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[cormack12]

Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-61720276

The days of hunting through cables to find the right charger may be coming to an end.

The European Union has provisionally agreed new portable electronic devices must, by autumn 2024, use a USB Type-C charger

Apple told the BBC it had no new comment to make.

It argued against the proposal, when it was first introduced, in September 2021, with a representative telling BBC News:: "Strict regulation mandating just one type of connector stifles innovation rather than encouraging it, which in turn will harm consumers in Europe and around the world".

The technology giant is the main manufacturer of smartphones using a custom charging port, as its iPhone series uses an Apple-made Lightning connector.

The new rule will cover a range of "small and medium-sized portable electronics", according the EU, including:

• mobile phones
• tablets
• headphones and headsets
• handheld videogame consoles
• portable speakers

Any of these charged using a wired cable will have to have a USB Type-C port, regardless of who makes the devices.

 

[Trogdor1123]

Is usb c really forward facing enough? I really like it but is it fast enough for all the next gen stuff?

 

[sankt-Antonio]

Is usb c really forward facing enough? I really like it but is it fast enough for all the next gen stuff?

Its just the connector, they can make it as fast as they want (as long as its backwards compatible). Apple will find a way to sell cables on future iPhones by having no port at all and going the inductive charging route. Fuckers.

 

[GymWolf]

Just the fact that this change is gonna annoy apple makes me happy.

 

[Trogdor1123]

Its just the connector, they can make it as fast as they want (as long as its backwards compatible). Apple will find a way to sell cables on future iPhones by having no port at all and going the inductive charging route. Fuckers.

Is this accurate, surely there is an upper limit to any form factor?

I actually really like wireless charging, it’s nice to just drop it on the pad and go. I’m not sure how efficient it is though, probably not very.

 

[dr_octagon]

Just the fact that this change is gonna annoy apple makes me happy.

Introducing Apple Wireless charging, much courage, few ports, so voltage.

 

[chromhound]

i like that . And if i remember correctly every couple of years they will check to see if there's a better cable.

i think the iPhone 15 is going USB-C anyways

 

[MidGenRefresh]

Just the fact that this change is gonna annoy apple makes me happy.

It's not going to annoy them because by 2024 there will be no ports on an iPhone. Hell, I think I plugged a cable to my iPhone 13 once since I got it.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Introducing Apple Wireless charging*, much courage, few ports, so voltage.

*charger not included

 

[Banjo64]

They won’t go with this and will just strip the charging port all together and go 100% wireless charging.

 

[Patrick S.]

Apple's statement:

 

[newtypepilot]

Its just the connector, they can make it as fast as they want (as long as its backwards compatible). Apple will find a way to sell cables on future iPhones by having no port at all and going the inductive charging route. Fuckers.

$250 wireless chargers and $150 wireless dongles lol

 

[YCoCg]

Is usb c really forward facing enough? I really like it but is it fast enough for all the next gen stuff?

Look at what other phone makers are doing with it, you can get USB-C passing over 100w of power easy for fast/speed/warp charging, which is already far beyond anything Apple offered.

 

[M1chl]

Based EU

 

[Cyberpunkd]

Is usb c really forward facing enough? I really like it but is it fast enough for all the next gen stuff?

Oh no, your phone will charge in 3 instead of 5 hours overnight. INNOVATION!

Great move to reduce plastic waste, next one on the menu - upgradeable phones where you don’t have to buy a new one every 12-24 months.

 

[nush]

Great move to reduce plastic waste, next one on the menu - upgradeable phones where you don’t have to buy a new one every 12-24 months.

I loved my Samsung Galaxy.

 

[a multicultural team of v]

*charger not included

**air not included

 

[The Cockatrice]

Good, fuck apple.

 

[strange headache]

Apple told the BBC it had no new comment to make.

It argued against the proposal, when it was first introduced, in September 2021, with a representative telling BBC News:: "Strict regulation mandating just one type of connector stifles innovation rather than encouraging it, which in turn will harm consumers in Europe and around the world".

Bullcrap!

• USB-C $10 vs. Lightning $19
• USB-C 5Gbps/640MBps vs. Lightning 480Mbps/60MBps
• USB-C 5A vs. Lightning 2.4A

Stifling innovation, my a*s!

 

[dr_octagon]

ipad has usb c, macbook has usb c, mac has usb c, apple monitor has usb c, the apple charging brick has usb c, my toaster has usb c

can't allow iphones to share the same cable

 

[IFireflyl]

Bullcrap!

• Lightning $19 vs. USB-C $10
• Lightning 480Mbps/60MBps vs. USB-C 5Gbps/640MBps
• Lightning 2.4A vs. USB-C 5A

Stifling innovation, my a*s!

It really bothers me that you listed Lightning cables versus USB-C cables in your examples, but then the picture is showing USB-C cables versus Lightning cables.

 

[IntentionalPun]

I really hope Apple is forced into this and decides to just give the entire world USB-C phones.

pretty, pretty please Apple

 

[ManaByte]

I really hope Apple is forced into this and decides to just give the entire world USB-C phones.

pretty, pretty please Apple

 

[strange headache]

It really bothers me that you listed Lightning cables versus USB-C cables in your examples, but then the picture is showing USB-C cables versus Lightning cables.

There I fixed it for you

 

[Thaedolus]

USB-C feels like fucking magic. A single port can charge a full sized laptop while outputting to two monitors and acting like a hub. There hasn’t been a reason for lightning to exist for years now. In fact, dropping the lightning port might be what gets me to upgrade to whatever iPhone makes the change.

Other sectors have to meet internationally recognized standards for connector types too, but in those cases it’s for safety reasons. Not sure how I feel about a mandate here when it seems solely pro-consumer in nature, but at least in this case Apple is totally in the wrong and the ends justify the means.

 

[IntentionalPun]

USB-C feels like fucking magic. A single port can charge a full sized laptop while outputting to two monitors and acting like a hub. There hasn’t been a reason for lightning to exist for years now. In fact, dropping the lightning port might be what gets me to upgrade to whatever iPhone makes the change.

Other sectors have to meet internationally recognized standards for connector types too, but in those cases it’s for safety reasons. Not sure how I feel about a mandate here when it seems solely pro-consumer in nature, but at least in this case Apple is totally in the wrong and the ends justify the means.

I think it's really short sighted of them even w/ all of the profits from selling lightning cables/certified devices/chargers/etc.

In America it won't move the needle much but the rest of the world?

 

[Mistake]

The only one stifling innovation here is apple. Lightening cables are slower than usb-c, so they're full of shit and putting their heads in the sand

 

[Zeroing]

Is usb c really forward facing enough? I really like it but is it fast enough for all the next gen stuff?

It’s faster than apples lighting port… I use some Apple products but I can see through their bullshit. They gain money from 3rd party lighting cables.

I hope EU forces Apple to include adapters but knowing Apple they will come up with a “reason” to increase the final product price

 

[poppabk]

Bullcrap!

• USB-C $10 vs. Lightning $19
• USB-C 5Gbps/640MBps vs. Lightning 480Mbps/60MBps
• USB-C 5A vs. Lightning 2.4A

Stifling innovation, my a*s!

Who is gonna invent an even more easily breakable connector now?

 

[HoodWinked]

I'm okay with it if there is some sunset clause. There won't be an update in standards where there is too much friction.

 

[kikkis]

I am conflicted about this. On principle i object governments interfering with markets with standards like this, this one seems fine but mandates can also be used for bad things as well. On same thought they could also get rid of charging only usb c cables as well. Environmental aspect is bit over blown in terms of impact and the fact that now lightning cables are trash instead of people using them in their Apple circle. Also Apple now gets cop out of lighting instead people lashing out on them for failed dead end desicion.

 

[daveonezero]

As much as I like USB C connectors the standard sucks and government making technology decisions never ends well.

I made a personal choice to ditch everything and get USBC on everything I could like 10 years ago now when the first One Plus phone came out. I’m still switching as some things just don’t have it.

Apple put hinder bolt on so many things in the past it literally made the standard.

Complaining about the lightning data transfer speed or slow charging (which actually is better for better use because of heat) is also not as big of a plus.


I do love quick charge on my old one plus but it’s a bit over blown. I always top off my iPhone and it’s not that big of a deal as the battery easily lasts all day.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

I do love quick charge on my old one plus but it’s a bit over blown. I always top off my iPhone and it’s not that big of a deal as the battery easily lasts all day.

I have a wireless charging pad next to my bed. I go to sleep, I put it down on the charging pad, it's charged to full in the morning. The pad was like 15€.

People first of all do not understand that 100W chargers is a massive waste of heat and energy. Phones for many years now have adaptive batteries - it throttles as the battery gets full to preserve the life of a Li-ion battery. Not only that but nowadays many phones already have adaptive charging profiles where the phone "learns" your habits and adapts the battery drain. Damn, my water heater does the same thing.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

I am conflicted about this. On principle i object governments interfering with markets with standards like this, this one seems fine but mandates can also be used for bad things as well.

Let's roll back recycling and let people buy and ditch plastic by tons because MARKETS. Don't put blame or evil intensions on each government decision, just take it one at a time.

 

[winjer]

This is a great move to reduce waste and save money for consumers.