The legislation does not prevent other ports to be added on the devices. Just that one of them needs to be a USB-C capable of charging the device.
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EU Reaches Agreement to Force iPhone and AirPods to Adopt USB-C by Fall 2024
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The legislation does not prevent other ports to be added on the devices. Just that one of them needs to be a USB-C capable of charging the device.
Although I think moving to USB-C across all devices is good, I feel this is overreach
It's called common sense. Would you buy a shiny new iPhone 16 that can fast charge @ 65W or the same new iPhone that slow charges @ <20W with Lightning? Lightning is, what, a decade or more old? It is LOW POWER, LOW SPEED, while technology is moving ahead with HIGH POWER, HIGH SPEED devices. There literally is ZERO reason to stick with Lightning.
Heck, phone maker Realme just released a phone that fast-charges (over USB-C no surprise) @ 150W. 0-50% in 5 minutes and 17 minutes for full charge.
Good job EU. Sad day for the defense force, though. Can’t say that doesn’t make me smile.
I would much rather governments regulate the placement of windshield wiper controls on cars. I'm tired of renting cars and continually activating other controls because auto manufacturers believe the Infinite Improbability Drive should determine their placement and function.
A future where micro-usb and Lightning are a thing of the past is a better future.
Imagine defending a company that refuses to switch to USB-C just because they collect money from MFi accessories 🤡 Companies 'policing' themselves doesn't work and US is a great example of that.
Anyway, having a choice of Lightning or USB-C is even worse idea. Most people don't know what these ports are and all they know is that it's a that's-how-I-charge-my-phone-port. Those who are a bit more tech literate, know how slow lightning is with its' USB 2.0 speeds.
There's absolutely zero disadvantages of switching to USB-C. Zero.
Anyway, having a choice of Lightning or USB-C is even worse idea. Most people don't know what these ports are and all they know is that it's a that's-how-I-charge-my-phone-port. Those who are a bit more tech literate, know how slow lightning is with its' USB 2.0 speeds.
There's absolutely zero disadvantages of switching to USB-C. Zero.
I wonder how we will move FORWARD from USBC , is this the end of the road for USB port evolution ? how would anyone be able to design a new port ? crazy to think that this is it , we are stopping development of a communication port because EU decided that companies are not allowed to.
I'm all for hastening the changeover to USB-C. I'm not for it being mandated by the/a government. It's not really any of their business what port a company decides to use on their products, provided it isn't a safety hazard (which the lightning port is not).
As with many things, the EU would just ship them off to some third-world country were they could be "recycled properly" under a much more relaxed set of environmental laws.
Absolutely insane this is regulated by the EU. Shows how sick the EU as a bureaucracy is becoming. So if there'll be a newer better standard people in the EU will not get it? We went from Mini-USB to Micro-USB to USB-C. Do people believe there won't be something newer/better?!
Having lightning on my iPhone wouldn’t be so bad if my iPad wasn’t USB-C and USB-C wasn’t becoming the standard on Apple’s laptops and desktops. The only device I now own that uses lightning is my very expensive iPhone 13 Pro Max. It’s pretty silly.
so it looks like that bureaucracy made your life just easier
oh for christ sake it's a cable, this isn't some abortion vs anti abortion thing. bottom line the lighting cable is slow and fragile, the whole industry is moving towards usb-c, apple included. the writing has been on the wall since 2016 when apple slapped on tb3/usbc on the mbp.
So let the market do the work and stop these frivolous authoritarian laws and those who make them. What a waste of time and money.
So what happens when something better then USB-C comes out?
A guy from the EU here. I have some mixed feelings about it. I'm happy with the endless swapping cables when charging iPad Pro and iPhone to end soon. However, I am an owner of Philips headphones with a lightning connector and they will be useless soon unless I buy an adapter.
Anyway, the big winner is the Earth and maybe consumers.
Anyway, the big winner is the Earth and maybe consumers.
Technically you could add more pins to the port as long as the port remained physically compatible and the charging pins didnt change. USB-A did this to support USB 3 speeds. Thunderbolt over the same connector proves that the connector has some versatility, but, ultimately, even that could be short-lived as we don't know for sure if TB 5 can support the same connector. I would much rather see companies invest R&D in new wireless charging and data tech than physical cables anyway as that is the more likely and most useful future.
While I'm a fan of USB-C I have to say there's something more satisfying to the design and feel of plugging in the Lightning jack
Firewire kind of did this also, but the port shape magically changed when FW 800 happened. If the plug wouldn't have changed, we might still have Firewire today.
Is Apple not lowering their prices or not raising their prices? Maybe not including the chargers allows Apple to keep their prices where they are instead of raising them (people might not like Apple's margins but that is a different issue).
The only reason this legislation exists is that the politicians know that when the next new standard comes along it will also come along with the proper political donations to get the legislation changed.
Seriously, that's the real hangup here. The EU should join the USB Foundation so they can keep up with where things are going.
So, when there is a new faster wired connection standard the EU will still force all devices to use outdated tech until they get around to changing the law in another 10 years.
Might be anekdotal but over several iPhones and iPads I have never had a single port failure with Lightning but on my 2017 MBP the USB-C ports on both sides had to be replaced and they had FAR less use than the Lightning ports on my phone and tablet.
Hope the EU is happy with all the repair costs that are incoming.
If nothing else the Lightning connection feels much stronger but time will tell I guess.
Hope the EU is happy with all the repair costs that are incoming.
If nothing else the Lightning connection feels much stronger but time will tell I guess.
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