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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

#31

Post by billpg »

Around five years or so ago, I had lots of gadgets, all using Micro-USB. Life was good, I had purchased a job lot of cables and made sure every location on my house, car and desk at work had more than enough cables so any gadget would be ready to be charged up.

Then I bought a new phone. I had a USB-C port. Suddenly, I couldn't charge it up just anywhere. If that phone had a Micro-USB version, I'd have chosen that one in a heartbeat.

Yes, USB-C is nice. Better than Micro-USB. So good that it compensates for the hassle? No.

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

#32

Post by skohan »

tgv wrote: post #19
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…

Thank God nobody ever standardized electrical plugs. I'd hate being able to plug my vacuum cleaner and laptop in the same outlet.

I have traveled to parts of the developing world where standardization hasn't happened and it's a huge mess

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

#34

Post by kypro »

I like USB-C and would even be in favour of the iPhone using USB-C, but I really dislike the idea that EU regulators would know what's better for consumers than consumer electronics companies and the consumers themselves.

I do kind of get it though. It's probably better for a whole host of reasons if electronics all used the same cords, but I guess you could make that argument for a lot of things. There would be benefits if there was only one mobile operating system or if all mobiles used the same interchangeable batteries, for example.

When a standard makes sense companies will generally adopt it naturally. The fact so many manufacturers use USB-C today just proves that this probably doesn't need to be enforced. I suppose it's just strange to me this would even need to be a law or that there are people paid to pass laws like this.

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

#35

Post by causi »

billpg wrote: post #31

Around five years or so ago, I had lots of gadgets, all using Micro-USB. Life was good, I had purchased a job lot of cables and made sure every location on my house, car and desk at work had more than enough cables so any gadget would be ready to be charged up. Then I bought a new phone. I had a USB-C port. Suddenly, I couldn't charge it up just anywhere. If that phone had a Micro-USB version, I'd have chosen that on…

Well, better in most ways. It's worse in a couple of minor ones. It's larger, so particularly tiny devices still come with microUSB charge ports. It also gets smooshed flat if you happen to step on it, which is a problem I had my first few months with a type-C phone.

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

#36

Post by danhor »

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?

It was not a law, but an agreement (to stop the EU enacting a law) and dongles were sufficient. This is a law and dongles aren't sufficient.

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

#37

Post by mensetmanusman »

moring wrote: post #11
mensetmanusman wrote: post #6

I hope they ban the 90% of sold usb-c looking cables that aren’t actually usb-c compliant. Someone needs to build a simple device you connect a cable to that stress tests it and shows a green or red light.

Did the current cable used by the iPhone have this problem too? If not, isn't this changing it to the worse? edit to clarify: ... because while Apple might still include a working cable, but if you grab one of the 10 cables out of your cable box, you don't know if it will actually work.

https://9to5mac.com/2018/08/22/how-to-choose-a-usb-c-cable/a...

It would be funny if this ruling strengthened Apple’s position because no one knows which off-brand cable will destroy their device by not limiting current draw.

Without strong regulations on the usb cables themselves, it almost seems like putting the cart before the horse.

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

#39

Post by hdjjhhvvhga »

skohan wrote: post #32
tgv wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thank God nobody ever standardized electrical plugs. I'd hate being able to plug my vacuum cleaner and laptop in the same outlet.

I have traveled to parts of the developing world where standardization hasn't happened and it's a huge mess

Yeah, I have bad memories from Italy, too.

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

#40

Post by skohan »

billpg wrote: post #31

Around five years or so ago, I had lots of gadgets, all using Micro-USB. Life was good, I had purchased a job lot of cables and made sure every location on my house, car and desk at work had more than enough cables so any gadget would be ready to be charged up. Then I bought a new phone. I had a USB-C port. Suddenly, I couldn't charge it up just anywhere. If that phone had a Micro-USB version, I'd have chosen that on…

I would argue it is good enough it compensates for the hassle.

I think USB-C is one of the first "good enough" connectors we have had for the arbitrary use-case. It's reversible. It's suitable for high-power and high-bandwidth use-cases. It's robust. micro-USB works ok for charging small devices, but would it really make sense to replace USB-A with it for plugging peripherals into your PC for example?

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