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India follows EU's example in requiring USB-C charging for smart devices

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Re: India follows EU's example in requiring USB-C charging for smart devices

#151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Two charging ports do not work on a phone, space is tight in there already. >Especially if the port is a brand new standard you'll never be able to borrow a charge cable for from a friend. The solution to that are adapters.

I'm honestly only worried about charging speed on laptops and tablets. Phones charge pretty quickly no matter what you plug them into, at least in my experience (I'm not a phone gamer so ymmv), whereas I've seen more than one laptop lose battery while charging if doing something demanding. If I carried an adapter I'd probably have my charger with me to be honest and I don't know anyone nice enough to carry adapters f…

>> I'm honestly only worried about charging speed on laptops and tablets.

What kind of tablet needs more than 240w ? I think that's what Alienware uses as well so I doubt you will ever need more than that. Not to mention that the trend going towards more efficient electronics/chips etc.

Re: India follows EU's example in requiring USB-C charging for smart devices

#152
post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> law allows newer standards to be used. USB-C is just the required minimum Nobody is going to put two ports on a phome. Required minimum is the legislated maximum for physical interfaces.

I don't think you understand: It has to be USB-C or better. So if USB-D (or a worse name knowing the consortium) comes out, the idea behind the law is that it should also be allowed _instead_ of a USB-C port. IANAL though, so I am unsure how well they legally described that requirement.

So there's no way for a startup to create a new connector because they'd have to go through the USB implementor's forum.

Re: India follows EU's example in requiring USB-C charging for smart devices

#153
post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> law allows newer standards to be used. USB-C is just the required minimum Nobody is going to put two ports on a phome. Required minimum is the legislated maximum for physical interfaces.

I don't think you understand: It has to be USB-C or better. So if USB-D (or a worse name knowing the consortium) comes out, the idea behind the law is that it should also be allowed _instead_ of a USB-C port. IANAL though, so I am unsure how well they legally described that requirement.

IIRC the law just requires the port to be backward compatible with USB-C for charging.

Re: India follows EU's example in requiring USB-C charging for smart devices

#154
post #81

What is the next physical connector standard after USB-C? Is there one on the roadmap that is likely to happen or is USB-C "The End of History" when it comes to connectors?

Part of EU's decision is to repeatedly evaluate the standards every N or so years; where N I don't think anyone has any complains about the physical connector, the issue is the specs for USB. USB-C looks to be the end of history though for smart phones, at least for apple. Apple said they will comply, but never confirmed inclusion of USB-C, this is important as there is a clause that allows mobile devices without a p…

What does it mean by consider it? If they couldn't reach conclusion in 5 years, will this law be void? I haven't read anywhere this law has an expiration date

Re: India follows EU's example in requiring USB-C charging for smart devices

#155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is charging port technology something we want to be the wild wild west and have companies quickly push random designs ? Up until now the real nightmare has been every company coming up with their own crappy connector and sticking with it for decades.

USB-C is not the final form of charger ports. I’d rather the debate on the next evolution happen within industry, and maybe even play out competitively in the market. If a clear victor emerged and there’s another large, abusive hold out like Apple, then just pass a similar time-limited law.

This is way too dismissive of the govs attitude, which is to reevaluate the situation every X years, and way too optimistic toward the industry, which couldn’t converge to anything without getting forced to do it. The “clear victor” only emerged because of the law passed.

For crying out loud, USB-C was created by Apple and look at the situation we’re still in.

Re: India follows EU's example in requiring USB-C charging for smart devices

#156

Given that this whole thing was about forcing one bad player, Apple, to do the right thing, why not sunset these laws in five to ten years? That way, future innovators don’t have to first get this requirement repealed. USB-C is not the be-all end-all of charging ports. Note for example the female connector with the fragile plastic piece in the middle. Better alternatives will emerge but now they have to pass through…

> why not sunset these laws in five to ten years?

Because manufacturers would immediately resort to proprietary ones to squeeze some more money from customers for cables, chargers, adapters etc. If you look at them more as consumables than part of the product, just like printer cartridges, that makes more sense. Nobody is preventing future innovators from adding their own port with more features where space and cost would permit that.

Re: India follows EU's example in requiring USB-C charging for smart devices

#157
post #47

I feel like EU and India are missing the obvious here - Apple will just remove the ability to charge via cable, and create even more e-waste and waste energy.

How does moving to inductive charging create more e-waste? Unless you just mean in the very short term of course.

I don't own a single wireless charger, so would have to buy and upgrade as the tech improves (if it was forced on me)

Re: India follows EU's example in requiring USB-C charging for smart devices

#158

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would argue that a hypothetical "superior standard" that only one manufacturer uses and is not interoperable is neither superior nor standard.

As a non-apple person I still think that the lightning connector is far superior to Micro-USB. And I would have been vehemently against a legally mandated Micro-USB port. USB-C is quite a good standard, but it also incorporated some of the features of lightning, e.g. rotational symmetry, a significant usability enhancement. The question is: could e.g. apple create a port which is significantly superior to USB-C, the…

>> The question is: could e.g. apple create a port which is significantly superior to USB-C, the way lightning was superior to Micro-USB?

I think there is already one: MagSafe/MagSafe2. Is it worth a new pile of chargers/wires along usb-c? I think no. Even apple discontinued it for a while.

Re: India follows EU's example in requiring USB-C charging for smart devices

#159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apparently Apple is even slower than the slow bureaucrats

Your comment misses the point of the entire discussion. No one has even claimed that Apple was merely slow. It was pure profit motive.

Isn’t it worse ?

Re: India follows EU's example in requiring USB-C charging for smart devices

#160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes although two charge ports doesn't sound impossible and/or especially bad to me. Especially if the port is a brand new standard you'll never be able to borrow a charge cable for from a friend. Would be interested to know how much multiple charge ports affect price/complexity.

Two charging ports do not work on a phone, space is tight in there already. >Especially if the port is a brand new standard you'll never be able to borrow a charge cable for from a friend. The solution to that are adapters.

> The solution to that are adapters.

How often do you forget your charger, but somehow have an adapter?

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