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EU Passes Law to Switch iPhone to USB-C by End of 2024

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Re: EU Passes Law to Switch iPhone to USB-C by End of 2024

#21

Post by sbuk »

lwheelock wrote: post #14
fbn79 wrote: post #5

I'm European, I understand the good intentions at the root of such enforcement. But I believe such mandatory enforcements are liberticide, and against consumers in the long run.

I don’t understand it. Apple has only changed their connector once since 2007. Where I have untold number of USB devices that are either A, Mini, Micro, or now C.

I imagine that the caterwauling around the change from 32-pin to Lightning somewhat plays into their decision not to move to USB-C. Obviously the overtly cynical will put it down to purely profiteering...

Re: EU Passes Law to Switch iPhone to USB-C by End of 2024

#22

Post by fbn79 »

josteink wrote: post #8
fbn79 wrote: post #5

I'm European, I understand the good intentions at the root of such enforcement. But I believe such mandatory enforcements are liberticide, and against consumers in the long run.

Tell me. How many different kind of chargers and connectors did you have before the EU mandated everyone should use micro-usb (or something equally standardized)? And how many do you have now? Personally I had 1 charger per device I had, each with their own weird connector, and each cable sold at $20+ a pop, and definitely more if you wanted a "data-cable". These days I only have 2: USB for almost everything, and Lig…

It was not mandatory. It was just a suggestion with voluntary adoption. I have nothing against standardization. I'm against the "mandatory" fact.

Re: EU Passes Law to Switch iPhone to USB-C by End of 2024

#23

Post by neilalexander »

captainmuon wrote: post #12

Good decision, but bizarrely only after USB-C was established on almost every phone, except iPhones. I hope this has an expiration date, or they have a provision for easily updating the law when somebody develops a better standard. Otherwise this could mean we would be stuck with USB-C forever. (As a developer, writing "USB-C" in a law this seems to me like hardcoding a magic string in source code. Often, it is bette…

> As a developer, writing "USB-C" in a law this seems to me like hardcoding a magic string in source code

Between various generations of Qualcomm Quick Charge and USB PD at various wattages for charging alone, and then USB 2.0, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2 Gen 1, 3.2 Gen 2, 3.2 Gen 2 2x2, Thunderbolt 2, Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 for data, it seems like they have plenty of room for future movement/fragmentation.

Re: EU Passes Law to Switch iPhone to USB-C by End of 2024

#24

Post by skohan »

NextHendrix wrote: post #7

This gives me some cognitive dissonance. On the one hand, having a common connector will reduce waste and be much more convenient (eg "Hey have you got an iPhone charger?") and make losing a charger a cheaper mistake. On the other hand I'm not sure I like the idea of government mandating electrical connectors on devices, which could stifle innovation, or be very shortsighted in the typical government-rules-on-tech wa…

I am similarly of two minds. As an engineer, I can imagine how legal mandates for technology choices could stifle innovation and make the future of technology worse.

But at the same time, I think there may be a place for mandating interface compatibility.

To give some old-school examples, how differently might industrialization have gone if rail systems weren't mandated to operate under some shared standards? Or where would we be if every country had a handful of competing power grids with different voltages and outlet types?

So I am not sure the cable which plugs into our phones is the correct target for standardization, but in spirit I think it's worthwhile to consider how the public good of interoperability should be weighed against a handful of corporations' interest in building technological moats around themselves and their users.

Re: EU Passes Law to Switch iPhone to USB-C by End of 2024

#25

Post by skohan »

messe wrote: post #13
NextHendrix wrote: post #7

This gives me some cognitive dissonance. On the one hand, having a common connector will reduce waste and be much more convenient (eg "Hey have you got an iPhone charger?") and make losing a charger a cheaper mistake. On the other hand I'm not sure I like the idea of government mandating electrical connectors on devices, which could stifle innovation, or be very shortsighted in the typical government-rules-on-tech wa…

I wouldn’t be too concerned. They did it before to standardise on micro USB, in such a way that didn’t stop manufacturers from moving to USB-C. This is really just an update of that same rule.

How did Apple dodge this with micro-USB?

Re: EU Passes Law to Switch iPhone to USB-C by End of 2024

#26

Post by throwaway744678 »

skohan wrote: post #25
messe wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wouldn’t be too concerned. They did it before to standardise on micro USB, in such a way that didn’t stop manufacturers from moving to USB-C. This is really just an update of that same rule.

How did Apple dodge this with micro-USB?

A dongle was available.

Re: EU Passes Law to Switch iPhone to USB-C by End of 2024

#27

Post by lloydatkinson »

NextHendrix wrote: post #7

This gives me some cognitive dissonance. On the one hand, having a common connector will reduce waste and be much more convenient (eg "Hey have you got an iPhone charger?") and make losing a charger a cheaper mistake. On the other hand I'm not sure I like the idea of government mandating electrical connectors on devices, which could stifle innovation, or be very shortsighted in the typical government-rules-on-tech wa…

It will end up with the terrible quality fake usb cables and chargers we have today, thanks for the usb organisation not being stricter. Seems hard to find specific types of USB 3/C cables. In some cases they have damaged the connected devices which should be considered a failure of the U part.

If anything this will increase the value of official apple chargers because at least those will be well designed.

Re: EU Passes Law to Switch iPhone to USB-C by End of 2024

#28

Post by batiudrami »

lwheelock wrote: post #14
fbn79 wrote: post #5

I'm European, I understand the good intentions at the root of such enforcement. But I believe such mandatory enforcements are liberticide, and against consumers in the long run.

I don’t understand it. Apple has only changed their connector once since 2007. Where I have untold number of USB devices that are either A, Mini, Micro, or now C.

Since 2007 the de facto standard for other devices has only changed once too (micro to USB-C). Mini USB has been obsolete since 2007 and USB-A is the other end of the connector and not really comparable (Apple has actually since changed on their devices from type A to type C in that time).

For me Lightning is just another in your list of connectors that I wish would go away and standardise to USB-C.

As someone who is travelling right now, with a two port charger and two iPhones, an iPad, a laptop, a Switch, an Apple Watch and two sets of USB-C headphones between us, one connector would actually be a significant quality of life improvement (though an even better one would be hotels not killing power to the socket when I’m not in the room so I can charge my devices while I’m out!)

Re: EU Passes Law to Switch iPhone to USB-C by End of 2024

#29

Post by krageon »

NextHendrix wrote: post #7

This gives me some cognitive dissonance. On the one hand, having a common connector will reduce waste and be much more convenient (eg "Hey have you got an iPhone charger?") and make losing a charger a cheaper mistake. On the other hand I'm not sure I like the idea of government mandating electrical connectors on devices, which could stifle innovation, or be very shortsighted in the typical government-rules-on-tech wa…

> stifle innovation

We have plenty of free market examples of why "innovation" in the connector space almost always spawns lemons and makes everything worse in the meantime.

Re: EU Passes Law to Switch iPhone to USB-C by End of 2024

#30

Post by josteink »

neilalexander wrote: post #18
josteink wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tell me. How many different kind of chargers and connectors did you have before the EU mandated everyone should use micro-usb (or something equally standardized)? And how many do you have now? Personally I had 1 charger per device I had, each with their own weird connector, and each cable sold at $20+ a pop, and definitely more if you wanted a "data-cable". These days I only have 2: USB for almost everything, and Lig…

I have no real preference whatsoever in the Lightning vs USB-C battle but it seems strange to me that the EU's approach to supposedly reducing e-waste is by condemning 10 years of Lightning accessories to becoming e-waste. An iPhone 4 charger from 2012 will still charge an iPhone 14 today. That doesn't seem incredibly wasteful to me.

> An iPhone 4 charger from 2012 will still charge an iPhone 14 today

And it will after this move too. You'll just need to use a regular USB-A -> USB-C cable instead of a USB-A -> Lightning cable.

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