EU plans to force OEMs to use a common charger for all phones • Hacker News Board

Re: EU plans to force OEMs to use a common charger for all phones

#261

Post by dbbk » Thu, Sep 23, 2021, 12:23 PM UTC

amelius wrote: post #27

avianlyric wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Probably they think they can make the jump to a completely wireless phone before any USB-C mandates come in. Apple's timing with the lighting port wasn't great, with it arriving just before USB-C, and I imagine they're very reluctant to change the port on their phones because people already have lightning cables everywhere. Personally I would love to see USB-C on my iPhone, but I look at my parents, and having the po…

> Probably they think they can make the jump to a completely wireless phone before any USB-C mandates come in. What is the efficiency of wireless charging?

I see a lot of comments suggesting that Apple want to go fully wireless but it makes no practical sense to me. Their MagSafe charger not only charges far slower (as of now), but it's also huge. It's just not practical to ask someone to carry that around with them or take it when they go travelling.

Re: EU plans to force OEMs to use a common charger for all phones

#262

Post by dbbk » Thu, Sep 23, 2021, 12:24 PM UTC

cbo100 wrote: post #192

sildur wrote: post #177

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That won't work. They will have to include an USB-C port, wireless charging or not.

So due to the EU we will never have a port less phone of any brand? That doesn’t sound right either.

A portless phone is not a good idea anyway.

Re: EU plans to force OEMs to use a common charger for all phones

#263

Post by alserio » Thu, Sep 23, 2021, 12:24 PM UTC

brtkdotse wrote: post #249

maeln wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> What's Apple reasoning for not abandoning Lightning for USB-C on their phones? I can think of 3 reasons: 1. A lightning port is slightly smaller than USB-c, so it enable Apple to keep their phone slimmer than the competition in theory. 2. Apple loves to be in control of everything. With lightning, they could make a switch to a "lightning 2.O" cable / port whenever they so pleased. With USB-C they would be restricte…

> keep their phone slimmer than the competition in theory. This always struck me as a solution looking for a problem. Are modern phones really that chunky that we have to sacrifice functionality to shave a few fractions of a mm?

The real problem right now should be the weight, the trend is going in the wrong direction.

Re: EU plans to force OEMs to use a common charger for all phones

#264

Post by y4mi » Thu, Sep 23, 2021, 12:25 PM UTC

donatj wrote: post #243

deelly wrote: post #239

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Looks like all other people on internet with broken lightning connector are blatant liars..

You can break anything if you try hard enough. I make no claims of lightning being indestructible, but USB-C is genuinely fragile.

I haven't had a single USB-C socket fail, so I kinda think the same applies there.

Not even a single cable broke, so I am really confused when people like you seem to manage to destroy them left and right

Re: EU plans to force OEMs to use a common charger for all phones

#265

Post by dbbk » Thu, Sep 23, 2021, 12:25 PM UTC

connor-brooks wrote: post #34

An average consumer probably gets a new phone every 1-2 years. That means 50-100g of junk plastic every year per person. This seems very small compared to the amount of non-recyclable plastic I get every time I go to the supermarket (Fruit and veg in plastic wrapping). Are USB cables very resource heavy to make? Is there something that makes them especially bad when compared to other waste?

The average consumer absolutely does not get a new phone every single year.

Re: EU plans to force OEMs to use a common charger for all phones

#266

Post by nottorp » Thu, Sep 23, 2021, 12:33 PM UTC

mclightning wrote: post #219

nottorp wrote: post #215

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How much time did you spend on researching what USB-C cable you should buy? :) Also, does it have data? At 2.0 speeds? At 3.1 speeds?

I know what I should expect if I am paying a cable $5 vs $40. Just because tip of the cable is looking like USB-C, you shouldn't expect it to support HDMI etc. Most people are not looking for full set of USB-C features. Most people are just looking to charge their device. I don't remember last time I wired up my phone to my computer for any data transfer, and I am a nerd who reads HN. Think about the average folk. If…

> I know what I should expect if I am paying a cable $5 vs $40.

Actually you know you shouldn't expect much from the $5 one. But the $40 is a lottery.

Re: EU plans to force OEMs to use a common charger for all phones

#267

Post by taylodl » Thu, Sep 23, 2021, 12:43 PM UTC

sph wrote: post #4

Good, though in practice it's not the charger the problem, I use the same USB plug everywhere, it's Apple and their cable. Right now I always need with me a micro USB cable, an USB-C one, and Lightning, because Apple thinks different™. What's Apple reasoning for not abandoning Lightning for USB-C on their phones?

Simple. They changed from the 30 pin adaptor to Lightning 9 years ago. People complained to the high heavens about it. I recall Apple promising they would keep the new Lightning adaptor for at least 10 years. Guess what? When the new iPhones are released next year it will have been 10 years. The EU is probably aware of this situation and simply want to ensure Apple doesn't try to come up with some other solution. I don't think they needed to do that since Apple has already adopted USB-C on their iPads.

Bottom line? My prediction is next year's iPhone is going to have USB-C.

Re: EU plans to force OEMs to use a common charger for all phones

#268

Post by solarkraft » Thu, Sep 23, 2021, 12:45 PM UTC

The thing I hate the most about my iPhone is the stupid charging port. For sure it’s better than micro USB, but it’s not better than USB-C.

I think they’re preparing to transition over anyway, with devices gradually replacing the port. But I guess the iPhone is going to be among the last.

Re: EU plans to force OEMs to use a common charger for all phones

#269

Post by wreath » Thu, Sep 23, 2021, 12:52 PM UTC

connor-brooks wrote: post #34

An average consumer probably gets a new phone every 1-2 years. That means 50-100g of junk plastic every year per person. This seems very small compared to the amount of non-recyclable plastic I get every time I go to the supermarket (Fruit and veg in plastic wrapping). Are USB cables very resource heavy to make? Is there something that makes them especially bad when compared to other waste?

I don't know of anyone who gets a new phone every 1-2 years regardless of their income level. Is this really the case? Any data on it?

Re: EU plans to force OEMs to use a common charger for all phones

#270

Post by londons_explore » Thu, Sep 23, 2021, 12:55 PM UTC

amelius wrote: post #220

londons_explore wrote: post #165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd support this. The sockets would need some work for decent power transfer - it needs to do at least the 150 watts that USB-C can do, and preferably 150 kwatts for charging a car. For 150 watts while maintaining backwards compatibility, all that's needed is larger contact area (curved spring clips) to support 3 amps and the use of 48 volts after negotiation. For 150 kilowatts we'd be talking some cutting edge stuff…

Charging a car over a 3.5mm headphone jack, that would certainly be worthy of a HN post ...

The engineer in me says I want to quit my job and spend the next 6 months and $100k prototyping a 3.5mm compatible jack that can charge a car, and safe even when licked by toddlers, underwater, full of grit, and cut with powertools...

But the business person tells me that even if I could do it and make it safe enough to use, there is zero chance any big company would license the tech.