Why not wireless charging?
I don't mind the connector (lightning works well), better would be mandatory quality of the cables (the iPhone cables are regularly breaking).
EU plans to force OEMs to use a common charger for all phones
371–380 of 751 posts
Re: EU plans to force OEMs to use a common charger for all phones
#372Earlier quoted context omitted.
No, I don't. Here the EU is creating legislation that forces manufacturers to increase interoperability, be more consumer-friendly, and more climate friendly. This all seems within the remit of governments to me. > I guess I just wonder if in 20 years will every device still have a USB-C port on it in some odd location? No one is using it anymore, but it is still mandatory on everything. Or course not, it's not like…
One nice and welcome example of consumer-friendly legislation, btw: The EU prohibited mobile operators from charging voice and data roaming fees within the EU. So, now on holiday in Spain, say, you can just keep using your mobile contract including free minutes and data. (A typical deal is 10 GB data.) When traveling outside the EU, it's still best to buy a local SIM to avoid the ludicrous roaming charges, but there'…
Very interesting (or disturbing) in this regard is the UK after Brexit, where one by one the mobile operators are all reintroducing roaming charges now that the relevant EU law no longer applies.
Re: EU plans to force OEMs to use a common charger for all phones
#373Earlier quoted context omitted.
No, I don't. Here the EU is creating legislation that forces manufacturers to increase interoperability, be more consumer-friendly, and more climate friendly. This all seems within the remit of governments to me. > I guess I just wonder if in 20 years will every device still have a USB-C port on it in some odd location? No one is using it anymore, but it is still mandatory on everything. Or course not, it's not like…
One nice and welcome example of consumer-friendly legislation, btw: The EU prohibited mobile operators from charging voice and data roaming fees within the EU. So, now on holiday in Spain, say, you can just keep using your mobile contract including free minutes and data. (A typical deal is 10 GB data.) When traveling outside the EU, it's still best to buy a local SIM to avoid the ludicrous roaming charges, but there'…
That's strange because I have separate roaming data in my contract and it's way less than my local one.
Re: EU plans to force OEMs to use a common charger for all phones
#374Earlier quoted context omitted.
The government already mandates the electricity interconnect one step back at the wall socket. This is just extending that to modern devices.
Just to be clear, power sockets are not standardized in the EU. Italy has different ones (Type L), France as well (Type E), and the UK too (but they are no longer ... you know) ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mains_electricity_by_country
Well, they are standardized - it's just that the standard (sadly) accepts a substantial number of different plug designs... Some countries did have to adapt when the standard was defined or if they joined after the standard was set. Compared to what we had before, it was a substantial simplification of the landscape, even if it doesn't go all the way to mandate a single plug design.
Re: EU plans to force OEMs to use a common charger for all phones
#375Im not a fan of the quick charging standard being forced as it sounds like it will be one hell of a step back for anybody on a oneplus/oppo phone. The quick charging there is absolutely amazing. Im on an older version but even then my 1+ 7 pro charges fast and never gets hot while charging. Compared to PD or QC it is leagues better.
OnePlus 9 Pro (and previous 7 Pro) owner chiming in. OnePlus was quick to market with good fast charging but it's not all that special these days. You'd never be able to practically tell if my phone used QC 5 or Warp Charge 65T for instance.
But that note aside QC/Warp Charge/ is just out of specced USB PD and most (including OnePlus) have already moved to supporting in spec USB PD on top of their proprietary modifications. The law is written to support your use case:
"2. Hand-held mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones, headsets, handheld videogame consoles and portable speakers, in so far as they are capable of being recharged via wired charging at voltages higher than 5 volts or currents higher than 3 amperes or powers higher than 15 watts, shall:
(a) incorporate the USB Power Delivery, as described in the standard EN IEC 62680-1-2:2021 ‘Universal serial bus interfaces for data and power - Part 1-2: Common components - USB Power Delivery specification’;
(b) ensure that any additional charging protocol allows the full functionality of the USB Power Delivery referred to in point (a)."
and because the law doesn't allow bundling chargers anymore you're free to pick whether you want to use a standard USB PD charger (which the device must support) or buy the manufacturer's proprietary charger (which the device can optionally support).
Re: EU plans to force OEMs to use a common charger for all phones
#376Earlier quoted context omitted.
You say that, but USB-A ports are close to 25 years old, and still plenty adequate for a lot of things, from headsets to audio interfaces to keyboard and mice. Devices with USB-A ports are still sold. I wish my MacBook Pro had some good old USB-A ports.
I actually feel USB-B is a very robust plug. But it is just so large that most devices nowadays don't have the real estate for it. The other advantage is that since it is so large, if you get dust and stuff in it you can often use something non-conductive to clean it out.
yeah I only ever really see it on printers, and maybe larger external harddrives (although these days I would never buy an external hard drive that needs a power supply, what a hassle)
Re: EU plans to force OEMs to use a common charger for all phones
#377Can they please mandate replaceable USB-C sockets then because I see a shit load more broken ones than I do lightning connectors. And usually the infernal USB-C things are soldered into the logic board of whatever resulting in damage to that too. Also USB-C sockets are impossible to replace without very specialist tooling. Really not a big fan of this unless there are some additional constraints on it.
I have never seen broken USB-C. But I have already replaced my wifes lightning cable twice (dirt goes on it and it stopps working).
As a helpful tip, I find that pocket lint will collect in the iPhone lightening port and needs to be cleaned out periodically. A toothpick does the job here.
Re: EU plans to force OEMs to use a common charger for all phones
#378Does anyone feel it is a little strange to have a government entity mandating a physical interconnect? I guess it has worked out well enough for receptacles. But on a phone it acts as a data connection as well. I guess I just wonder if in 20 years will every device still have a USB-C port on it in some odd location? No one is using it anymore, but it is still mandatory on everything.
> I guess I just wonder if in 20 years will every device still have a USB-C port on it in some odd location? No one is using it anymore, but it is still mandatory on everything.
I’ll love, that 20 years from now, I will be able to take a random device from today, buy an universal adapter for USB-C and it’ll just work.
Re: EU plans to force OEMs to use a common charger for all phones
#379Does anyone feel it is a little strange to have a government entity mandating a physical interconnect? I guess it has worked out well enough for receptacles. But on a phone it acts as a data connection as well. I guess I just wonder if in 20 years will every device still have a USB-C port on it in some odd location? No one is using it anymore, but it is still mandatory on everything.
>Does anyone feel it is a little strange to have a government entity mandating a physical interconnect?
I believe governments mandating interactivity standards is one of the main reason of its existence.
Before we had standards, like ISO on screws and so on mandated by governments, it was chaos.
>But on a phone it acts as a data connection as well.
Precisely, the data communication protocol should be open for anyone being able to interface with those devices without having to pay extortion rates for anything connected to a phone.
The fact that Apple demands 30% of my income if I create a keyboard for a phone because they control the interface is outrageous.
Re: EU plans to force OEMs to use a common charger for all phones
#380Earlier quoted context omitted.
Apple "complied" by putting USB-A on their chargers and calling it a day. EU authorities grumbled but didn't opt for a lenghty legal challenge; instead, they talked a bit more and came up with this updated legislation. Note how they give Apple something (the unbundled charger) while becoming more restrictive in other areas... if Apple continue taking the piss after this gets passed, I expect the hammer will come down…
> I expect the hammer will come down. So, what are they going to do? Fine Apple for a couple of million euros? Give another reason for Apple to increase the prices of their products even more?
They would block all shipments of Apple devices at the border of the EU after a certain point. The EU controls the customs rules for most of Europe.