (via an adapter) will charge the new phones. An iPod dock from 2001 would probably charge these phones.

Re: A Guy Walks into an Apple Store

#152

Post by droopyEyelids »

ashtonkem wrote: post #143

I really hate arguments about how much electricity wireless phone charging wastes because it makes people feel like they’re doing something when in fact they aren’t. Charging a cell phone every day for a year consumes about 1-2 kWh per phone. The average American household consumes 10,399 kWh per year, meaning that a typical smart phone consumes one 5000th, (0.02%) of a typical home’s electricity (excl. natural gas)…

Is it just one person who is charging their phone wirelessly, or does it have the potential to be a large societal trend?

Re: A Guy Walks into an Apple Store

#153

Post by hombre_fatal »

ashtonkem wrote: post #143

I really hate arguments about how much electricity wireless phone charging wastes because it makes people feel like they’re doing something when in fact they aren’t. Charging a cell phone every day for a year consumes about 1-2 kWh per phone. The average American household consumes 10,399 kWh per year, meaning that a typical smart phone consumes one 5000th, (0.02%) of a typical home’s electricity (excl. natural gas)…

I do notice a certain glee we have when we can frame other people wasting energy in ways we don't happen to waste ourselves. As if wireless phone charging or bitcoin mining or X are the last unturned stones in the pursuit of zero waste. Some condescension we can share on HN before we drive to Walmart for a single gallon of milk.

It's weird how tempting it is. I had a roommate that used our clothes dryer daily. I have to admit I felt a little bit of ecosuperiority over him as I hung my clothes. Perhaps briefly pondering how much better the world would be if everyone gave up a luxury I personally could do without (while retaining all of my preferred luxuries for myself, of course).

It's even funny just to think of all the apparatuses involved in me leaving this snooty comment on the internet, a pleasure you'll have to pry from my corpse!

Re: A Guy Walks into an Apple Store

#154

Post by Apocryphon »

slg wrote: post #134
Polylactic_acid wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Its not really difficult though. When I went in to the store they showed me a row of 4 phones and told me the 11 was the most sensible option as well as the benefits you get from the pro. Picking a colour and storage option wasn't really an issue either.

Odds are no one reading HN is going to find this "difficult", but there is no question that this is a noticeable diversion from earlier eras and that the sheer number of options can be confusing for some people. Take a look at this graphic [1]. There was a point early on in which there was zero choice and Apple sold only one iPhone. There were several years in which they usually offered somewhere in the neighborhood…

I feel like there's precedence for this at Apple, even during Jobs' tenure. During the mid-'00s there was a sudden rush of new iPod types- iPod with Photo, iPod with color displays, iPod with Video, different form factor iPod Mini and iPod Nano iterations all within a few years. I remember being confused even then.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_iPod_models#Timeline_o...

Re: A Guy Walks into an Apple Store

#155

Post by _-___________-_ »

criddell wrote: post #114
jiofih wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 :)

So wireless results in about 10% efficiency loss? So if half of the iPhone 12 users adopt wireless charging that's about 36 billion charge cycles per year (100 million phones charged daily). Those are big numbers. It seems like it would add up.

They do add up, but not to very much compared to virtually any other household use of electricity...

Re: A Guy Walks into an Apple Store

#156

Post by pilsetnieks »

paxys wrote: post #3

I don't think even the most hardcore Apple superfans are buying the "reducing waste" argument. They have the right to make their products more expensive, and that's fine. People are going to keep buying them regardless.

It's a complicated world we live in. It can be both at the same time.

Re: A Guy Walks into an Apple Store

#157

Post by kd913 »

poglet wrote: post #144
kd913 wrote: post #136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Then don't get an iphone 12? People who are buying an iphone aren't doing it because of the included power brick. There is the iphone SE 2, Pixel 4a etc... If it's such a problem, buy a braided cable from Amazon and power brick. Cheaper cost, better quality and will last longer than any Apple charger.

The iPhone SE 2 no longer comes with the power brick.

If you have no power bricks at all then applause to you.

In any given room I can find at least 5 I think.

For 0.025% of the price of the phone or less, you can get a braided lightning cable and stop caring about this first world problem.

Re: A Guy Walks into an Apple Store

#158

Post by Shivetya »

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.

USB-C would have been the true environmentally friendly move

Re: A Guy Walks into an Apple Store

#159

Post by MengerSponge »

hombre_fatal wrote: post #153
ashtonkem wrote: post #143

I really hate arguments about how much electricity wireless phone charging wastes because it makes people feel like they’re doing something when in fact they aren’t. Charging a cell phone every day for a year consumes about 1-2 kWh per phone. The average American household consumes 10,399 kWh per year, meaning that a typical smart phone consumes one 5000th, (0.02%) of a typical home’s electricity (excl. natural gas)…

I do notice a certain glee we have when we can frame other people wasting energy in ways we don't happen to waste ourselves. As if wireless phone charging or bitcoin mining or X are the last unturned stones in the pursuit of zero waste. Some condescension we can share on HN before we drive to Walmart for a single gallon of milk. It's weird how tempting it is. I had a roommate that used our clothes dryer daily. I have…

Lol at your false dichotomy with bitcoin. Bitcoin mining uses a mind-boggling amount of power, and we don't get anything useful for all those emissions.

I agree that we're quick to look at other people's small wastes with condescension, but bitcoin is not a small waste.

Re: A Guy Walks into an Apple Store

#160

Post by gruez »

Polylactic_acid wrote: post #80
oarsinsync wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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…

In a sufficiently complex product/company there is absolutely no way to work where costs went. Yes the SE without a doubt just become worse value but we have no way of knowing where the money went. Likely it didn't just vanish in to a wormhole but it instead will be invested in to R&D giving a better value for money product in the future. The only thing consumers need to think about is "Does this product provide enou…

>In a sufficiently complex product/company there is absolutely no way to work where costs went. Yes the SE without a doubt just become worse value but we have no way of knowing where the money went. Likely it didn't just vanish in to a wormhole but it instead will be invested in to R&D giving a better value for money product in the future.

I'm not sure whether this is satire or an sincere attempt at arguing that price hikes are good for consumers.

Post reply on HN