UK Considers Adopting USB-C as Common Charging Standard

[urtules]

People would have to be insane to buy the Apple plug at £19 when much cheaper equivalents exist for half to a third of the cost in fairness.

I do trust Apple bricks more than everyone else bricks, it's been proven that Apple does not cut costs on components and has safer design. They even look good from inside.

 

[theluggage]

Maybe you forgot (or weren't around for) the outrage that happened when Apple switched to Lightening, which was a demonstrably better solution than the 30 pin connector; USB-C is a slight improvement at best.

Lightning can only support USB 3.0 speeds with a special dongle that was only ever supported on one iPad Pro model (USB 3 needs 2 data pairs plus a dedicated low-speed pair for USB 2 compatibility). With only 8 pins vs. USB-C's 24, Lightning can't properly support Thunderbolt, USB4, or full-spec DisplayPort which need 4 high speed data pairs (plus the low-speed USB 2 pair).

May not be important for your Mum, but the iPad Pro needs Thunderbolt and >4k DisplayPort - future top-end iPhones being pitched as media creation tools may follow suit - and once you shift the iPad to USB-C having different connectors across the range makes zero sense.

Apple might have been able to make a backward-compatible version of Lightning 2 by making the plug truly double-sided (currently the 'pins' go all the way through), but even that's only 16 pins vs. USB-C's 24 and the desgn of the lightning plug may have been problematic - the shaft that has to contain twice as many connectors and wires is also the load-bearing part of the plug... Plus, they were already putting their weight behind USB-C on the Mac...

Nah, the EU are just helpfully taking the flack for Apple replacing Lightning - even after it lived up to its "connector for the next decade" promise.

 

[cyb3rdud3]

If something needs to be 100% waterproof then wireless charging is obviously the best way to go. The current EU rules don't apply to wireless.

(NB: this is only relevant to countries that have special 'shaver only' 2-pin 240/110V current-limited razor sockets in bathroom areas where regular mains sockets would be illegal).

Bathroom razor sockets should be redundant by now - they appeared when razors ran directly off the mains, didn't have batteries (and usually had to be manually switched between 240V and 110V if you travelled to or from 'foreign parts').

These days, 99.9% of razors, clippers, electric toothbrushes etc. will run for a week off their rechargeable batteries. No need to charge them in the bathroom, at least not in the "splash zone". In fact, when you charge them in the bedroom, it's a pain to need a 2- to 3-pin adapter.

So where do I charge my toothbrush then? Especially when changing heads when sharing it, it doesn't make sense to store a wet item in someones bedroom.

 

[polyphenol]

So where do I charge my toothbrush then? Especially when changing heads when sharing it, it doesn't make sense to store a wet item in someones bathroom.

And it was just one fairly simple example that came to mind! I'm sure we could all come up with other circumstances where existing USB-C doesn't quite fulfil all the requirements.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I do trust Apple bricks more than everyone else bricks, it's been proven that Apple does not cut costs on components and has safer design. They even look good from inside.

I trust Anker products as much and they don’t carry the extra premium for the Apple text and packaging.

 

[piria]

Like they have a choice.

 

[piria]

People would have to be insane to buy the Apple plug at £19 when much cheaper equivalents exist for half to a third of the cost in fairness.

Yeah, but the Apple one looks nicer.

 

[maxoakland]

The UK and the EU now look very much like Canada and the United States. Theoretically, Canada is independent and may pass its own laws, but in practice, the US passes its regulations and Canada pretty much follows suit. An example among hundreds: daylight savings time. A few years ago the US decided to push back the change date from October to November, and then Canada applied this without a public debate, so that we're not out of sync with the Southern giant.

Ok. I don’t see how this is pointless Bureaucracy though? Or are you just educating me? If so, I appreciate it

It makes sense that this would happen because the UK is tiny and has much less power than the collective EU. It was an idiotic move to leave. They had a lot of influence in the EU and they threw it all away. I doubt they’ll ever have that level of influence again

 

[Alameda]

The UK government has launched a consultation to explore the possibility of mandating USB-C as the standard charging port for electronic devices, potentially aligning with similar regulations recently adopted by the European Union.

The Office for Product Safety and Standards, part of the Department for Business and Trade, is seeking input from manufacturers, importers, distributors, and trade associations on the potential benefits and challenges of implementing a common charging standard across the UK.

This move comes after the EU passed legislation in 2022 requiring most portable electronic devices to use USB-C for charging by December 2024. The EU's decision aimed to reduce electronic waste and improve charger interoperability.

The UK government, which previously stated it was not considering similar rules, is now exploring whether adopting USB-C as a standard would benefit businesses, consumers, and the environment. The consultation will run for eight weeks, ending on December 4, 2024.

Key points under consideration include:

• Standardizing USB-C as the common charging port
  
• Implementing harmonized fast-charging technology
  
• Allowing consumers to purchase devices without chargers
  
• Introducing labeling requirements for charging information

The government acknowledges that many manufacturers of smartphones, tablets, cameras, headphones, and laptops have already adopted USB-C for the UK market voluntarily to avoid supply chain complexities. For example, Apple, which long resisted changing its proprietary Lightning port, adopted USB-C for new iPhones last year, while the last few Lightning products are likely to make the transition next year. However, the government says it seeks to understand the implications of formally implementing such requirements.

Notably, the new iPad mini, announced on Tuesday, will not include a charger in the box for several European countries, including the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands. The change is likely in response to EU regulations regarding electronic waste, but even some European countries that are not part of the EU are impacted.

Article Link: UK Considers Adopting USB-C as Common Charging Standard

Good thing they broke away from the EU, so they could create their own bureaucracies to create the same policies.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Yeah, but the Apple one looks nicer.

Depends which country you are in btw.