EU Passes Law to Switch iPhone to USB-C by End of 2024

[Unregistered 4U]

“operating with a power delivery of up to 100 Watts”
That excludes high performance windows laptops! And, anything else that a manufacturer says, “Power Delivery here requires over 100 Watts”.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

* I have +10 USB to Lighting cables from having Apple devices for +10 years
* I have zero USB to USB-C cables.

This will just result in more e-waste.

Are there any large waste companies in the EU that’s been looking for a boost in recycling/burying those years of lightning cables? Just asking questions…

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Does it mean no MagSafe for macs anymore ?

Macs already charge via USB-C. Some charge over 140 Watts, so this law is out of date even before it goes into operation. MagSafe as an extra will still be there.

 

[chucker23n1]

Does it mean no MagSafe for macs anymore ?

No. (Recent) MagSafe Macs do support USB-C charging.

I feel like legislating how a company builds its products has become another convenience for people who just want something to complain about. A frickin' cable. Gonna die over a frickin' cable. Really? I have many rechargeable items in my world, many different chargers.

I mean, I don't know what country you're in, but most of them absolutely have mandatory standards. For electric safety, for example. That ship has sailed long ago.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

forces all consumer electronics manufacturers who sell their products in Europe

What if I sell my products to India… and, someone in India decides to buy a lot of my products and put them up on that country’s version of “eBay” and someone, that just happens to live in Europe, decides to buy the product and have it shipped to the EU?

 

[hudson1]

Can someone tell me what a "world-first statue" is and is the Statue of Liberty also one? Thanks in advance.

 

[jarman92]

Kudos to the EU bureaucrats, who have once again “solved” a problem that doesn’t exist.

 

[ian87w]

Might be unpopular, but like the cable on the right. Yes, lightning! Could it be improved to have the latest standards? Practically, lightning is much easier to plug in than USB-C. The draw for USB-C then, probably is, its capabl of having the latest standards + everyone is using it, and telling us they can’t carry an extra cable 😄.

Apple is the one limiting lightning. On the 10.5" iPad Pro, Apple did put USB3 speed capability through lightning, so it's entirely possible. Plus, all iPhones now support USB-PD fast charging. So technically, lightning can and already did support fast charging and faster transfer speed, the two main selling points of USB-C. But it's Apple that is limiting iPhones to just USB2 speed.

So I now actually think Apple intentionally limit lightning. Apple probably already planned to switch to USB-C anyway, with the all USB-C macs and iPads (minus the basic iPad). It's just smoke and mirrors, but imo Apple is probably in-line with the regulators, and probably even influenced them to time the regulation right so Apple can nudge customers to upgrade at the right moment with the proper product releases. Apple will definitely sell USB-C on iPhones as capable of faster transfer speed (despite lightning could do it as well as I mentioned above). So Tim will say again it will be their best iPhone yet, give him your money, and if you are concerned about e-waste, simply give your old cables to Apple (and buy new USB-C ones). Another record breaking revenue. Tim is a smart cookie.

 

[Fred Zed]

They’ll just add a free dongle in the box 🤣👍🏼

 

[atomwork]

Sad how the EU forces companies to do what they want. I believe in free markets. Don't buy an iPhone if you want USBC

 

[krspkbl]

good. i'm not buying another iphone until it has USB C. if apple do something stupid like put in a dongle or go full wireless then i guess i won't buy an iphone again

 

[bmustaf]

Terrible news. This will stifle innovation and competition. For example, it will limit the desire to create connectors that are more efficient, faster, cheaper, easier to use than USB-C.

It will also increase costs for everyone because USB-C is significantly more expensive to implement than micro-USB or USB-A for cheap devices.

In addition, now we have to throw away countless e-waste from lightning cables, lightning chargers, and lightning accessories.

Once again, EU government is stepping into things that they shouldn't have. Thanks to them, I've had to click on cookie prompts at least 10,000 times already and I honestly could careless if websites used cookies.

I'm not against Apple using USB-C on all your devices. They're slowly getting there regardless. I'm against this kind of regulation because it will have unintended consequences.

That innovation is here. It’s called USB-C. The not-actually-free market isn’t working in this case (sometimes it does, sometimes it does not), because where’s Apple’s innovation been since they released lightning almost a decade ago? No where.

The market conditions have actually created a situation where innovation isn’t in Apple’s corporate interests with regards to connector technology and this is one of the situations where a market regulator can actually help “unstick” this market.

It doesn’t always work and remains to be seen if it will work, but both the “all government bad” and “all free market” camps are missing the mark here.

 

[OnawaAfrica]

The EU is a bunch of completely dumb morons. I thought they always encouraged Development, innovation and competition. But it seems they wana force Companies now to use Technologies that They think is the Best. One way Closer to Dictatorship where the Government Even Forces Companies how they have to build their Products.

 

[hudson1]

That innovation is here. It’s called USB-C. The not-actually-free market isn’t working in this case (sometimes it does, sometimes it does not), because where’s Apple’s innovation been since they released lightning almost a decade ago? No where.

The market conditions have actually created a situation where innovation isn’t in Apple’s corporate interests with regards to connector technology and this is one of the situations where a market regulator can actually help “unstick” this market.

It doesn’t always work and remains to be seen if it will work, but both the “all government bad” and “all free market” camps are missing the mark here.

Apple's innovation has been in a lot of areas on the iPhone, just not in iPhone connectors. Maybe they felt their customers wanted them to innovate in those other things and to leave their connectors alone.

 

[Stromos]

Apple will go the Nintendo route and have USB C but if you use anything other than the official chargers you will risk bricking the device because it will have poor negotiation. Oh you used an Anker charger and the port died? $300 repair charge. You should always use a Apple approved charger.

 

[JulianL]

Knowing Apple, they’ll probably come up with some ridiculously stubborn workaround involving dongles.

If I might suggest a minor amendment to the above...

Knowing Apple, they’ll probably come up with some ridiculously stubborn workaround involving expensive dongles.

 

[hybrid_x]

Apple: “We are happy to announce that we are now including a USB-C to Lightning adapter in the box with every iPhone sold in the EU.”

 

[stiligFox]

Didn’t Apple simply include a tiny microUSB to Lightning adapter a few years back to get around something similar in the EU a few years back?

That said, it’s about time anyway, USB C is much better. Feels weird having a government making the decision though…

 

[QuarterSwede]

Knowing Apple, they’ll probably come up with some ridiculously stubborn workaround involving dongles.

Or they just go port-less.

 

[Hoyboy]

Thanks to them, I've had to click on cookie prompts at least 10,000 times already and I honestly could care less if websites used cookies.

So does that mean you do care or you couldn’t care less?

 

[bige12]

Just 1 issues - because if that goes for every iPhone america, EU, and Etc.

1. for example I have 2 cars with standard USB- and it dose have have a USB-C, and I know the ends of the current cables have USB-C connection, so that would not work in my any of my cars, since I have a 2015 Ford Escape, and a 2018 Acura MDX, they are more actually my dads cars- and we don't buy news that much
(So how would I charge my phone while on a long trip) I think apple have to come up with another adapter like a USB-C to USB- so that people that have don't have a USB-C port in a car can charge

The two cars that I have don't even have wireless charging either

I had another issue but forgot it

since if all phones go to the USB-C way - I mean like the USB- C to USB-C cables that come in the box, I mean apple might make adapter one end of the USB-C cable would connected to a adapter and the other end of the adapter is a standard USB - or just need a cable that is USB-C to USB

I know there are some adapters like that out there now- or you could get a cable like this - if would be nice if Apple would make some adapters like this- since you know sometimes using a 3rd party assecsory is not really good for some devices

 

[neliason]

Politicians are not competent in technical matters. So on what basis did they make this decision?

People may be happy that device makers will be forced to use USB-C. But the problem is that now all future interfaces in Europe will be dictated by politicians. It won’t be dictated by consumer preference or technical benefits. It will be dictated by who can influence politicians.

 

[Anaxarxes]

Knowing Apple, they’ll probably come up with some ridiculously stubborn workaround involving dongles.

I dont expect dongles but something to monetize this like lightning.

Any USBC charger would work but you have any other accessory that uses USBC for other than charging (Card Readers, speakers, game controllers etc) Apple will probably use USBC controller that acts like a secure verification for MFi certification for royalty collection.

 

[LillDrutten]

I hope that is only start. It should be requirement about sustainability and repair.
Things that worn out should be user replaceable, like Battery and Flash storage.
And real stupid designs like Imac should have a requirement that CPU and memory
should be updated to latest specs for a very long time so that the major part of
computer have long life time and not wasted.

 

[bmustaf]

Apple's innovation has been in a lot of areas on the iPhone, just not in iPhone connectors. Maybe they felt their customers wanted them to innovate in those other things and to leave their connectors alone.

To suggest there is somehow a trade off between modernizing connector technology and other innovations is to fundamentally misunderstand a few things:

1) Apple has entire teams dedicated to connector tech, who aren’t working on display, cellular, iOS, etc: it isn’t the zero sun game you posit it is.

2) USB-C is a developed, tested, proven standard with tons of great implementations (apple has many of their own in the iPad and Mac lines, so they have the know how and prosecution quality hardware already)