EU Proposes Mandatory USB-C on All Devices, Including iPhones (theverge.com) 244
The European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, has announced plans to force smartphone and other electronics manufacturers to fit a common USB-C charging port on their devices. From a report: The proposal is likely to have the biggest impact on Apple, which continues to use its proprietary Lightning connector rather than the USB-C connector adopted by most of its competitors. The rules are intended to cut down on electronic waste by allowing people to re-use existing chargers and cables when they buy new electronics. In addition to phones, the rules will apply to other devices like tablets, headphones, portable speakers, videogame consoles, and cameras. Manufacturers will also be forced to make their fast-charging standards interoperable, and to provide information to customers about what charging standards their device supports. Under the proposal, customers will be able to buy new devices without an included charger. The proposals only cover devices using wired, not wireless, chargers, EU commissioner Thierry Breton said in a press conference, adding that "there is plenty of room for innovation on wireless." A spokesperson for the Commission subsequently confirmed to The Verge that a USB-C port is only mandatory for devices that charge using a cable. But, if a device charges exclusively via wireless, like Apple's rumored portless iPhone, there'd be no requirement for a USB-C charging port.
Cellebrite (Score:2, Interesting)
Need to make sure that Cellebrite tool can easily be plugged in.... Those adapter kits must be getting expensive.
loophole (Score:2)
Can Apple not continue to sell the iPhone by just not selling lightning cables in the EU and advising their purchasers to only use wireless charging? Otherwise they would have to put a blob of plastic in the connector slot so that it is unusable. Either way I do not see Apple affected much by this.
Also, does this cover laptops? A lot of PC laptops would be screwed.
Re: loophole (Score:2)
Actually they do not even need to put a blob of plastic in the connector they could just prevent charging in software when the phone detects it is in the EU region.
Re: (Score:2)
And if the battery is dead, is it forced to power on the phone (explicitly without trying to charge yet) and get a GPS lock before charging? What if no GPS signal is found - do you have to go buy a wireless charger to bring it back?
Re: (Score:2)
The loophole is to eliminate the port entirely, which Apple just might do. If they put a port it will have to be USB-C.
Does not appear to cover laptops according to the EU site: USB-C will become the standard port for all smartphones, tablets, cameras, headphones, portable speakers and handheld videogame consoles.
That said I think it should cover laptops. With the new power spec supplying 240W no reason not to but I imagine since that is fairly new it may come at a later time.
Also I imagine there is far l
Re: (Score:2)
They don't have to wait to mandate it on laptops. Just limit it to laptops using 100W or less. But it's not like phones - significant redesigns to charging circuitry need to be made to handle the USB-PD voltages. There would need to be a grace period to allow time for new designs.
Re: (Score:2)
Can Apple not continue to sell the iPhone by just not selling lightning cables in the EU and advising their purchasers to only use wireless charging?
There is no "wireless charging". For what is called "wireless charging", you plug the charger in the wall with a power cable (multiple wires), and then you take a cable from the charger to the phone with a magnet at the end that you attach to the phone.
It's not wireless. It's "connected with a magnet instead of being plugged in".
Counterproductive (Score:2)
So Apple would most likely switch to all wireless chargers for their phones sold in the EU. I assume that a wireless charger uses significantly more resources than a simple wall wart, and it probably almost never interoperates between any vendors. End result: more E-waste than if they do nothing.
Re: (Score:2)
Will Apple also provide a mechanism for cars that don't support wireless carplay?
Because when the choice is between switching platforms to Android when they decide to upgrade their phone and costing maybe a few hundred or spending 30K euros on a brand new car that supports wireless carplay, guess which one a lot of people are going to pick?
Re: (Score:2)
Apple uses the Qi standard for its wireless charging.
USB-C Standard (Score:4, Insightful)
USB micro B (Score:3, Insightful)
The EU tried to do this a decade ago and if they had managed it we would all be stuck using USB B still
What happens when USB D comes out in another decade or so?
Re:USB micro B (Score:4, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2)
If everything uses one single connector, it will get even cheaper than it is now. Most of the cost difference with C is licensing anyway, isn't it?
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
USB-C ports require USB 3.2 or newer chipsets which is more expensive that USB 2 hardware.
Not true. There are microcontrollers from ST and others that have native USB-C ports and only support USB 2 connections. The type-C port require a couple of cable configuration lines (CC) where one of the lines is used as power and the other used to negotiate the connection between devices. Once the negotiation is complete it is just standard USB 2.0 - or up to 4.0 if supported by the hardware.
The Type-C overhead is not insignificant but is nothing compared to the underlying USB overhead. In short -
Re: (Score:2)
There are microcontrollers from ST and others that have native USB-C ports and only support USB 2 connections.
Such as?
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Maybe this can prevent that from happening.
And that will be a good thing. The world doesn't need more stupid dongles for whatever idiotic connector USB D might be.
One problem with this rule (Score:4, Insightful)
The headphones definitely don't have space for a USB-C connector and my experience with the previous generation of the headphones that had a micro-USB connector covered by a rubbery door was that it did not tolerate sweat. The USB connector corroded and failed prematurely.
The watch can be built to use a wireless charger. Cramming a wireless charger into the headphones will be tight and I'm not sure entirely practical.
I'm not sure this directive would benefit the consumer with regards to the headphones.
Re: (Score:2)
Apple used magsafe on their laptops for several years, before recently switching to USB-C. They worked pretty well, but there was a problem with higher current delivery. They made up for this by using multiple sets of pins. The problem is that its hard to get a large amount of contact area when you're just using magnetic force and some weak pin-springs, and that leads to higher resistance, which leads to heating and arcing.
Also, the water resistance is only on the accessory side. I had a lightning cable
Re: (Score:2)
Apple has already switched back to magsafe ... actually long ago.
Re: (Score:2)
>>MagSafe 2 can be found on the MacBook Pro (2012â"2015) and MacBook Air (2012â"2017) notebook computers.
Magsafe has left and not returned to the macbook and macbook pro. The only current model with magsafe is the air, probably due to size considerations.
You might be thinking about a magsafe-like connector intended for new iphones?
Well... (Score:5, Insightful)
While I kind of agree with it because I hate Apple's over-priced custom connectors, this sounds like a major overreach of government power.
Re: (Score:2)
Huh? It's a perfect fit for government power.
Speaking of power, governments already regulate electricity connectors for higher voltages everywhere in the world. That's why you don't have to buy an adapter dongle unless you go to a different country with your devices that plug into the wall.
Re: (Score:2)
Really? I can go on Ebay and get a lightning cable for pennies. Not genuine Apple but good enough for most cases.
Excellent! (Score:3)
It will be a great day for the environment when everyone throws out their lightning cables and USB-A wall warts.
Apple cables are already disposable & fragile (Score:2)
It will be a great day for the environment when everyone throws out their lightning cables and USB-A wall warts.
The wall warts aren't going anywhere, you'll just be using them with USB-A to USB-C cables.
Apple lightning cables are disposable and fragile. My kids break the lifetime warranty Anker and AmazonBasics cables 1-3x a year. My wife breaks her apple charging cables every year, so they already had short lives.
What this means is that every vacation, I can pack half the cables I need to pack. The biggest boost will be killing micro/mini-USB in the EU and hopefully all the Chinese manufacturers will finally
Horrible (Score:2)
If people haven't noticed, the lightning connector serves more than one purpose.
Re: (Score:3)
They are apparently going to address that next...
Today’s proposal is focused on the charging port on the device end, but the Commission says it eventually hopes to ensure “full interoperability” on both ends of the cable. The power supply end will be addressed in a review to be launched later this year.
It should be straightforward, so long as every charger and cable is compatible with USB-PD specifications, no reason for anything proprietary. Still a bit wonky in terms of what charger out
Re: (Score:2)
Anecdotally, what I have experienced is a charger that is "big enough" will work. E.g. my laptop won't take a charge from most USB-C chargers, but the USB-C conne
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
That is what I see as well. You have a full fledged usb-c based power supply and it will even power a usb-charging phone from 15 years ago (with an adapter). Most cell phones with usb-c are designed to take power even from the subset of USB that was defined in 1996 (albeit painfully slowly) as long as you have a cable connecting the appropriate backward compatible pins.
Now outside of power delivery, there's certainly some potential for confusion and security concerns (when a connector that is as 'little' a
Re: (Score:2)
If you require just the USB-C port and not the standards, then anyone can just make their own standards up and then require a proprietary charger. Apple will probably do this. And so, there will still be more e-waste.
If I remember correctly, to use the USB brand you need a license for that from USB.org and that license specifies that you must adhere to the standard (you also get a VendorId). If you sell devices and specifies it has an USB-C port without a license, you may get sued for trademark-infringement. Similarly, if you have a license and sell products that don't actually follow the standard you may also get into legal trouble.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Really? *applies fingernail to side-slot, opens case* No I've never had to use the ports. Just the slot already made for it.
Re: (Score:3)
So, exactly like what the last two sentences of the summary said?
" A spokesperson for the Commission subsequently confirmed to The Verge that a USB-C port is only mandatory for devices that charge using a cable. But, if a device charges exclusively via wireless, like Apple's rumored portless iPhone, there'd be no requirement for a USB-C charging port."
Re: (Score:2)
Well now you're just being an idiot. Why does a charger standard care whether there's an analog headphone jack, or a micro-SD slot, or a SIM slot? It doesn't. There's no technical connection.
Re: (Score:2)
then you should have written that thought
Perhaps you simply should stop being autistic?
Re: (Score:2)
If only they made this exception. Then they could've mentioned it in the summary.
Oh wait
USB-C port is only mandatory for devices that charge using a cable. But, if a device charges exclusively via wireless, like Apple's rumored portless iPhone, there'd be no requirement for a USB-C charging port
Re: (Score:3)
Phones and other devices should also be allowed to have literally no ports.
Read to the end of the summary and you'll find that it says:
The proposals only cover devices using wired, not wireless, chargers, EU commissioner Thierry Breton said in a press conference, adding that "there is plenty of room for innovation on wireless." A spokesperson for the Commission subsequently confirmed to The Verge that a USB-C port is only mandatory for devices that charge using a cable. But, if a device charges exclusively via wireless, like Apple's rumored portless iPhone, there'd be no requirement for a USB-C charging port.
Re: Good (Score:3)
Except they won't switch to USB-C. They'll probably remove the port entirely, forcing their customers to buy wireless chargers.
Re: (Score:2)
That would be bad. I can't use CarPlay then.
Re: Good (Score:5, Funny)
Well you will need to get a new car, to support Wireless Carplay!
A Win Win unless you care about consumers.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
They make wireless Carplay adapters that you can plug into your car USB port.
Just another dongle to carry around, I guess. If you're an Apple fan, you probably already have a bunch of them to get around all of the ports they removed from the new Macbooks.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
It should work over wireless or Bluetooth. I never understood why any of them use a wired connection. I can run a 1080 screen and audio from my laptop to a Miracast (or Chromecast) target over wireless, why can't you do that in a car with a lower resolution screen?
Re: (Score:3)
Re: Good (Score:5, Insightful)
The biggest problem is the existing ecosystem.
That's Apple's problem for making a dumb decision of going with a proprietary charging port, which should never have been allowed to begin with.
Re: Good (Score:4, Insightful)
If it's more durable than the other ports then it's a smart decision. Most mobile electronics fail at the ports.
Re: Good (Score:5, Interesting)
If you follow Apple's trajectory, they change the connector every 10 years. They moved from Firewire to 30-pin in 2002. 30-pin to lighting in 2012. I suspect they will move from Lightning to USB-C in 2022. It allows them to keep their 10 year promise on accessories they give manufacturers who certify with the MFi program.
Re: (Score:2)
That's Apple's problem for making a dumb decision of going with a proprietary charging port, which should never have been allowed to begin with.
For about the last eight years, this proprietary port has worked a lot better than various USB ports. And it works just fine with USB-C chargers. Which didn't exist back then.
Re: (Score:2)
Apple would have been better to hold 1-2 more years and switch directly to USB-C. And they should have used micro-USB before that.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
The lightening port does way more than just charging. USB-2 couldn't handle that. Also, micro-USB is a shitty port.
Re: Good (Score:4, Informative)
Apple would have been better to hold 1-2 more years and switch directly to USB-C. And they should have used micro-USB before that.
Micro-USB has horrible wear problems. Mini-USB was okay. Micro-USB should never have been created.
Re: (Score:2)
And then the wireless chargers will be banned due to magnetic fields and inefficiency.
Slashdot headline poisoning. (Score:2)
Meanwhile my iPad is happily using USB-C and it's well supported by the operating system and Apple's using the Qi standard for wireless charging on their phones.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
The alternative would probably be to include a Lightning to USB-C adapter in the box. They did something similar to get around the Micro-USB standardization requirement awhile back.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3)
At some point the laws could be updated to allow a new, better charging port, but honestly sometimes what makes something "better" is just standardization.
I wouldn't care if we were still all using Mini-USB to charge everything if the damned cable and port was just the same on everything.
Re: (Score:2)
The major advantage with USB-C as I see it is that you can flip it and it still works.
But at work we have laptops now that only can be charged through the USB-C and the ports on the laptops fails quite often. The difference between a phone and a laptop is the weight - you need a sturdier port on the laptop to avoid breaking the PCB of the device with the connector.
Re: (Score:2)
The reason the PCB breaks is that the plug itself is way sturdier. They should have realized where the extra stresses would go and reinforced accordingly.
Port failure also comes from not designing the circuitry correctly to handle the charging current. A lot of makers are doing a lot of things wrong, but few of them are the fault of the port itself.
Re: (Score:2)
Over here we have a One+3 from July 2016 and a 5t form January 2018, both have a functioning USB-C port without issues.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
At some point the laws could be updated
Then it shouldn't be a law. PERIOD.
If you are going to put that limitation on laws there wouldn't be many (if any) laws. All current laws can be "updated" (changed) in the future so by your reasoning there shouldn't be any laws.
8^)
Re:Good (Score:5, Insightful)
The latest USB power delivery specification maxes out at 240W@48V. That's enough for just about every laptop, phone and tablet for the next decade or so. This is a good move for the forseeable future. Even if the connector is not perfect, is there currently a better option right now that has as much futureproofing?
Re: (Score:2)
Next variant would be 1000W@48V.
But I have discovered that the USB-C on a laptop is a weak point. Breaks too easy.
USB-C sucks (Score:2)
The EU should be creating a new standard which addresses all industry concerns and having everyone sign off on it. Possibly even inviting proprietors the option to open up their parents for free usage to reduce development costs when a switchov
Re: (Score:2)
wich addresses all industry concerns and having everyone sign off on it.)
Hahaha
What world do you live in?
Re: (Score:3)
I agree, for any non-ultrabook laptop it's a bit fragile but compared to the assorted mess of DC barrel adapters that we currently have to deal with it's a tradeoff.
I would like to see the USB-IF standardize a magnetic standard for USB-C as I think that would solve the issue pretty well. There are adapters of various quality out there but you are then locked into a vendor/style so it's back to proprietary...
Re: (Score:2)
Just wait for the 3500W@48V 3-phase. You'd need 2 hands to lug around the connector!
Re: (Score:2)
The latest USB power delivery specification maxes out at 240W@48V. That's enough for just about every laptop, phone and tablet for the next decade or so. This is a good move for the forseeable future. Even if the connector is not perfect, is there currently a better option right now that has as much futureproofing?
Well, yes, the USB-C standard has enough power for laptops, and in fact, current MacBook pros use USB-C power connectors.
They are convenient, but I miss the magnetic connector that snaps into place and detaches from the laptop when you kick the cable. It was great and I wish phones connectors did that as well.
With this rule, the EU will make it illegal to create new magnetic connectors for phones for example. It by law declares that USB-C is the best possible connector ever and makes it illegal to try
Re: (Score:2)
I agree fully, a magnetic charging standard would be great and solve just about all the problems for laptops. If the USB-IF developed a standardized magnetic connector I don't think the EU would have an issue including it with the allowed connectors down the line.
I think oppurtunity for that really passed though when Apple refused to open-standard MagSafe and in fact cracked down on vendors trying to replicate it.
Re: (Score:2)
They are convenient, but I miss the magnetic connector that snaps into place and detaches from the laptop when you kick the cable. It was great and I wish phones connectors did that as well.
Buy a cable with a magnetic connector and you can have a USB-C cable and a magnetic safety valve.
Quick search found this as an example:
https://www.newegg.com/p/38Y-0... [newegg.com]
Re: (Score:2)
I am sure there are a few gaming/workstation laptops that will draw more than 240W so they would still need their own bricks.
The current/old USB-PD spec was limited to 100W which is why you only saw USB-C on smaller, ultrabook style laptops. If USB-C can cover 90% of use cases I would call that a win.
Re: (Score:2)
A new, better charging port rule is sure to come along. See how that works?
Now get to work developing this superior standard adapter that you want to supplant USB-C, and we'll talk about the new rule once it exists.
Re: (Score:2)
I imagine this will play out like it did last time. EU passed a law mandating USB chargers, so Apple started shipping chargers with their own connector on one end and USB on the other. And when newer USB ports came out, most manufacturers switched to supporting the newer version on their own. Even Apple puts USB C on the end of the cable that connects to the charger.
Re: (Score:2)
Apple always had USB on "the other end".
Re: (Score:2)
Good.
Because whatever 'better' connector you think is coming along in the future, it really isn't going to be better. It's just going to be more annoying, because it's going to mean a whole new set of fucking adapters.
The reality is that USB C is good enough for the foreseeable future. A phone that needs more power than USB C can provide is a problem in itself, not a need for a new connector.
Re: (Score:2)
it's better to have a bad standard than a good non-standard charging connector.
Re: (Score:2)
If any standard is desirable, then you have to be willing to at one point actually have a standard even if it means that you would have to refresh the rule when a better standard comes along.
However, USB-C is shaping up to be 'the' connector with a lifespan that will be right there with USB-A, which is now over 20 years old. There was some churn as the industry chased various proprietary 'small' usb connectors, then mini-usb and then micro-usb as they pursued smaller form factors and wrangled with the 'hos
Re:Good (Score:4, Insightful)
With a low user ID like that, you should be able to remember your history though. Pretty much *EVERY* new multipurpose connector standard, from RS-232 to SCSI to PS/2 to ADB to USB to Firewire to Thunderbolt, and now USB-C; was hailed as such an awesome uber-standard that it would inevitably would take over the whole industry and destroy all competitors forever because they were all so mind-blowingly superlative that it was "difficult to imagine a wired connector that would surpass it." But they were ALL eventually surpassed. And so too will USB-C. Can you imagine the sucktitude if the government had picked... say... ADB as the one and final universal port standard that everyone must adopt?
This is a stupid ruling that will hold back innovation. And it's also totally unnecessarily to their purpose. Apple has already been moving to USB-C over these last few years. And, you can't possibly have missed all the people who've been screaming bloody murder over it because: "It's a conspiracy by greedy Apple to make us buy all new connectors and accessories.", just like when they switched from the 30-pin dock connector to Lighting. (Which... seriously... I really don't get how anyone who ever used both Lightning and Micro-USB could ever think the latter is superior unless they're just one of those "Everything Apple does and has ever done sucks." people.)
EU-rule or no EU-rule; if I were the gambling sort; I would bet plenty that Apple already has plans to retire Lightning and move to universal USB-C. And it even makes perfect sense the the iPhone is the straggler. As their most popular product, it has the most users to scream bloody murder at having to replace their lightning cables... except that the blow is softened by the gradual switch over to USB-C in our Macs iPads, PS5s, and the like, giving us a stockpile of USB-C cables ready to go.
Re: (Score:2)
But the EU will be stuck requiring USB-C.
How so?
You invite to a new parliament session with the topic "what will be the next charger/plug standard" and change the law.
Simple ...
Re: (Score:2)
In this context, they are asking Apple to finally give up on a connector engineered and left unchanged since nearly a decade ago for one that was first created 7 years ago and last revised this year..
It seems when looking at EU and Apple in this case, it's Apple that is disliking innovation as you put it...
Re: (Score:2)
Re: Good (Score:4, Insightful)
It seems when looking at EU and Apple in this case, it's Apple that is disliking innovation as you put it...
I don't see Apple forbidding themselves to change connector in the future. I see the EU forbidding everyone to.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Apple may also go the route of Tesla, and for EU iPhones they will use USB-C while in America we still have Lightning.
Much like how EU Tesla cars use the standard CCS charging, while in America Tesla has its own charging format. Where you can get a converter for CCS.
I kinda hope with Tesla supposedly opening up its charging network for other car brands, that they would transition to CCS charging for their newer cars, or perhaps a period of time where the cars have duel charge ports.
But for Apple, While Appl
Re: (Score:2)
Apple may also go the route of Tesla, and for EU iPhones they will use USB-C while in America we still have Lightning.
I bet they won't do that.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I'm disappointed that Apple is so far behind the times. I had wireless charging on my Android phones for five years before Apple added it to their phones. They are still using an old proprietary connector for charging, etc.
Everything I have bought in the last five years has had USB C connectors.
Time for Apple to get with the program.
Re: (Score:2)
Re:The only upside ⦠(Score:4, Interesting)
Re: (Score:3)
What are you people doing with your cables? I couldn’t even tell you the last time I broke any type of cable. Stop pulling the connector out by the wire and it will last forever.
Re: (Score:2)
Apple doesn't like the aesthetics of strain relief at the ends of cables. Just go buy good 3rd party cables and be done with it.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
So the EU basically killed innovation on charger ports.
What actually is thre to innovate on a charging port?
It is basically two cables, one + and one -, letting direct current in and charging a battery. I mean: you learned that in school, or not?