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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

#101

Why do people think it is a good thing to have this enforced by law is beyond me. I don't see any win besides a minor convenience. A lightning cable weighs almost nothing and it's not a big deal to have one around. As to lightning port limitations, I question whether usb-c will give average iPhone users any other advantage other than charging their phone. What are people gonna do with it other than charge their phone…

> Why do people think it is a good thing to have this enforced by law is beyond me. It's because consumers have rights too. Standardising something actually fosters competition (healthy capitalism), increases profit (as standardising something often leads to lower manufacturing costs) while reducing costs for consumers (due to increased competition). It also reduces waste which is good for the environment. > I don't…

This I really don't get. It reads as though you're saying that non-apple cables are cheaper and better, and also that mandating USB-C is valuable because it means you don't have to buy cables from apple.

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

#102
post #3

Quoted post unavailable.

Who can imagine that something better then USB-C will ever come along though? Apparently not the people passing this law.

This is what I find most short-sighted about this. I swear the typical connectors I use for electronics have changed several times over the last decade alone (mini USB, micro USB, USB-C). The idea that innovation in this space is done seems optimistic to me. So now every few years do we just need to hope the EU will update it's laws in a timely manner so we can get better connectors for our electronics?

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

#105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The general principle is wait for the dust to settle and then enforce whatever is the industry majority with an agreed mature tech. Btw the same thing happened with the EV charging (SAE J1772).

EV connector is different in EU.

The principle is the same IEC 62196.

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

#106
post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

About Europe, you mean? The problem is not Italy, it’s different EU countries abiding different standards.

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

#107
This year Apple removed another long standing port from their devices. This time around it was the sim tray.

Apple is going completely portless with their devices.

By the time this law is in effect there will be no external ports on Apples devices.

Anyone want to take bets on whether Apple introduces its own wireless charging standard at that time or the following year?

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

#108
post #75

This legislation would have been stupid at any other time in the history of hardware. It will prove to be stupid now as well. There is no reason to think the USB-C is the peak of technical achievement or even consistently a local optimum design choice. The EU has enough problems right now, they don't need to try and help Apple design iPhones.

There is no reason the EU can't upgrade to a new standard, or the USB consortium can't create a backward compatible upgrade. My USB 1.0 keyboard from long ago still works, BTW. Meanwhile, I have a box full of chargers for all kinds of old stuff. Replacing them all with 1 standard is great. And USB is doing just that, not only for cell phones but for all kinds of gadgets. Even if I only require an USB micro and an USB…

> This kind of process is quite normal for technology decisions in europe, BTW.

Europe is technologically backwards. They got destroyed by Shenzhen and Silicon Valley because their bureaucrats keep rolling in with this sort of idiocy. They feel a need to bring this backseat design process because their local companies aren't up to the challenge of competing with more-nimble American megacorporations.

Their phone company (Nokia) was the market leader until they got wrecked by an inability to innovate. This policy will make that outcome even more likely for European companies.

Then to add insult to injury, Huawei comes along and showed that they could operate at any standard you care to ask them to. If you get outcompeted by authoritarians and communists, it is worth asking what is wrong with your economic policies.

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

#110

Why do people think it is a good thing to have this enforced by law is beyond me. I don't see any win besides a minor convenience. A lightning cable weighs almost nothing and it's not a big deal to have one around. As to lightning port limitations, I question whether usb-c will give average iPhone users any other advantage other than charging their phone. What are people gonna do with it other than charge their phone…

I will definitely switch to iPhone as soon as they come with USB-C. It feels like they're just not doing it out of spite - I already have 20 USB-C chargers and power banks for all of my hardware. If you've been in the Apple ecosystem for years, no, it probably won't matter to you and will probably annoy you more than what it's worth because you now need separate cables to charge your mouse and your phone.
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