Apple Begrudgingly Agrees to Comply with EU USB-C Charging Mandate

[TheLostSwede]

During The Wall Street Journal Tech Live conference, Greg Joswiak—Apple's SVP of worldwide marketing—begrudgingly said that Apple will comply with the European Union's USB-C charging mandate. He said that Apple has been in a "little bit of disagreement" with the EU over the change to a common charging standard. He made a comment about the fact that the EU initially wanted to standardise on micro USB for charging, but admitted that it never happened. He also claimed that neither USB-C or Apple's own lightning connector would exist today if micro USB had been mandated as the charging standard over 10 years ago, which may or may not be true.

According to Greg Joswiak, Apple feels that their change to chargers fitted with a USB-C port is good enough, since it allows anyone to plug in a USB-C cable into Apple's chargers and charge whatever device they like, regardless of the device connector. However, he conveniently forgot to mention that for such a scenario to work, everyone would have to carry a charging cable around with them, the part most people forget about. He also claimed that moving to USB-C means additional e-waste, due to a billion plus lightning cables being in the market already. The argument doesn't seem to hold though, as it's not as if current Apple device owners are just going to throw out their current devices, because Apple is being forced to move to USB-C. The same holds true for most people who have micro USB devices, they didn't throw them away just because they got some USB-C devices. In fairness, the Lightning cables would end up as e-waste at some point in the future, but so do many old cables of every single type over time. Apple would've preferred the EU not to interfere, as the company believes its solution is superior to USB-C for its customers.



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[clopezi]

Apple is not tired of lying? Superior... more waste... total bullshit.

Thanks UE for right laws like this...

 

[TheinsanegamerN]

"He made a comment about the fact that the EU initially wanted to standardise on micro USB for charging, but admitted that it never happened. He also claimed that neither USB-C or Apple's own lightning connector would exist today if micro USB had been mandated as the charging standard over 10 years ago, which may or may not be true."

I mean it seems pretty sensible. If micro USB had been made standard, who would have made USB C? How would it have gained traction? It's not like it could have propagated into the ecosystem with such a rule in place.

 

[evernessince]

"He made a comment about the fact that the EU initially wanted to standardise on micro USB for charging, but admitted that it never happened. He also claimed that neither USB-C or Apple's own lightning connector would exist today if micro USB had been mandated as the charging standard over 10 years ago, which may or may not be true."

I mean it seems pretty sensible. If micro USB had been made standard, who would have made USB C? How would it have gained traction? It's not like it could have propagated into the ecosystem with such a rule in place.

The only difference is that the EU would have given hard transition deadlines from micro-USB to USB-C.

Companies release new phones with new ports during the transition period and boom, you have traction. Not that customers had a choice in phone charging port anyways, EU regulation or otherwise.

There are only positives by moving to an industry wide standard.

 

[BArms]

What a silly thing to mandate. Lightning is a superior connector anyway: Snaps in and the most fragile part of the connection is part of the dirt cheap cable instead of the very expensive device like with USB-C.

 

[evernessince]

What a silly thing to mandate. Lightning is a superior connector anyway: Snaps in and the most fragile part of the connection is part of the dirt cheap cable instead of the very expensive device like with USB-C.

You can get the exact same functionality with a magnetic USB-C cable if that's what you want. Mind you, I heavily disagree that USB-C is fragile.

 

[ZoneDymo]

its sad so many people allow Apple to be as big as it is

 

[Guwapo77]

its sad so many people allow Apple to be as big as it is

What's sad is that there hasn't been another company that could accomplish what they have. Products that work, last a long time, supported for up to fives years, and simply easy to use. If another company would do that, they would have some serious competition. The thing that hurts Apple is their prices...

 

[GunShot]

In my opinion, Apple should have gave the EU the finger, and told them that they are suspending all Apple's operations in the EU and let that socialist mindset face the backlash from their voters, oodles of lost jobs, etc. because by Apple not doing so, you better bet the farm that other socialist institutions are coming for Apple next, ASAP!

 

[defaultluser]

"He made a comment about the fact that the EU initially wanted to standardise on micro USB for charging, but admitted that it never happened. He also claimed that neither USB-C or Apple's own lightning connector would exist today if micro USB had been mandated as the charging standard over 10 years ago, which may or may not be true."

I mean it seems pretty sensible. If micro USB had been made standard, who would have made USB C? How would it have gained traction? It's not like it could have propagated into the ecosystem with such a rule in place.

micro never happened because it was already at the end of its ropes just to run 2.0

3.0 micro without the add-on conductor is impossible - and using all the conductors was a complete cluster for phones (so if you are totally redesign the connector, you might as well build a future into it)

so at this point apple still bitching about Micro shows how backwards their brain is still working

 

[Imouto]

In my opinion, Apple should have gave the EU the finger, and told them that they are suspending all Apple's operations in the EU and let that socialist mindset face the backlash from their voters, oodles of lost jobs, etc. because by Apple not doing so, you better bet the farm that other socialist institutions are coming for Apple next, ASAP!

"Don't threaten me with a good time." EU legislators, probably.

 

[Garrus]

micro never happened because it was already at the end of its ropes just to run 2.0

3.0 micro without the add-on conductor is impossible - and using all the conductors was a complete cluster for phones (so if you are totally redesign the connector, you might as well build a future into it)

so at this point apple still bitching about Micro shows how backwards their brain is still working

It's fair enough to suggest that you've taken an economic or technical issue and turned it in to a bureaucratic and power politics or struggle issue. How will the connector change in the future? What policy, what power struggle is not required to be overcome to make changes? It is a bit weird honestly to get the government involved.

Doesn't change that I hate lightning, but there you go.

 

[ShiBDiB]

They were making the switch anyway. They just waited so now they can blame the EU for people having to buy another cord (probably from Apple because that's how the fanboys work there) and profit off of it without the negative press.

 

[GunShot]

"Don't threaten me with a good time." EU legislators, probably.

Yeah, a million+ potential job's lost, and spoiled kids/(wo)man-children can't get their next shiny Apple gadget lost wouldn't wake up legislators in the witching hours of the night. /s

 

[DrCR]

In my opinion, Apple should have gave the EU the finger, and told them that they are suspending all Apple's operations in the EU and let that socialist mindset face the backlash from their voters, oodles of lost jobs, etc. because by Apple not doing so, you better bet the farm that other socialist institutions are coming for Apple next, ASAP!

Apple’s shareholders would beat the company management into the ground, and then it would comply.

It would be awesome though e.g. if Apple was a private company, and tmk anyone in EU wanting an iPhone could readily get it imported anyway.

 

[GunShot]

Apple’s shareholders would beat the company management into the ground, and then it would comply.

It would be awesome though e.g. if Apple was a private company, and tmk anyone in EU wanting an iPhone could readily get it imported anyway.

Proof or it never happened. Buuut... history has proven that plenty of PUBLIC companies have ceased operations in territories due to too much government overreach.

 

[ZoneDymo]

What's sad is that there hasn't been another company that could accomplish what they have. Products that work, last a long time, supported for up to fives years, and simply easy to use. If another company would do that, they would have some serious competition. The thing that hurts Apple is their prices...

Apple people have told themselves those stories (and apple obviously has told them) and therefor will only stick to apple products never even trying to see if that claim holds up...which...it doesnt.

 

[mechtech]

meh.

If there was any common sense at Apple they would have picked an industry standard..................or if they came up with something they think is better (like lightning) then they should have made it a royalty free industry standard. Even Apples new chargers (several years old now) are usb-c

It's ridiculous having 5+ cables all with a usb A end and all the others with different ends.

Just pick one and agree on it and make less e-waste.

 

[DrCR]

Apple people have told themselves those stories (and apple obviously has told them) and therefor will only stick to apple products never even trying to see if that claim holds up...which...it doesnt.

? I’m still happily using a 1st gen iPhone SE. I’m not saying there’s things I don’t like about Apple — to the acute contrary — but what the dude said does hold up for innumerable people.

What I really want to update to? A Linux smartphone that just works.

 

[QUANTUMPHYSICS]

USB-c or not...I'm not buying a new iPhone till they give us 2TB storage.
I have iPhone 14 1TB Pro Max.
I doubt they'll make a 2TB model till the 16 or 17th.

 

[Steevo]

What's sad is that there hasn't been another company that could accomplish what they have. Products that work, last a long time, supported for up to fives years, and simply easy to use. If another company would do that, they would have some serious competition. The thing that hurts Apple is their prices...

Should I post a rebuttal from one of many apple devices we have in our home?

How about the battery slowdown? You would think saving something as simple as saving a gif on a IPhone would exist out of the box. It does not. How about every update resets the retarded autocorrect? How about every lightning cord we have replaced at least once and yet I still have C cords that work beautifully on my Samsung work phone? How about the annoying fact that I can't open my own God damn photos without a intrusive BS icloud notification, twice. How about their older models with limited memory and no micro SD card despite other manufacturers figuring out how to put it in the same slide as your SIM? How about ITunes wanting a update every time I use it? Why is it that I can sync my Samsung media to my PC over wifi and then stream it easily but not apple? How about dem Bluetooth and Apple Car play oddities, even with newer vehicles?


Nah brah, take the apple flavored plug out and realize they all have issues.

 

[SOAREVERSOR]

Switch will take years and they were going there regardless. So apple owns the EU and the EU gets to pretend it matters. Win win.

 

[erocker]

In my opinion, Apple should have gave the EU the finger, and told them that they are suspending all Apple's operations in the EU and let that socialist mindset face the backlash from their voters, oodles of lost jobs, etc. because by Apple not doing so, you better bet the farm that other socialist institutions are coming for Apple next, ASAP!

This is some right-wing brain rot right here.

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

meh.

If there was any common sense at Apple they would have picked an industry standard..................or if they came up with something they think is better (like lightning) then they should have made it a royalty free industry standard. Even Apples new chargers (several years old now) are usb-c

It's ridiculous having 5+ cables all with a usb A end and all the others with different ends.

Just pick one and agree on it and make less e-waste.

Apple is all about itself, if it isnt apple made its not apple.

 

[Denver]

"begrudgingly"

English... how not to like ?

On the topic... what's the point of forcing the use of type C connector and how does it improve our life?