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The European Parliament is fed up with e-waste—in particular, charging cables. To fix the problem, lawmakers are debating a binding measure that would force gadget makers to use a standardised charging port.
This isn't the first time we've seen this from Europe. One reason why microUSB is so prevalent is back in 2009, the European Commission pushed for it as a universal standard on the continent. Even Apple, the notorious standout in the world of proprietary chargers, acquiesced and made available a microUSB adaptor. (Of course, it was Europe-only).
Once that initiative expired in 2014, European lawmakers tried again to force a common charger, reiterating that it would be not only convenient for consumers, but would also limit e-waste.
The only problem was the initiative called for a "voluntary approach"—a strategy that in a briefing, the European Parliament said has "not yielded the desired results" and "fell short of the co-legislators' objectives." And, while the briefing doesn't specify exactly what port type it has in mind, at this point, USB-C is the likeliest contender.
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In 2018, European lawmakers conducted an inception impact assessment [PDF] on the idea of a common charger and called for feedback from manufacturers. In January last year, Apple provided it.In its statement, Apple contends that "regulations that would drive conformity across the type of connector built into all smartphones freeze innovation rather than encourage it. Such proposals are bad for the environment and unnecessarily disruptive for customers."
(Score: 2) by theluggage on Saturday January 18 2020, @06:47PM
I wasn't suggesting that Apple are environmental saints - but this thread is about phone power supplies, and in that respect criticising Apple who were using USB-A charging bricks back when other manufacturers didn't even use the same connector on different models is nonsense.
Anyway, you missed my main point for the sake of turning this into an Apple hate-in: chargers and batteries are the tip of the iceberg when (e.g.) people are still buying a whole new phone every 18 months because that's what the phone makers' contract-based business model encourages. Personally, I tend to keep my phones for at least 3-4 years (and would still be using a 6-year-old Android phone if it hadn't been rendered unreliable by a software "update" a couple of years back).
Repairability is something that a few "maker" types - and certain websites run by companies who make money selling tools - obsess about, and its certainly a good thing... but there's an aspect of supply and demand there, sad reality is that too many of us, when our phone or laptop goes phut, think "whohoo! new phone time!".
All that glue and non-replaceable batteries? Yes, there's an element of planned obsolescence there, but the big driver is that consumers are gagging for everything to be thinner and lighter -and gluing a 'bare' battery into the case saves a lot of space and weight c.f. the spring-loaded contacts, hinges, catches, flaps, whatever needed to make a battery compartment, plus the protective case you have to put around the potential lithium bomb that is a modern battery to make it safe for muggles to handle. Perhaps we should start demanding bigger phones?
...and those pesky all-in-one Macs? Sure, Apple are no angels, and I don't much like their current laptops, but for the last 10 years or so, the bulk of consumer PC sales have consisted of laptops and 2-in-1s, none of which win any repairability prizes. Sure, some of them are more repairable/upgradeable than Macs (and others are worse [ifixit.com]) but all laptops take their displays, keyboards, batteries etc. to the grave with them, and PCs and Androids outnumber Macs and iPhones many-to-one.
Anyway, you're not going to save the planet by forcing Apple to drop the pimple on the tip of the e-waste iceberg that is Lightning. Something much broader is needed to stem the stream of pointless, ephemeral junk being manufactured. Focussing on Apple smacks of regulatory capture. That said, Apple are probably briar-patching anyway, so they can blame the EU for all the Lightning landfill when they go USB-C or all-wireless.