“Owing to the significant amounts of electronic waste caused by unused chargers …” Really?
Year or two ago I finally threw out a couple of old small pin Nokia chargers. I never had Nokia personally, only family members did.
EU sends Apple stark warning over USB-C charging on new iPhones
51–60 of 868 posts
Re: EU sends Apple stark warning over USB-C charging on new iPhones
#52Earlier quoted context omitted.
What technical progress. Don't you think that 20V and 240W that are the maximum for Power Delivery are enough to fast charge a smartphone? Even laptops use it!
It’s not universal until we can power appliances, TVs, Microwaves, Fridges, Ovens, and EV Cars with it.
For which we have IEC connectors. 110/220v AC power connectors are not the problem.
Re: EU sends Apple stark warning over USB-C charging on new iPhones
#53First of all: the EU definitely had good intentions when regulating the charger mess. The amount of incompatible chargers rotting in drawers and (possibly) landfills could definitely be reduced over time by agreeing on a common physical and electrical interface. However — limiting technical progress is not a good idea and we see that with the plethor of different power modes existing within USB-C. Possibly politician…
That's what the USB org is doing, if manufacturers decide together they need an USB-D, that will become the new standard.
(9) in the EU directive: https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-10713-2022-...
Re: EU sends Apple stark warning over USB-C charging on new iPhones
#54Earlier quoted context omitted.
Could you expand on that? The EU effort to standardize phone connectors led to nearly every phone manufacturer adopt micro usb and then usb c. I don't see any reason that apple would be unable to use usb c after a everyone else uses it for more then 2 years.
> The EU effort to standardize phone connectors led to nearly every phone manufacturer adopt micro usb and then usb c. So, in other words, the EU forced one standard, which it is now abandoning (generating piles of micro-usb e-waste), and is now doing it again. And this is Apples' fault for not moving to USB-C in... 2012. Didn't Apple use USB-A wall chargers with the 30-pin for phones at a time when everyone else was…
> So, in other words, the EU forced one standard, which it is now abandoning (generating piles of micro-usb e-waste),
This is hyperbole. Especially because a common retort on these articles is “surely this standardisation kills innovation”.
A standard was adopted, preventing lots of e-waste. However, the old standard is now past its useful life, so a revised standard is being universally adopted.
This is the best of both worlds: a standard reduces the amount of duplicate adapters manufactured. However, it doesn't hold back progress and innovation when needs genuinely change.
Re: EU sends Apple stark warning over USB-C charging on new iPhones
#55First of all: the EU definitely had good intentions when regulating the charger mess. The amount of incompatible chargers rotting in drawers and (possibly) landfills could definitely be reduced over time by agreeing on a common physical and electrical interface. However — limiting technical progress is not a good idea and we see that with the plethor of different power modes existing within USB-C. Possibly politician…
What technical progress. Don't you think that 20V and 240W that are the maximum for Power Delivery are enough to fast charge a smartphone? Even laptops use it!
It's not just a question of total power - smartphones have limited space and thermal budget for internal power conversion compared to laptops, which means that the fastest charging option often moves some of the work of converting to the correct voltage to the charger. (Also, I don't think 240W USB PD has really been adopted by anyone currently, and that's a spicy amount of current given the general quality of USB C cables.)
Re: EU sends Apple stark warning over USB-C charging on new iPhones
#56Earlier quoted context omitted.
To be clear, I am pro USB-C, but I do get the arguments from the other side. If I have a lightning cable and a device with a lightning port, I can plug it in and not really think much about it. If I have a device with a USB-C port and a USB-C cable, I have no idea whether I can charge at full speed or even charge at all. As an example, I plug my Xbox controller into my PC via USB-C. It keeps it fully charged. Recentl…
Lightning "just works" only because it's all made and validated by Apple. If you want guaranteed compatibility, just keep buying Apple-branded Type C cables and adapters like you did for Lightning. The only difference now is that you also have the option of using other cables and adapters if you want/need to, as well as use your Apple charging stuff for charging other things.
Yeah, I totally agree. The only annoyance I see is that you have to experiment with what cables and power adapters through trial and error to find what works with particular devices. I mentioned in a different reply in this thread that there ought to be some kind of consumer-friendly labeling on these things, so that you can see at a glance what will work with what.
Re: EU sends Apple stark warning over USB-C charging on new iPhones
#57Lol and a lot of Apple's charging cables are Lightning to USB C now. I can't wait to get a USB C iPhone. All my stuff is USB C, from my Braille display to my game controllers. It'll make things so much easier to only need one kind of cable for everything.
I learned about an interesting corner case last week: devices that use USB-C physical connectors but have USB 2.0 PHY. You can get away with a much longer cable at that lower Baud rate, but that cable likely won't work for most USB-C devices.
Re: EU sends Apple stark warning over USB-C charging on new iPhones
#58Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yes, really. I still have a box full of old transformers kicking around from the bad old days. Now about half of my stuff is USB-C powered, and in another 5 years when I finally ditch the last of my old stuff I won't need a bunch of 5, 9, 12, and 15 volt power connectors (some AC, some DC) with 0.5, 0.8, 1, 1.5, 2, and 3 amp capabilities, in three different barrel connector sizes and two polarities. And of course App…
Apple doesn’t use ‘Apple connectors’ on the phone chargers, they are universal USB adapters.
Really? So you mean I can take my Apple lightning cable, plug one end into a charger and the other end into my Android phone? Or my laptop? Or my TV box?
Because no, you can't. And that's the whole problem.
Re: EU sends Apple stark warning over USB-C charging on new iPhones
#59Earlier quoted context omitted.
Money.
Apple can easily afford this. The real reasons for their foot-dragging are their need to differentiate their products, and their need (driven by their organisational culture) to feel that they are in control.
What he means is, having a proprietary connector means they can milk accessory makers with licensing fees.
Re: EU sends Apple stark warning over USB-C charging on new iPhones
#60Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's not EU's loathsome meddling, it's Apple's loathsome insistince on using a proprietary cable for years and years to make an extra buck that has your knickers in a twist now.
Which cable should they have used instead?
They shouldn't have made it proprietary. Lightning could've been the USB-C instead of what we got.