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

xda-developers.com

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

#491

Post by cma »

duped wrote: post #448
ubercow13 wrote: post #300

Earlier 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.

Government doesn't regulate the other side of that interconnect. There are dozens of different DC power connectors that go into a two or three prong wall outlet. And at least in the US I believe the regulations are local building codes

Local government is still govenment. OSHA also mandates some electrical safety testing stuff through UL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UL_(safety_organization)

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

#492

Post by nickpp »

I went through such a transition with my iPad Pro: from Lighting port (like my iPhone) to USB-C. The result was subjectively worse: the USB-C port is harder to insert into as the margins are straight and "catch", while the Lighting port had a slight bevel, making insertion as smooth as butter.

The fit is not perfect and touching the inserted cable moves it slightly inside the port. The Lightning connection was rock solid in comparison.

The USB-C port is also a male port hidden in a female one. Because of that dirt accumulates around the little knob inside which the limited space makes it much harder to clean than the Lightning port.

Finally, I had to purchase separate chargers and cables instead of the ones I already had.

Not as bad as micro-USB though. That always takes me 3 tries (one on each side then again on the original side) after which I have to look at the damn connector and try for a 4th time.

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

#493

Post by spoonjim »

FabHK wrote: post #366
GordonS wrote: post #301

Earlier 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'…

Legislating pricing is something governments can do well. Legislating physical interconnect is an area where they are much more likely to be ignorant of the relevant requirements. I, for one, vastly prefer Lightning to USB-C despite the interoperability; I hope that if the EU goes down this road that Apple makes a Lightning phone for the rest of us.

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

#494

Post by galgalesh »

cherrycherry98 wrote: post #439
sidewndr46 wrote: post #287

Does 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.

Ports types have been converging naturally without government intervention. Even for iPhones, the writing is on the wall for the the lightning connector. It was introduced nearly 10 years ago under different market conditions (no equivalent USB standard existed). Apple is gradually converging on USB-C, MacBooks contain only USB-C ports, the iPad Pro uses USB-C instead of lightning. The rest of the product line can't…

I think you greatly underestimate how much of this "natural convergence" happened because of EU influence. See the memorandum of understanding of 2009.

https://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/electrical-engineering/r...

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

#495

Post by akmarinov »

zamadatix wrote: post #361
akmarinov wrote: post #283

Apple has until 2024 to conform, but by that time it’s likely the iPhone will be portless. Interesting is that the older iPhones they sell which at that time would be something like iPhone 13/14 will also need to have USB-C.

> but by that time it’s likely the iPhone will be portless. Seems exceedingly unlikely unless the law changes by then.

> Today’s proposals from the EU only cover wired charging and don’t seek to enforce rules on wireless charging just yet. A spokesperson for the Commission has confirmed to The Verge that if a device charges only wirelessly, then there is no requirement to integrate a USB-C charging port.

https://www.theverge.com/2021/9/23/22689432/eu-iphone-usb-c-...

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

#496

Post by ewidar »

Wolfenstein98k wrote: post #336

"The proposals only cover devices using wired, not wireless, chargers, EU commissioner Thierry Breton said in a press conference, adding that “there is plenty of room for innovation on wireless.”" This quote typifies why Europe is miles behind on tech and innovation more generally. "I can't imagine a better way of doing this, so we should mandate that everyone does this way." We would've never even got wireless charg…

Actually what that quote is saying is:

- Wired charging is now a pretty well known topic, and USB-C is considered a good standard by the vast majority of the industry. So let's make sure that everyone uses this standard to simplify the life of the users.

- Wireless charging is still a hot topic, with no clear winner, there is time for the industry to settle on a semi-standard. We'll wait until then to see if a legislation is required.

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

#497

Post by t43562 »

nickpp wrote: post #462
alwayseasy wrote: post #434

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Please argue the opposite because I don't see what you mean.

Existing iPhone owners (and there are a lot of them!) throwing away their Lightning cables/chargers when purchasing a new phone?

A one off cost.

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

#498

Post by rocgf »

CivBase wrote: post #405

Why is this so important to the EU? The stated purposes of this proposal are to reduce e-waste and improve consumer convenience, but it's easily argued that the actual impact of the proposal is the exact opposite.

I would be genuinely impressed if you can successfully defend your point of view.

I fail to see how it would be possible for a single type of port for everything to increase waste and worsen consumer convenience.

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

#499

Post by beezischillin »

This might be a naive question but couldn't they just mandate something like 'the latest and or most appropriate revision of the USB standard for the use case' within reason and have that include potential future updates as well, making the law at least mostly future-proof instead of having to wait for politics to catch up with technology?

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

#500

Post by pier25 »

simonh wrote: post #396
GordonS wrote: post #301

Earlier 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…

The fact is Lightning is so widely used in practice that force deprecating it would drive an awful lot of kit into land fills. If it was one of the dozen or so variations of little USB with 2% or 3% market share each you'd have a point, but those have mostly gone already. I don't expect Lightning to be around forever, but then I don't expect USB-C to be around forever either. Some day it will be super-ceded - should…

> Lightning is so widely used

Maybe in the US, but in the EU Android has like 70% of the market.

https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/mobile/europe

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