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Apple says iPhones will switch to USB-C chargers to comply with new EU law

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Re: Apple says iPhones will switch to USB-C chargers to comply with new EU law

#431

Post by hot_gril »

scarface74 wrote: post #426
hot_gril wrote: post #420

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People just want to charge their phones. Maybe if someone actually cares about USB3 transfer speeds, they'll go buy the slightly more expensive cable for that. It's not like TVs even have USB-C. And I don't think this reduces ewaste. It's about the same.

Thought experiment: grab a random “standard USB C” cable. Now answer a few questions just by looking at it: - what wattage does is supper? - what data speed does it support? - will it support video over USB C? Why didn’t the EU in all of its technical brilliance at least attempt to come up with a minimum “standard”?

What wattage, enough to charge my phone. What speed, don't really care but it's at least the same as Lightning. Video, never used it.

EU wanted to break up Apple's proprietary control over the iPhone ports and create a charging standard, cause charging is the important part. Anyone can make a higher-spec USB-C cable without going to Apple, and chargers are uniform for all phones.

Worth repeating that I don't agree with the EU's law, just saying why they did it. Nobody in this thread has brought up the real con, which is that tech regulation hinders innovation, and the minor frustration with chargers wasn't a big enough problem to warrant that.

Re: Apple says iPhones will switch to USB-C chargers to comply with new EU law

#432

Post by jackvalentine »

danpalmer wrote: post #97
scarface74 wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you proposing the alternative was that Apple kept supporting 30 pin connectors? And despite your anecdotes, evidence shows that switching didn’t hurt Apple sales. What were the people who were “burnt” by Apple abandoning 30 pin connectors going to do? Switch to Android and still have to switch cables?

Not at all. It was an old connector that needed to be replaced. What I'm suggesting is that as a brand with that level of public recognition there is No Good Answer. Every option sucks in some way. And the same is true again now for USB-C, "just switch to USB-C" is not an answer that sounds good for most people, and Apple is still paying for the bad will from customers from the 30-pin connector transition. The USB-C…

> Apple is still paying for the bad will from customers from the 30-pin connector transition.

No they are not. The only time 30 pin is _ever_ mentioned is in these discussions about USB-C.

That “bad will” was overblown to begin with and everyone has forgotten about it in the 10 years and several billion products sold since.

Re: Apple says iPhones will switch to USB-C chargers to comply with new EU law

#433

Post by bonestamp2 »

gnicholas wrote: post #215
bonestamp2 wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yep, Apple probably wanted to switch to USB-C earlier but you can see why they also wouldn't want the backlash. Now, they can switch to USB-C and also blame the regulators when people are mad, so this is kind of win/win for them.

What makes you think they wanted to switch sooner? I get that this gives them cover, but what competitive/cost benefits would they have gained by switching?

> competitive/cost benefits would they have gained by switching?

It would make the rest of their customers happy -- the ones that do want one standard cable. I mean, it's their only computing device that they haven't switched to USB-C yet.

Re: Apple says iPhones will switch to USB-C chargers to comply with new EU law

#434

Post by xnyan »

lesuorac wrote: post #377
crazygringo wrote: post #183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's extremely unusual -- I've used Lightning cables daily for years without any issue at all. Whenever I would notice a cable not working (after about a year and a half), the culprit was always dust buildup inside the Lightning port preventing the plug from entering fully. Clean it out with a toothpick for 15 seconds, and then good as new. If you were using an original Apple cable, that's bizarrely bad luck. I can…

I think a lot of it is how they use the cable. My mother goes through cable like candy. I'll buy a pack of 10 and give her 8 and I won't even be done with my cables by the time they stop working.

Cable failure from misuse/abuse almost always happens at the point where the cable meets the connector. Cables with flexible reenforced material at that point can help a lot with longevity.

Re: Apple says iPhones will switch to USB-C chargers to comply with new EU law

#435

Post by netheril96 »

aquova wrote: post #177

I've never really understood why they hadn't done it yet. The iPad has used a USB-C connections for a few iterations now, they got a lot of criticism for switching only to USB-C style connectors on their Mac line years ago, yet they've resisted bringing the iPhone into the same ecosystem. There's a lot of third party peripherals that are reliant on lightning, but that doesn't really seem like something that would hol…

Me too. One of the stated benefits of the Apple ecosystem is how well they work together. Except when iPads and MacBooks all switch to USBC and iPhones stay on Lightning.

Re: Apple says iPhones will switch to USB-C chargers to comply with new EU law

#436

Post by kdinn »

I'm amazed this hasn't happened earlier. They've switched their laptops across ages ago. I have a MacBook, Samsung phone, Sony headphones, Samsung earbuds as well as several other USB-C accessories and I only need the Macbook power cord to charge any of them.

When I travel that's the only power supply I take. When I need to charge my phone, I just unplug the Macbook and plug in the Samsung phone. But if I had an iPhone I couldn't do that!

Re: Apple says iPhones will switch to USB-C chargers to comply with new EU law

#437

Post by scarface74 »

Dylan16807 wrote: post #427
scarface74 wrote: post #423

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where in the law did it mention a minimum wattage?

Now we've gone in a circle. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33365040 If the law mandates USB C, then it mandates 3 amps for cables.

It mandates a USB C connector. They weren’t smart enough to mandate that “all USB C cables sold in the EU must actually meet the standard”.

Then you also have the opposite problem. If the USB cable supports higher wattage power delivery, some low wattage USB C devices like headphones won’t charge.

Re: Apple says iPhones will switch to USB-C chargers to comply with new EU law

#438

Post by gnicholas »

bonestamp2 wrote: post #433
gnicholas wrote: post #215

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What makes you think they wanted to switch sooner? I get that this gives them cover, but what competitive/cost benefits would they have gained by switching?

> competitive/cost benefits would they have gained by switching? It would make the rest of their customers happy -- the ones that do want one standard cable. I mean, it's their only computing device that they haven't switched to USB-C yet.

My family is all Apple, and we have precisely one device that charges USB-C to USB-C: an iPad Pro. Everything else is Lightning (4 iPhones, 3 AirPods, 3 iPads), MagSafe (2 MBA/Ps), or micro USB (Beats, wireless keyboard, bike lights). I'm not dreading the transition, but I'm definitely not looking forward to it. If I were 20 years old and just starting to accumulate devices/chargers, I'd probably be more in favor of it. But after a decade-ish of collecting Lightning chargers/cables, I'm not at all eager for the iPhone to become USB-C.

Re: Apple says iPhones will switch to USB-C chargers to comply with new EU law

#439

Post by robertoandred »

tremon wrote: post #67
robertoandred wrote: post #36

What a pain, forcing everyone to buy new cables.

Indeed. To resolve that issue, the EU came up with this legislation.

What? This legislation is what’s forcing everyone to buy new cables and throw out their old ones.

Re: Apple says iPhones will switch to USB-C chargers to comply with new EU law

#440

Post by dhkldhlldhgk »

brundolf wrote: post #31
danpalmer wrote: post #19

It's sad that it took legislation to make this happen, but I can see why. I worked in a pseudo-Apple-store during the height of the 30-pin dock connector and I sold so many cases, speaker docks, charging cables, and all sorts of weird accessories that were built for the 30-pin connector. Then Apple switched to Lightning. It was better in every. single. way. And yet people got burnt. There was so much hardware that wa…

Two key differences vs last time: 1. As you mentioned, most accessories have moved to wireless. I still (usually) use a physical cable for charging, and I guess I have a 3.5mm dongle, but I think those are the only two things I've plugged into my iPhone in years. Docks with a physical port, in particular, were super popular 10+ years ago and don't really exist anymore. People won't be throwing away speakers. 2. They…

it's also a blue bubble/green bubble thing. lightning is more exclusive and therefore better
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