Will this spill over to Apples devices everywhere?

[Ulli]

@webwalrus

Actually, it’s about both. The cable is the focus of the current standards process. The wall charger is the second phase, to be handled later this year.

ETA: Reference - Press corner | European Commission - under “Next Steps”.

This does not prevent you from using an USB-C to USB-A cable with the device instead.

[jcarucci]

But imagine if they decided to standardize on the Apple 30 pin connector? We’d be stuck with this giant, clunky plug for way too long because it had become codified into law.

[nationalinterest]

@Ben_Wah

For everyone who is in favor of legislating standardized chargers to “help the environment”, where should it end? Should we standardize phones and just make everyone have the same phone?

No, the two are completely unrelated. The EU could ban cars, flights and red meat on environmental reasons but will not because - of course - there would be significant negative consequences.

Deciding not to do anything about those is not an argument against doing something about chargers which will have a significant environmental impact and cause next to zero disruption for consumers. Indeed, it would be nice to use the (USB-C!) charger for my Apple devices, given I can use them for my Asus laptop, Pixel phone and Boox e-Reader… and have been able to for years. There’s nothing stopping Apple offering Magsafe chargers too for those want them.

A slippery slope argument (SSA ), in logic, critical thinking, political rhetoric, and caselaw, is an argument in which a party asserts that a relatively small first step leads to a chain of related events culminating in some significant (usually negative) effect.

[nationalinterest]

@jcarucci

We’d be stuck with this giant, clunky plug for way too long because it had become codified into law.

There’s provision in the legislation for updating the standard. It prevents divergent standards which all essentially do the same thing.

[jcarucci]

I prefer voluntary standards organizations like the W3C who develop the standards for the world wide web. Companies like Apple and Microsoft are involved and the standard changes based on the needs of technology. As we all know, politicians and political bodies have their own, non-technical incentives which are not well suited to solving technical problems.

[GraemeS]

As stated in their releases, the EU preferred other bodies getting this sorted out too. But, it didn’t happen and now we have this.

[Pupsino]

As @GraemeS says, there was a voluntary standard first, this work has been ongoing since 2005 when a memorandum was brought in. The reason we have less cable diversity today is because of this. However (and this is the key bit), industry has not met the required standards voluntarily, so now the law will force them to do so. This could have been “easily” avoided had industry voluntarily met the standards that the EU was asking for. Which, it’s worth reiterating for non-EU people - the EU is asking for this because we as EU consumers want them (in majority). Most people do not want many different chargers that only work with one device. It’s annoying (have you ever been in an office without your own charger, and then been unable to find someone who has the charger for your specific device? It’s irritating).

[Lars]

@Ulli

…
I also have 3 large (60x35x35cm) Boxes standing on my floor,.
…

I also have one of those boxes. Lots of dongles (30pin) to remind my how much money I wasted there. Lighting on the iPhone and USB-C on the iPad. Doesn’t make sense. I’d be glad if I could charge everything with one connector.

[cornchip]

It’s hard to discuss this across the pond. This regulation, in hand with GDPR and Chat Control, are ultimately about asserting control over the US tech industry, so naturally Europeans like them. It’s like when the US bans Chinese companies from receiving certain ASML tech or selling 5G networking here–these laws are popular in the US because they hurt a technology industry seen as threatening.

I do think Apple will have little trouble implementing USB-C. I’m sure they’ve had USB-C models prototyped for years.

[Lars]

My criticism: only applies to phones/tablets.

I really would love to get rid of all those wall warts if a unified (chainable) connector was available.

I already have USB-C cables everywhere (because my e-Reader and my work phone have it), and lightings cable (because of Apple). Plugged into a multiple chargers with USB-A connectors. So the move would only mean i can remove the lighting cable and have 2/3 USB-C cables on each one. No big deal for me. And yes, Apple probably already prototyped an USB-C iPhone.

But: the hueh gain would be a connector for everything low voltage. The wall-wart parade under my desks is insane. And nothing is compatible (formwise). We already unified 220v-connectors (almost), I could see a benefit in having standards for low-voltage stuff. Router, Scanner, DAC, Hub, … everything needs its own particular “charger”.

[Lars]

@cornchip

…This regulation, in hand with GDPR and Chat Control, are ultimately about asserting control over the US tech industry,…

The history of GDPR goes back to 1995 (Directive 95/46/EC, which was widely ignored) and to the 50/60ies (ECHR) and regulations that already applied to the fax era. In fact, there wasn’t much new in GDRP. If you were 95/46/EC-compliant, just some minor adoptions. The one big exception: height of fines. I can’t exactly recall the “old” fines, but they were peanuts (think 500ish), so nobody really cared.
As for Chat Control…that’s a weird one. It seems to come not from trade, but from intelligence services. Think back to the time of Patriot Act/Freedom Act, any backdoor into European communications was rejected by European authorities. And there were initiatives. When the “terrorism” argument failed, they came up with “child protection”. Let’s see what happens…this one will be a hot one in the EU judicial system.

[Ulli]

@webwalrus

This might be an issue with vernacular, but if you say “the last couple of years” (your phrase), in English vernacular that usually doesn’t mean “my device that’s over 8 years old that I still happen to use”.

Here is an interesting article about that.

'Couple,' 'Few,' and 'Several': The (Mostly) Definitive Guide

[geoffaire]

@Aaron_Antcliff

but from an outside perspective it seems a bit suspect that the EU wants to have a say in the material design of Apple’s products

Unfortunately this is the sensationalist side of the story you’ve swallowed. This isn’t about Apple, it’s about ALL technology over the next few years. Apple is one of (if not the) largest tech company in the world and garners clicks.

Apple is well in the minority of the number of devices is ships with lightning v the number of devices shipped with USB-C (including many of Apple’s now).

[geoffaire]

@cornchip

It’s hard to discuss this across the pond. This regulation, in hand with GDPR and Chat Control, are ultimately about asserting control over the US tech industry

GDPR is not about Tech, it’s about Privacy and People’s rights to have control over how their data is used. Tech is one of many industries to be caught in the crossfire. But I for one would love Facebook’s exceptionally poor data privacy practices to be stamped out. Too many companies are making money from other people’s data unlawfully, and quite often without the person’s knowledge.

[cornchip]

I hear you. Like I said, this is a hard conversation to have.

[onepointzero]

The GDPR fine database demonstrates how it’s not only tech. Employees looking up private data, misuse, etc. It’s useful regulation albeit under-enforced at the moment.

[pantulis]

As a side note, I just bought a new vaping device (Blu) and it comes with a fracking micro-usb connector. This regulation cannot come soon enough.

[geoffaire]

Exactly, many companies have fallen foul for purely poor practices.

[jec0047]

@anon20961960

Any older USB C cable that isn’t labeled I just throw away now.

What sort of labeling do you look for?

[Shruggie]

Yeah, is it so hard to ask for color coding?
They just released the spec for HDMI 2.1a. Not 2.2. Not 3 - 2.1a!
How the hell is my mother going to know which HDMI cable to get?

She’s so confused by her iPhone not using the same charging cable as her Samsung work-phone that she keeps the power adapter separate as well - even though they both use usb-a; and I get it!
Explaining that that actually IS the same is just going to confuse her…

Do none of these standards organizations have humans working there anymore? Is it just AIs masquerading as technical writers?