I wonder if nowadays it’s really that much of a problem though. Modern cellphone chargers are mostly transformers with an USB 2 socket. So, even if you have an iphone and an usb-c decice, you only need to have two cables with an usb 2 connector and not full two chargers.
EU reaches deal to make USB-C a common charger for most electronic devices
291–300 of 1001 posts
Re: EU reaches deal to make USB-C a common charger for most electronic devices
#292Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Will EU block innovation? It already has. Tesla's connector is nicer (you can call that subjective but it isn't) and the supercharging network in the US is deploying the clunky standard sort of connector as well. If EU legislation were universal, that would preclude any future where the superior connector is licensed and takes over from the crappy designed-by-committee alternative, because Tesla would be forced to…
On the other hand, companies building wholly proprietary infrastructure is just pure e-waste on the back of the citizens of those countries that ALSO limits innovation. Imagine a world where Ford cars use a different gas nozzle from a GM product in the US. The average person would have to pick and choose stations and if one were to go out of business, the lesser standard would encounter mass disposal and retrofit, al…
>The average person would have to pick and choose stations
Stations would just have two nozzles on their pumps.
Re: EU reaches deal to make USB-C a common charger for most electronic devices
#293Earlier quoted context omitted.
> USB or Lightning This problem
Eh, Apple was moving devices over to USB-C already, they didn't need to be forced. The reason they've held out on the iPhone is because users will complain about new cables ;-). Either way they're going to get criticized. Apple gets credit for creating Lightning to begin with while we waited for something better than micro-USB to come along. I'm glad for USB-C, but damn, it sure took a while.
Let's be honest here, the only reason why they "held out" is the MFi program and the sweet sweet money they receive for it. I'm happy to see EU put a stop to this practice.
Re: EU reaches deal to make USB-C a common charger for most electronic devices
#294Earlier quoted context omitted.
> EU is a densely populated place where having multiple charging networks of incomparable plugs will be horrible. In the short term, yes. In the long term however competition between these different standards will cause consolidation and overall technology improvement. The next step will be regulating wireless charging so that all devices have to use/do the same thing, rinse-wash-repeat. > Europeans don't trust that…
We can copy the US if the cable freedom gives birth to superior cables on the long run. EU stuff is't written on stone, it changes as it needs to. I guess In Europe we kind of like the idea of being able to overthrow the people in power if they screw us too much. It's much more socially acceptable to burn cars and occupy streets and decapitate politicians than shooting CEO's when you are really not happy with the way…
You’re really ignoring the amount of inertia that a deployed fleet of cars creates. You can’t just change standards with the snap of a finger once there are 10M cars in the field with it, once that happens, you’re stuck with that standard for probably decades, as the downsides of changing it become much more acute than the potential upsides.
Re: EU reaches deal to make USB-C a common charger for most electronic devices
#295Earlier quoted context omitted.
They will "periodically" check if there are better standards. The USB-C will only be fully introduced by 2027. I think it's probable that at least as soon as they're fully introduced we need a new standard.
Quoted post unavailable.
It's bleak either way. If we don't regulate enough, companies will eat us alive, and if we overregulate, then the government will do the same. We're better off with some kind of balance between these two, and mandating the charging port like this worked out well so far in my opinion, and so, I welcome the upgrade too.
Re: EU reaches deal to make USB-C a common charger for most electronic devices
#296Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Will EU block innovation? It already has. Tesla's connector is nicer (you can call that subjective but it isn't) and the supercharging network in the US is deploying the clunky standard sort of connector as well. If EU legislation were universal, that would preclude any future where the superior connector is licensed and takes over from the crappy designed-by-committee alternative, because Tesla would be forced to…
Imagine if we had this outlook towards plugs in houses in the US. Standardization is underrated.
Funny, because all of North America uses the NEMA standard and the EU uses a bunch of different plugs.
Re: EU reaches deal to make USB-C a common charger for most electronic devices
#297USB-C is still copyrighted so it's really just forcing customers to pay for proprietary connectors? This also bans cheap phones like these https://www.androidpolice.com/nokias-newest-android-go-phone...
You only need to pay for the logo & trademark usage, not the port.
Even if you do pay, at $3500 for 2 years, spread across millions of devices, this amounts to pennies.
Re: EU reaches deal to make USB-C a common charger for most electronic devices
#298Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think this is a pretty bad take. Not all that many companies are doing work for cable standards to begin with, and personally - as a consumer - I very much welcome the standardization on usb-c. The companies that are doing work on communication standards aren't normally selling the kind of devices covered here to consumers. It's more business to business and military applications. Further, charging in particular is…
If you as a consumer prefer USB-C, buy a phone using USB-C. Why have the government involved?
I hate to be snarky on HN, but are we from the same planet?
In the vast majority of devices you accept what the manufacture gives you or you are out of luck, especially when everything these days is protected by some kind of intellectual property.
This excuse is old and tired and tends to ignore that large manufactures purposefully make the customer experience worse for higher profits.
Re: EU reaches deal to make USB-C a common charger for most electronic devices
#299Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Will EU block innovation? It already has. Tesla's connector is nicer (you can call that subjective but it isn't) and the supercharging network in the US is deploying the clunky standard sort of connector as well. If EU legislation were universal, that would preclude any future where the superior connector is licensed and takes over from the crappy designed-by-committee alternative, because Tesla would be forced to…
EU is a densely populated place where having multiple charging networks of incomparable plugs will be horrible. When you are not happy with decisions the governments make, it usually means that you should be involved in the process of making the decisions. Europeans don't trust that the industry will always come up with the best solutions for the user, Americans usually don't trust the government doing something well…
I can imagine that car charging is still too new and fast-moving to enforce a single standard, unlike phone charging, where it's just ridiculous to have 3 separate standards.
On the other hand, you're absolutely right that it doesn't help anyone if your car is incompatible with half of the chargers out there. Are adapter cables an option, perhaps?
Re: EU reaches deal to make USB-C a common charger for most electronic devices
#300Quoted post unavailable.
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