EU Sets Official Deadline for When iPhone Must Switch to USB-C

[icanhazmac]

Apple itself for some time had only one charging method, 1st MS (well, others before, but we don't need to go there), then USB-C and then decided they liked both.
So, no, the EU had nothing to do with it.

Sounds like an agree to disagree.

IMHO Apple saw the writing on the wall with the EU mandate on charging ports and implemented both. I don't see how it could be argued that USBC is a superior charging platform for laptops over MagSafe, I hope Apple keeps it while being forced to support a separate and inferior technology.

 

[imdog]

Try as I might, I cannot come up with a connection (pun intended) how making a law to standardize on a common connector for electronic devices has anything to do with morality. Help us out and explain.

How about an unelected supranational political organization makes laws standardizing a common OS? A standardized uniform for all its citizens to wear? A standardized haircut? Why don’t they ban all other phones together and for simplicity and convenience we only have to choose from one phone? They choose what kind of charging port your phones allowed to have, why not what kind of phone altogether?

There’s no moral difference to any of those. It is immoral to use the threat of deadly force against a private company for using a different shaped hole in their phone.

 

[Love-hate 🍏 relationship]

I guess Apple cannot put the superior Thunderbolt 4 on their iPhone's?

I guess the iPad Pro needs to downgrade from Thunderbolt 4 to USB-C because of Europe?

I hope you're kidding

 

[timber]

Sounds like an agree to disagree.

IMHO Apple saw the writing on the wall with the EU mandate on charging ports and implemented both. I don't see how it could be argued that USBC is a superior charging platform for laptops over MagSafe, I hope Apple keeps it while being forced to support a separate and inferior technology.

USB-C can be a superior option depending on how you intend to use your laptop. If you use it docked or near an external monitor USB is superior. If you want to move ultra light and take advantage of available chargers USB can also be superior. Apple's laptops are particularly good at this use (well they are particularly good at many things ) as they last a lot on internal power and so knowing anything can give with some extra juice is interesting. And of course using USB also allows for one extra multirole port.
It seems to me that Apple reached those conclusion well before the EU implemented whatever regulation when they decided to go with USB-C as a charging solution for laptops.
But if you only want to use the laptop, isolated for every other device or option I agree that magsafe is clearly superior. And a laptop at the end of the day is a self contained computer so not having the single best option is kind of negative for a lot of people. And Apple seems to have reached the same conclusion. And they kept USB-C because probably it's costs them nothing and the are many advantages of using it as a charging port.
If Apple were so keen on preemptive implementations we would have every single device already on USB-C which we certainly don't. Apple just iterated (which is also something they do very well) what they perceived as the best options and IMHO did it well.

 

[Vlad Soare]

At the top level of the EU sit 27 European Presidents/First Ministers whose governments have to sign everything off. If you're a little annoyed about what they are doing to prevent millions of different charging leads having to be made for different devices, when one type should be enough, blame the your government.

I never said my government was better. I blame all of the 27 governments, including mine.
But the thing is, none of those 27 governments, let to its own devices, would succeed in interfering so blatantly and unashamedly with each and every tiny detail of our lives. It's the union that makes this possible. It's the EU that lays the foundation for this insufferable intrusion into our daily lives.

Likewise, if you don't like the USB-C port, then don't buy a phone with it. OH WAIT...you won't be able to because almost all other phones already have USB-C. So yeah, smart idea to keep a decade-old connector on a device forever. /s

I guess the market HAS decided this after all...

I'm not following you. If the market had decided that the Lightning must die, then it would have been dead already without political intervention. Having it banned by political decision is the very opposite of a free market.

 

[user1234]

Imagine defending a multi-trillionaire corporation. If it was up to Apple, we would be stuck with the extremely outdated Lightning port for another 10 years because of charger licensing greed.

The EU law is much more flexible to new technologies and ports compared to Apple's stance on...anything new. Not that anyone bothered to read the law itself.

Just how is it more flexible to mandate a single port? Isn't that the opposite of flexible?

If EU got what they wanted about 10 years ago all phones would be required to use micro-USB. What about when a new, stronger and smaller connector comes around and nobody can use it because of a law?

I'm all for Apple going USB-C even though I like the lightning connectors solid feel more, but for politicians to decide what ports a device have to use to get power is a slippery slope that risks holding back innovation. This time it's USB-C and most people are happy but what's next?

 

[compwiz1202]

Just how is it more flexible to mandate a single port? Isn't that the opposite of flexible?

If EU got what they wanted about 10 years ago all phones would be required to use micro-USB. What about when a new, stronger and smaller connector comes around and nobody can use it because of a law?

I'm all for Apple going USB-C even though I like the lightning connectors solid feel more, but for politicians to decide what ports a device have to use to get power is a slippery slope that risks holding back innovation. This time it's USB-C and most people are happy but what's next?

Agree I would have rather just had faster Lightning than USB-C

 

[SactoGuy18]

I don't think Apple wants to wait. The iPhone 15 will have a USB Type C charging and I/O port. The iPhone 15 will have Thunderbolt 3/USB Certified 10 Gbps data transfer rate, and the iPhone 15 Pro will have Thunderbolt 4/USB Certified 20 Gbps data transfer rate. As a preview, next March 2023, Apple will change the charging case on the AirPods Pro 2 to USB Type C, the AirPods Max will switch to USB Type C port connection, both the wireless keyboard and mouse on the iMac will also switch to USB Type C charging.

 

[Doomtomb]

Wish it was required sooner

 

[Alexwastaken]

Two more lighting port iPhones until port-less, looking forward to it! Can't wait to see MagSafe and airdrop improvements at WWDC

 

[maxoakland]

This is a good thing and I’m glad they’re doing it. Imagine if every phone manufacturer decided to be annoying like Apple and use their own special type of connection

 

[aaadktda]

The EU are even more morally bankrupt than Apple with Tim Crook at the helm. The fact some trans-National organization can dictate what charging port a private company can use is insane.

The EU does not dictate what charging port a company can use. The EU dictates what charging port a company must use if it wants to sell its products in the EU. Are you familiar with the "my house, my rules" mantra? It's that simple. Apple can simply pull out of the EU if wants to keep the lightning port. Or go port-less. Or here's another idea. Make the US/Global iPhone with the freedom port and the EU iPhone with USB-C. They already make the US iPhone without a sim tray. Go ask Apple to do that.

Like it or not, the EU is a global superpower. This is very confusing for a lot of people because the EU is an economic superpower, not a bomb the s**t out of you superpower. No matter how hard brexiteers and freedom fries munchers scoff at the EU, it's still a global superpower.

 

[aaadktda]

This is a good thing and I’m glad they’re doing it. Imagine if every phone manufacturer decided to be annoying like Apple and use their own special type of connection

You do not have to imagine it. 20 years ago Nokia, Ericsson, Alcatel and may more did exactly that.

 

[Saladin12]

But what about the earlier model iPhones Apple keep manufacturing and selling when a new model is released? If they switch to USB-C next year for the iPhone 15 and the deadline is 2024 (iPhone 16) then they will not be able to keep selling the iPhone 14 in 2024 in Europe as that would still have Lightning. So Europe will only be able to buy iPhone 16 and 15 models in 2024 (presumably a new USB-C SE will be available by 2024). If they don't switch to USB-C until the iPhone 16 in 2024 then they won't be able to keep selling the iPhone 15 or 14 in Europe then.

if they wait until iPhone 16 that would mean they would no longer be able to sell the previous years model in the EU which they always tend to sell for a lower price so that wouldn't really make too much sense to wait until that time

I wonder if this is true, or whether they'll be able to keep selling old SKUs after the date. I'd imagine it only applies to new products launched after the date?

“The new rules would not apply to products placed on the market before the date of application,” the press release reads. https://www.theverge.com/2022/10/4/...ype-c-radio-equipment-directive-lightning-rip - 6th paragraph down

 

[GregJohn]

Now I'm pretty sure they will keep lightning for the 15 unfortunately - and they will likely just go portless by 2024 and avoid USB-C all together 😂

 

[cthompson94]

I hope everyone enjoys rules on having to use a certain connector, but no rules on labeling these connectors with what the capabilities are! Everyone get your label makers ready or on order because if you thought how HDMI is handled is bad this is worse.

People complain about having to bring different cables with them and this and that, but even if they all use the same USB-C connector you still need multiple cables with you! At least when I travel I know if I bring 1-2 lightning cables those are dedicated to the iPhone and now the however many USB-C cables I bring I can allocate to the other devices. I keep all my cables separated currently as I buy products and see what the cables/plugs are rated for, because yes that charger you borrowed from a friend or whatever may technically now charge your device, but 1. what is the power rating for that cable and 2. what is the data rating for that cable (if needing to transfer data)

 

[usagora]

Next up a new inclusivity law to prevent the popular use of the term male/female connector

Years ago, this would be undoubtedly satire. In recent years, I would not be surprised at all if this actually happened 😂

 

[ForkHandles]

I never said my government was better. I blame all of the 27 governments, including mine.
But the thing is, none of those 27 governments, let to its own devices, would succeed in interfering so blatantly and unashamedly with each and every tiny detail of our lives. It's the union that makes this possible. It's the EU that lays the foundation for this insufferable intrusion into our daily lives.



I'm not following you. If the market had decided that the Lightning must die, then it would have been dead already without political intervention. Having it banned by political decision is the very opposite of a free market.

This intrusion you talk of, they talked a lot about that in the UK, but no-one could ever name a single law the union created that affected their lives negatively. Can you?

 

[ksnell]

I think there's a large chance the iPhone doesn't actually go USB-C and instead goes fully wireless. The law is it requires USB-C ONLY if it charges via wire.

The biggest issue I see is requiring a diagnostics port for hardware issues. Maybe a Smart Connector style port similar to iPads and Apple Watches?

 

[aaadktda]

I think there's a large chance the iPhone doesn't actually go USB-C and instead goes fully wireless.

It's a done deal.

 

[DesertNomad]

Especially since they haven’t even done anything with it. People always love to say „this will stop innovation“ yeah right, Apple is still using the same connector from literally 10 years ago on the iPhone today

We are still using the same Ethernet connector from decades ago... and it still works.

 

[cthompson94]

We are still using the same Ethernet connector from decades ago... and it still works.

that isn't a good comparison. The capacity of ethernet is still going up without the need of a new connector. Yes you need a new cable, but the port itself hasn't changed.

In theory we could all literally have fiber replace ethernet, but I can very safely imagine the amount of complaints from the majority when their connections no longer work from breaks. Sure you can put some good shielding around the connector, but people will still push the back of the connection against the wall and break a fiber connection.

 

[darngooddesign]

because being forced to support two separate charging systems makes sense...

Apple's laptops have two charging systems.

Apple's phones have two charging systems.

Apple has been making Lightning and USB-C iPads since 2018.

 

[Fat_Guy]

It would be such an Apple thing to do releasing the iPhone 15 with lightning while everyone is expecting USB-C lol.

Lightening is superior to USB C at USB2 speeds. A very robust connection and hardly any issues with it blowing up like with USB C. When my phone is charging in my car and falls between the seats I just pull it up and out with lightening. That won’t happen with USB C. Plus the connection likes to fall out at the slightest juggle - I hate USB C - you will too with time.



On the high end Samsungs a buggered USB C port means replacement of the entire phone!



But I’m sure the Ultra may get USB C at improved speed. If the regular phones stay with lightening or USB C the speed does not matter. Only YouTube creators bitch about speed.

 

[LV426]

Meanwhile, Brexit Britain is free to mandate SCART connectors for mobile phone connectivity.