SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
EU Proposes New Legislation That Would Force Apple to Bring USB-C to iPhones, iPads, and AirPods
Apple has shifted nearly every portable device to tout a USB-C port, except for its iPhone lineup, its AirPods family, and low-cost iPad. Why the company does not shift to an all-USB-C affair might have to do with receiving royalty payments from partners that manufacture third-party accessories of the proprietary port, but that arrangement might come to an end, thanks to a legislation from the EU.
The proposed legislation would force all consumer electronics, not just Apple, which sell devices in Europe, to incorporate USB-C ports in a variety of products, ranging from smartphones, tablets, headphones, cameras, portable speakers, handheld consoles, and others. Calling it the 'common port,' the European Union claims that switching all products to USB-C would not just have benefits to the environment, but annual monetary savings for consumers that mount to $293 million.
Impact assessment study on common chargers of portable devices
Also at Reuters, NYT, BBC, AppleInsider, and Politico.
Previously: The Dream Of A Common Charger Is Alive, Despite Apple's Complaining
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 23 2021, @07:36PM (9 children)
I don't see why that would have been a problem. Microusb worked just fine. It continues to work fine for the devices I still have that uses it. It would have continued to work fine if all portable electronics were required to continue using it.
(Score: 2) by Tork on Thursday September 23 2021, @09:52PM (1 child)
Ugh. can't say I agree with this. Besides being delicate they do NOT plug in nearly as nicely as the lightning connector does. USB-C is a huge improvement, but even that's missing some of Apple's solid clickiness. I seriously can't wait until all the microusb shit is out of my house.
Slashdolt Logic: "25 year old jokes about sharks and lasers are +5, Funny." 💩
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 24 2021, @12:38AM
It may not have been the best but it got the job done. Being stuck with it would have been an extremely petty "problem".
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 23 2021, @10:11PM (5 children)
YMMV.
I've had multiple devices with wonky microusb sockets that I have had to jiggle the cable each time to verify it's actually charging.
mini-usb seemed far more robust.
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Thursday September 23 2021, @10:38PM (4 children)
Yeah, and I've got a USB-C phone that's a few years old now with the exact same problem. You *look* at it wrong and it comes unplugged because there's no friction holding the sides of the plug in place anymore.
Other than that issue, and hence the pain of charging it, the phone is fine. The battery doesn't last as long as it used to, but if I could trust that plugging it in at night would result in a 100% charge each morning I'd keep using it.
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 23 2021, @11:46PM (1 child)
Wireless charging seemed really stupid to me until I started using it. It's very nice to just set the phone on a pedestal and never worry about cables at all.
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Friday September 24 2021, @03:32AM
Yeah, I apparently managed to wind up with the last phone model that *didn't* have wireless charging. Then when I did some searching online, of course I ran across a dozen wireless chargers "well just plug it into the USB port"
oh thanks so fucking much
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 24 2021, @12:27AM
There's got to be an analogy with husbands here... nope, can't find it.
(Score: 2) by lars on Sunday September 26 2021, @02:03AM
Try cleaning it out? I use a sewing needle. Cut the tip off, used a torch to remove the hardness and bent a very stubby L shape onto the end. You'll be amazed how much compacted crud builds up inside them. I'm surprised it isn't a youtube category next to pimple popping.
(Score: 2) by lars on Saturday September 25 2021, @06:48PM
It is slow, needs an adapter to work in usb host mode, not reversible. Sure it works, but so does serial.