iPad Why do some countries not receive a charging brick with the new iPad?

[mrochester]

And companies claim it as their own initiative for marketing purposes despite it being a requirement in certain markets they operate in.

Absolutely, gotta get some good PR when you can!

 

[mrochester]

That's what I said, the EU regulation is about reducing waste, and I am all for it.

That's up to the consumers, by stop allowing the companies to dictate prices. If you don't buy a product at the prices they are initially sold, not getting caught to advertisements, what can the companies do? They have to cut prices. The manufacturer cannot have a shop in every city in the world, so have to sell through tech shops, seller companies. They dictate th prices after a while. But, most important are the end buyer, us. If we learn to wait, we can dictate the price at what we would buy the given tech product, any product.

Even if you are in a hurry to buy the newest product, against your own reasoning, try to bargain the price. The seller at the counter first would say no, it can't be done, but when you turn away, he'd say he'd consult the manager. Most times, you get a discount, but silently, so the other clients won't see. The manager can, as it is just a product, he has to get rid of.

I always shop for the best prices, or just don’t buy something if I don’t see the value in it.

 

[theluggage]

And they stopped shipping chargers in 2020. In 2019 most of their phones still shipped with 5w chargers.

So unless you bought a specific iPhone in one specific year, you're out of luck.

I was replying to a claim that the iPhone *never* came with a USB-C charger.

In any case, if you bought an iPhone (or many other smartphones) in the last 5 years or a Mac in the last 7 years you’ll already have at least one USB-C charger - whether it came bundled or you had to buy it separately.

 

[theluggage]

That's the beauty of advertisement, the blind belief.

Well, no, I *do* trust Apple and the Apple Store not to sell total trash - not blindly, but because they have a valuable brand to protect and a high profile in the mass media to keep appeased. If a $5 power brick from "XYZZY Happy Fun Life Inc" burns down someone's conservatory, then by the time the news reaches the local rag the company will have vanished but "PLUGH lifestyle solutions" will be flogging a suspiciously similar product on your favourite online tat bazaar.

However - I mean that as very, very faint praise.

It is quite unbelievable that the consumers allowed Apple to create those premium prices, allowing themselves to pay for that, thinking that they are in an elite club.

Not really unbelievable - Apple didn't even invent the practice. Replacement proprietary power bricks and cables for phones and laptops have cost $silly since the dawn of phoned and laptops... Apple are actually rank amateurs at gouging c.f., say, printer ink suppliers or the "Audiophile" HiFi industry.

Thing is, until the widespread uptake of USB-C there was no real universal standard for charging beyond the minimal 2.5 - 5 W specified by USB A 2/3, and there was an aspect of "do you feel lucky" in buying a 3rd party brick. Not hard for companies to double-down on the FUD.

It's very easy, and feels "safe", just to stick with the brand you know. There is a real issue with the aforementioned online tat bazaars (which is where many people will turn for adapters) not doing enough to block shoddy - or even outright counterfeit - products, and most of the hits I see for "20W USB-C Power Supply" on Amazon I wouldn't risk.

If you really do need a basic, 20W USB-C UK wall-wart and don't trust yourself not to be conned, then Apple's £20 offering isn't that bad as it's actually quite a neat looking folding plug design. The cheapest really comparable hit on Amazon (foldable plug, brand name that may still exist after I refresh the browser page is about £14. But the way forward is to get a better, more powerful, multi-way brick that you can use with other devices (...and your next electric toothbrush & shaver will probably be USB-C). What Apple need to do now is to get some more attractive options in the Apple Store. Or just get out of the power brick business - like they did with printers, WiFi access points etc. when they no longer had anything unique to offer.

It's interesting to note that Apple have gone the extra inch with the £20 UK folding plug brick (which, AFAIK, is only sold as an optional extra) compared with the US $20 brick (that they're still giving away with iPads) which is very basic.

 

[chmania]

Well, no, I *do* trust Apple and the Apple Store not to sell total trash - not blindly, but because they have a valuable brand to protect and a high profile in the mass media to keep appeased. ... Not really unbelievable - Apple didn't even invent the practice.

I suppose you misunderstood what I said. The beauty of advertisement is that people start believing in things. And, when adverts go on and on, the idea gets fixed. Advertising is really propaganda in many ways.

Regarding 'premium' prices, people just got used to them. And, adverts helps to keep that belief as the right one. They bombard us. In my country TV (or radio) adverts can be shown at a given time and in a block of adverts. They have to say the adverts are coming now. And, that's gov't regulation. So, most of us never really look at them. We just go away from the TV, have a tea or coffee. Oh, sure one can change the station, but there too is that advert time.

 

[*~Kim~*]

The UK folding brick is exactly the brick that was being given away - I got one with my Mini 6. Presumably every USB-C iPad model introduced up to and including in 2022 had these. So it isn’t going the extra mile to create something better to reflect the fact that it’s no longer included - if it were, it wouldn’t feel so much like the customer were being short changed.

I assumed they went with the foldable brick to make it as small as possible to help with minimising packaging - the US chargers and pin style are tiny by comparison.

 

[ric22]

The UK folding brick is exactly the brick that was being given away - I got one with my Mini 6. Presumably every USB-C iPad model introduced up to and including in 2022 had these. So it isn’t going the extra mile to create something better to reflect the fact that it’s no longer included - if it were, it wouldn’t feel so much like the customer were being short changed.

I assumed they went with the foldable brick to make it as small as possible to help with minimising packaging - the US chargers and pin style are tiny by comparison.

Wasn't the UK folding brick a Ive design? To make transporting it easier, and to reduce the risk of hurting yourself by standing on it when not plugged in. Cool design.

 

[theluggage]

In my country TV (or radio) adverts can be shown at a given time and in a block of adverts. They have to say the adverts are coming now. And, that's gov't regulation. So, most of us never really look at them.

Which is why Jeff Goldblum used a Mac to repel the alien invaders while the bad guys never flash their iPhones...

 

[snipr125]

Well, no, I *do* trust Apple and the Apple Store not to sell total trash - not blindly, but because they have a valuable brand to protect and a high profile in the mass media to keep appeased. If a $5 power brick from "XYZZY Happy Fun Life Inc" burns down someone's conservatory, then by the time the news reaches the local rag the company will have vanished but "PLUGH lifestyle solutions" will be flogging a suspiciously similar product on your favourite online tat bazaar.

However - I mean that as very, very faint praise.


Not really unbelievable - Apple didn't even invent the practice. Replacement proprietary power bricks and cables for phones and laptops have cost $silly since the dawn of phoned and laptops... Apple are actually rank amateurs at gouging c.f., say, printer ink suppliers or the "Audiophile" HiFi industry.

Thing is, until the widespread uptake of USB-C there was no real universal standard for charging beyond the minimal 2.5 - 5 W specified by USB A 2/3, and there was an aspect of "do you feel lucky" in buying a 3rd party brick. Not hard for companies to double-down on the FUD.

It's very easy, and feels "safe", just to stick with the brand you know. There is a real issue with the aforementioned online tat bazaars (which is where many people will turn for adapters) not doing enough to block shoddy - or even outright counterfeit - products, and most of the hits I see for "20W USB-C Power Supply" on Amazon I wouldn't risk.

If you really do need a basic, 20W USB-C UK wall-wart and don't trust yourself not to be conned, then Apple's £20 offering isn't that bad as it's actually quite a neat looking folding plug design. The cheapest really comparable hit on Amazon (foldable plug, brand name that may still exist after I refresh the browser page is about £14. But the way forward is to get a better, more powerful, multi-way brick that you can use with other devices (...and your next electric toothbrush & shaver will probably be USB-C). What Apple need to do now is to get some more attractive options in the Apple Store. Or just get out of the power brick business - like they did with printers, WiFi access points etc. when they no longer had anything unique to offer.

It's interesting to note that Apple have gone the extra inch with the £20 UK folding plug brick (which, AFAIK, is only sold as an optional extra) compared with the US $20 brick (that they're still giving away with iPads) which is very basic.

Yes the 20w folding plug charger from Apple was/is great and of a high quality, loved that thing but it got stolen.

I would highly recommend the Nexode 35W GaN charger from Ugreen though which is about £15 on average.

UGREEN USB C Charger PD 35W USB C Plug Nexode 2-Port Compact Fast Charger Plug Foldable GaN Charger Compatible with iPhone 15/14/13/12, Galaxy S10-S24 Series,iPad Pro/Air/Mini, MacBook Air M1/M2 https://amzn.eu/d/hT4oIJN

OR like you said, a more powerful alternative to cover all your Apple devices (and other USB C devices), then this is an excellent option from UGreen (anker have similar offerings of the same high quality):

Deal of the day: UGREEN USB C Charger, MacBook Charger Nexode 65W Foldable Fast GaN Charger 3-Port USB C Plug Support PPS/PD3.0 Compatible with MacBook Pro/Air, iPhone 15 Pro Max/15, iPad, Galaxy S24/S23, Steam Deck https://amzn.eu/d/aujL0U9