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

EU reaches deal to make USB-C a common charger for most electronic devices

engadget.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

101–110 of 1001 posts

Re: EU reaches deal to make USB-C a common charger for most electronic devices

#101

Post by bluescrn »

akmarinov wrote: post #90
simondanerd wrote: post #80

Will that have an effect on the devices sold on the US market? I would love an iPhone with USB-C.

Either (sorted most likely to least likely): 1. All iPhones get USB-C 2. Only EU iPhones get USB-C, US sticks with lightning 3. iPhones become portless with wireless charging only

Portless could be a pain for developers, if the only way to deploy/debug is wifi, and the only way to charge is a wireless charger (which may not be able to keep up with the discharge rate of a device being used to test a game/app all day)

Re: EU reaches deal to make USB-C a common charger for most electronic devices

#102

Post by danaris »

causi wrote: post #31

I wish USB-C was more robust, or at least had the option of being more robust. I miss not being scared of accidentally stepping on my laptop charge connector and crushing it flat. I'd pay good money for a type-C un-flattener.

Is there a halfway-modern port that is more robust? Hell, is it possible to make a port/adapter that you can't destroy by stepping on it?

I've personally destroyed VGA, PS/2, and ADB adapters by stepping on them in the past. (I've since gotten somewhat more careful, and haven't yet destroyed any USB or Lightning adapters the same way.)

How, exactly, do you propose that they design a port that you can't accidentally crush, aside from something dirt-simple like an 8mm headphone jack...?

Re: EU reaches deal to make USB-C a common charger for most electronic devices

#103

Post by rbanffy »

PinguTS wrote: post #62
plonk wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've never seen a USB-C cable that didn't charge all my devices with all my chargers. OK, maybe one that came with an HP screen and was clearly labeled as "data only". I think this will make cables interchangeable in most cases. Fast charging and fast transfers are nice to have but rarely vital.

You haven't brought any of those cheap Chinese cables, haven't you? I have such cables, which can't be really used for charging as well as for fast data transfer. They are good for my development hardware kits, I have. Because those kits don't have any high power requirements. But I cannot use them to power my notebook.

> You haven't brought any of those cheap Chinese cables, haven't you?

Do you expect them to follow standards while being impossibly cheap to pay for the licensing of said standards?

Re: EU reaches deal to make USB-C a common charger for most electronic devices

#104

Post by sxg »

akmarinov wrote: post #97

That's very interesting, not because the new iPhone would have a USB-C, but due to the fact that Apple continues selling older phones. Currently they sell the SE, 11, 12 and 13 By 2024 they will be selling a SE, 13, 14 and 15. Will they rework the SE, 13 and 14 to get USB-C? Will they stop selling them just in Europe? That's potentially a lot of money left on the table.

They will almost certainly be grandfathered in. Legislation nearly never retroactively applies to things created before the legislation itself.

Re: EU reaches deal to make USB-C a common charger for most electronic devices

#105

Post by akmarinov »

bluescrn wrote: post #101
akmarinov wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Either (sorted most likely to least likely): 1. All iPhones get USB-C 2. Only EU iPhones get USB-C, US sticks with lightning 3. iPhones become portless with wireless charging only

Portless could be a pain for developers, if the only way to deploy/debug is wifi, and the only way to charge is a wireless charger (which may not be able to keep up with the discharge rate of a device being used to test a game/app all day)

Well Apple's priorities have always been:

1. Apple

2. Users

3. Developers

so they'll sacrifice developer experience with not a second thought.

Re: EU reaches deal to make USB-C a common charger for most electronic devices

#106

Post by rbanffy »

danaris wrote: post #102
causi wrote: post #31

I wish USB-C was more robust, or at least had the option of being more robust. I miss not being scared of accidentally stepping on my laptop charge connector and crushing it flat. I'd pay good money for a type-C un-flattener.

Is there a halfway-modern port that is more robust? Hell, is it possible to make a port/adapter that you can't destroy by stepping on it? I've personally destroyed VGA, PS/2, and ADB adapters by stepping on them in the past. (I've since gotten somewhat more careful, and haven't yet destroyed any USB or Lightning adapters the same way.) How, exactly, do you propose that they design a port that you can't accidentally c…

> is it possible to make a port/adapter that you can't destroy by stepping on it?

UK power plugs want a word with you. Not that there won't be damage, but it's your foot that will be completely destroyed.

Re: EU reaches deal to make USB-C a common charger for most electronic devices

#107

Post by pfortuny »

qalmakka wrote: post #2

2024? There's still plenty of time for them to remove the port altogether and go with just MagSafe/Qi. Which they control, and they still can get fees from. Trust me when I say that Apple will NEVER submit to this legislation, they will find every sort of obscure or arcane tricks to comply with it without actually doing it. It would set a precedent that legislating can change Apple's behaviour, which they clearly do…

In Europe, and this is well known, companies must comply with the intent of the law, especially on something related to customers and compatibility. This is very very different from the US legal system, which can be tricked “ad nauseam”.

Apple may well do what they please but there will be fines, and even prohibition of sales. Because the EU “knows” that it can be done without much burden and “sees” it as a benefit for the citizens. I agree in this case on both things.

Re: EU reaches deal to make USB-C a common charger for most electronic devices

#108

Post by kingsleyopara »

This all seems pretty short sighted. Great in the short term (I want a USB-C iPhone and for everything today to be USB-C) but will surely be a pain going forward - where would USB-C be if this policy had standardised on micro USB earlier? Some will say wireless is the future but I’m not convinced. Maybe the best solution would be to have this policy expire after a certain number of years?

Re: EU reaches deal to make USB-C a common charger for most electronic devices

#109

Post by D13Fd »

lekevicius wrote: post #14

As a European, I'm very happy. USB-A has been with us for over 20 years. It's only disappearing because of USB-C, and USB-C seems to have room to grow. I wouldn't be surprised if it will still be the most popular connector in 2035, and not just because "legislation stops innovation". Making sure there are no weird exceptions to a very good port is reasonable and good.

It does stop innovation in things like lightning and MagSafe. And it doesn’t fix the multiple charger issue either, because so many manufacturers don’t adhere to the USB-C standard that any combination of charger + cable + device has an unreasonably non-zero chance of not working or even damaging the device.

So in the end we still have to have multiple chargers, but now we can roll the dice on which one works with or damages which device because they all use the same connector.

Re: EU reaches deal to make USB-C a common charger for most electronic devices

#110

Post by PinguTS »

rbanffy wrote: post #103
PinguTS wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You haven't brought any of those cheap Chinese cables, haven't you? I have such cables, which can't be really used for charging as well as for fast data transfer. They are good for my development hardware kits, I have. Because those kits don't have any high power requirements. But I cannot use them to power my notebook.

> You haven't brought any of those cheap Chinese cables, haven't you? Do you expect them to follow standards while being impossibly cheap to pay for the licensing of said standards?

What you expect will average Joe buy at Amazon? What will be the key of comparing one cable with another?
Post reply on HN