EU Passes Law to Switch iPhone to USB-C by End of 2024 • Hacker News Board

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

#391

Post by code_duck » Tue, Oct 04, 2022, 2:01 PM UTC

slavoingilizov wrote: post #374

cyborgx7 wrote: post #318

Self-regulation only works if government regulation is a serious threat in case self-regulation fails. In this case, self-regulation failed, so government regulation stepped in to force industry to do what is right. All the handwringing about stifling innovation is on its face ridiculous as mandates to use micro-usb didn't stop android phones from adopting the new and better standard as soon as it was viable.

Well... I agree with the spirit of the effort, but not the letter of it. >>> From spring 2026, the obligation will extend to laptops So this would force Apple to replace MagSafe with USB-C? How is that not killing innovation? Standardisation should be a goal, but I just feel this particular effort is too specific and brings very little value to consumers. Why don't we standardise payment protocols instead? Or biometr…

Is Apple currently using MagSafe? Both of the recent MacBooks in my household, from 2020 and 2021, have standard USB-C connections.

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

#392

Post by mtoner23 » Tue, Oct 04, 2022, 2:01 PM UTC

slavoingilizov wrote: post #374

cyborgx7 wrote: post #318

Self-regulation only works if government regulation is a serious threat in case self-regulation fails. In this case, self-regulation failed, so government regulation stepped in to force industry to do what is right. All the handwringing about stifling innovation is on its face ridiculous as mandates to use micro-usb didn't stop android phones from adopting the new and better standard as soon as it was viable.

Well... I agree with the spirit of the effort, but not the letter of it. >>> From spring 2026, the obligation will extend to laptops So this would force Apple to replace MagSafe with USB-C? How is that not killing innovation? Standardisation should be a goal, but I just feel this particular effort is too specific and brings very little value to consumers. Why don't we standardise payment protocols instead? Or biometr…

Macbooks support magsafe and USBc charging, i imagine thats sufficient to meet the requirement

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

#393

Post by seanw444 » Tue, Oct 04, 2022, 2:01 PM UTC

Hippocrates wrote: post #361

USB-C is inferior from the hardware/form standpoint. It's a larger, more fragile and flimsy connector (than lightning) which is very un-apple. It can be crimped shut if rolled on by a chair. Additionally the charging standards are a total mess, with PD and QC requiring compatible chargers and cables, which are often unlabeled. I'm all for a great charging standard but USB-C ain't it.

It's certainly better than micro-USB, but agreed: Lightning is the superior design.

Who puts the weak point of the connector inside the more expensive of the two objects? That was a terrible design decision. Maybe Apple's patents prevented USB from doing a similar design, so they had to come up with one that was objectively slightly worse?

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

#394

Post by tjoff » Tue, Oct 04, 2022, 2:02 PM UTC

slavoingilizov wrote: post #374

cyborgx7 wrote: post #318

Self-regulation only works if government regulation is a serious threat in case self-regulation fails. In this case, self-regulation failed, so government regulation stepped in to force industry to do what is right. All the handwringing about stifling innovation is on its face ridiculous as mandates to use micro-usb didn't stop android phones from adopting the new and better standard as soon as it was viable.

Well... I agree with the spirit of the effort, but not the letter of it. >>> From spring 2026, the obligation will extend to laptops So this would force Apple to replace MagSafe with USB-C? How is that not killing innovation? Standardisation should be a goal, but I just feel this particular effort is too specific and brings very little value to consumers. Why don't we standardise payment protocols instead? Or biometr…

Surely apple will still have usb-c on its laptop. And you would be able to charge through either magsafe or usb-c.

Just as you can with MS Surface.

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

#395

Post by uni_rule » Tue, Oct 04, 2022, 2:02 PM UTC

Hippocrates wrote: post #361

USB-C is inferior from the hardware/form standpoint. It's a larger, more fragile and flimsy connector (than lightning) which is very un-apple. It can be crimped shut if rolled on by a chair. Additionally the charging standards are a total mess, with PD and QC requiring compatible chargers and cables, which are often unlabeled. I'm all for a great charging standard but USB-C ain't it.

If they really cared about charger durability they wouldn't have removed the supports from the cable joints until their first party cables regularly frayed apart at the cable ends.

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

#396

Post by pif » Tue, Oct 04, 2022, 2:03 PM UTC

Night_Thastus wrote: post #279

I have no sympathy or love for Apple, but this seems wrong. Technology comes and goes, standards evolve and fall away as new ones arrive. I don't think the law has any place in deciding who uses what connector in this fashion. They can make an e-waste argument all they want, but it's nonsense. All it does is stifle future work on connectors and devices in general.

> All it does is stifle future work on connectors

And that's exactly the point! Stop pretending you are special and use the same connector as anybody else.

If you really, really need a new connector:

1. propose a new standard;

2. make it retro-compatible with all the existing devices;

3. leave some slack for the next one who will need some more capabilities;

4. the parliament will declare your standard the new one.

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

#397

Post by seanw444 » Tue, Oct 04, 2022, 2:03 PM UTC

simplyinfinity wrote: post #376

Hippocrates wrote: post #361

USB-C is inferior from the hardware/form standpoint. It's a larger, more fragile and flimsy connector (than lightning) which is very un-apple. It can be crimped shut if rolled on by a chair. Additionally the charging standards are a total mess, with PD and QC requiring compatible chargers and cables, which are often unlabeled. I'm all for a great charging standard but USB-C ain't it.

Is this why Apple use USB-C on some of their iPads?

That's a fantastic point actually. I wonder why they choose to use USB-C at all for any device, when Lightning is objectively better from a physical engineering standpoint.

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

#398

Post by ben_w » Tue, Oct 04, 2022, 2:03 PM UTC

Krkrmfnfmmd wrote: post #335

cyborgx7 wrote: post #318

Self-regulation only works if government regulation is a serious threat in case self-regulation fails. In this case, self-regulation failed, so government regulation stepped in to force industry to do what is right. All the handwringing about stifling innovation is on its face ridiculous as mandates to use micro-usb didn't stop android phones from adopting the new and better standard as soon as it was viable.

Government mandates on how you can charge your phone won't stifle innovation?

What exactly is genuinely innovative about the iPhone connector at this point? It's 10 years old, and the only selling point I can see it having over USB (even when it was new) was the rotational symmetry (which is now also possible with USB C, which is what's being mandated).

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

#399

Post by Xelynega » Tue, Oct 04, 2022, 2:04 PM UTC

fullstop wrote: post #304

staringback wrote: post #292

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wow I Can't Believe My Android Phone Still Uses Micro-USB Since That Was Forced By Law!!! Please think about what you're saying for a moment

You've missed my point, which was that USB connectors on phones have changed over the years and the EU is locking devices into C.

You missed their point. The EU "locked" devices into micro B but somehow they still managed to switch to USB-C when it became viable. How could they have switched if they were as "locked in" as you think?

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

#400

Post by yoz-y » Tue, Oct 04, 2022, 2:04 PM UTC

asgeir wrote: post #368

emaro wrote: post #218

I agree with the overall tone in the comments here: yay in general, but what a shame a law needs to specify a specific port for ~iPhones~ devices. I really like USB-C. It's sooo convenient to charge my notebook, my headphones, my phone, my everything with the same cable. However what bothers me since someone pointed it out to me: for phones, which are used all day in all kind of situations, lightning has a big andvan…

USB-C has the springs in the plug while the receptacle is only fixed contacts. Lightning on the other hand has the springs inside the receptacle. This means that for USB-C you replace the cable when the springs wear out, but for Lightning you need to replace the port. Cleaning lint out of a USB-C receptacle with a toothpick is safe, but sticking anything into a Lightning port could damage the springs.

> Cleaning lint out of a USB-C receptacle with a toothpick is safe, but sticking anything into a Lightning port could damage the springs.

Safe-ish because you can break off the inner plastic part. On USB-A this was a pretty common failure for me. On USB-C not yet