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EU Gives Final Approval to Law That Will Force iPhone to Switch to USB-C

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11–20 of 94 posts

Re: EU Gives Final Approval to Law That Will Force iPhone to Switch to USB-C

#11
post #5

I think Apple’s response will be to go port-free, like the Apple Watch. The eSIM move was one of the last steps.

Wireless is not secure, while wired cables offer higher bandwidth and reliability. USB-C enables a range of peripherals, including storage, networking, video or even keyboards via docks which are now ubiquitous. Why cripple a beautiful phone by limiting its connectivity?

Apple super doesn't care about data transfer rates for phones. They put USB 2.0 into them.

And wireless is secure if you do it right.

Re: EU Gives Final Approval to Law That Will Force iPhone to Switch to USB-C

#12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wireless is not secure, while wired cables offer higher bandwidth and reliability. USB-C enables a range of peripherals, including storage, networking, video or even keyboards via docks which are now ubiquitous. Why cripple a beautiful phone by limiting its connectivity?

Apple super doesn't care about data transfer rates for phones. They put USB 2.0 into them. And wireless is secure if you do it right.

> wireless is secure if you do it right.

WiFi and bluetooth basebands and drivers have been repeatedly compromised, via public and non-public exploits. WPA3, despite promises of security improvements, remains vulnerable to deauth attacks. 5G LTE, despite promises of tower authentication improvements, remains vulnerable to IMSI catchers.

Oct 2022, Over-the-Air remotely exploitable Linux WiFi vulnerabilities (5 CVEs), https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33200171

July 2021, iOS WiFi RCE 0-day vuln, https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27868487

May 2021, https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27121918 & https://www.fragattacks.com/

> FragAttacks (fragmentation and aggregation attacks) ... is a collection of new security vulnerabilities that affect Wi-Fi devices. An adversary that is within range of a victim's Wi-Fi network can abuse these vulnerabilities to steal user information or attack devices. Three of the discovered vulnerabilities are design flaws in the Wi-Fi standard and therefore affect most devices. On top of this, several other vulnerabilities were discovered that are caused by widespread programming mistakes in Wi-Fi products. Experiments indicate that every Wi-Fi product is affected by at least one vulnerability and that most products are affected by several vulnerabilities.

July 2017, Broadpwn bug affects millions of Android and iOS devices, https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14727400

Re: EU Gives Final Approval to Law That Will Force iPhone to Switch to USB-C

#13

Just curious, what happens when USB C gets outdated and needs to be replaced?

Do you think that's going to happen in the next 20 years?

USB-Mini and Micro were both obsolete within 20 years.

Re: EU Gives Final Approval to Law That Will Force iPhone to Switch to USB-C

#14
post #5

I think Apple’s response will be to go port-free, like the Apple Watch. The eSIM move was one of the last steps.

That would be awkward with their talk of renewables and recycling. "Wireless" charging loses a ton of efficiency compared to wired.

Re: EU Gives Final Approval to Law That Will Force iPhone to Switch to USB-C

#17
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you think that's going to happen in the next 20 years?

USB-Mini and Micro were both obsolete within 20 years.

While true, that is not an answer to my question. C has a lot more going for it on the longevity front.

Re: EU Gives Final Approval to Law That Will Force iPhone to Switch to USB-C

#18

Just curious, what happens when USB C gets outdated and needs to be replaced?

This law does not carve the USB-C into stone. There is a review mechanism and a mechanism for monitoring the market and approving another port in the future when it's time to do so.

This is done through the USB Implementers Forum. All this law really, truly does is force manufacturers to sit around a table and work out a single solution for the whole electronics market. EU doesn't really care about USB-C or USB-D or USB-Whatever, they just require industry to set aside pettiness and work out a solution.

Re: EU Gives Final Approval to Law That Will Force iPhone to Switch to USB-C

#19
I'm unsure how this helps prevent e-waste, all it seems guaranteed to do is ensure that any existing lightning accessories need to be replaced.

If this legislation was 10 years earlier everything in the EU would be using micro/mini-usb today - and usb-c would not be an option without new legislation.

Re: EU Gives Final Approval to Law That Will Force iPhone to Switch to USB-C

#20
post #19

I'm unsure how this helps prevent e-waste, all it seems guaranteed to do is ensure that any existing lightning accessories need to be replaced. If this legislation was 10 years earlier everything in the EU would be using micro/mini-usb today - and usb-c would not be an option without new legislation.

The law doesn't specify USB-C. It just says that the big players need to sit together at a table and set one standard for all. There's a mandatory time period in which they will have to do it again, and the cycle will continue.
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