Apple Pulls Lightning-Equipped iPhones From Swiss Stores Ahead of EU USB-C Mandate (macrumors.com) 16
Apple has started pulling its iPhone SE and iPhone 14 models from sale in Switzerland, signaling broader discontinuation across the European Union ahead of new USB-C charging requirements taking effect December 28.
The devices, which use Apple's proprietary Lightning port, disappeared from Swiss online stores today. Switzerland, while not an EU member, follows EU market rules. Apple-authorized resellers can continue selling existing stock until depleted. A new USB-C compatible iPhone SE is expected in March.
The devices, which use Apple's proprietary Lightning port, disappeared from Swiss online stores today. Switzerland, while not an EU member, follows EU market rules. Apple-authorized resellers can continue selling existing stock until depleted. A new USB-C compatible iPhone SE is expected in March.
USB requirement, not USB-C (Score:4, Interesting)
Note that the EU is not requiring Apple to use USB-C, that sort of regulation would create a permanent lock-in to what may be a great connector now but might be superseded by improved options in the future. Instead, the EU is requiring the use of a USB standard. The USB-IF has a great track record of developing and standardizing improved technologies as the needs and capabilities of the industry change, and if Apple finds that none of the USB-approved standards fit their needs, they'll be able to propose new designs for standardization. Of course, if they come up with something really great and standardize it, they won't be able to prevent others from using it.
I'm generally opposed to government regulation that might block innovation, but I think the EU's approach here strikes a good balance between preventing vendor proprietary lock-in (and the resulting proliferation of connectors) and the freedom to innovate and improve. The goodness of this balance depends heavily on USB-IF continuing to be a well-functioning standards body, of course, but they have a good track record and I see no reason to expect that to change.
I think the EU did a similarly good job with mandating GSMA-approved standards for cellular communications and banning carrier lock-in (technological or contractual). This resulted in better, faster, cheaper cellular communications technology in the EU as compared with the US. GSMA innovated and improved GSM over the years, but the requirement that everyone use a GSMA-approved standard kept all the carriers competing on a level field.
Re: (Score:1)
The parent post sounds like a suggestion that Apply submit Lightning as a standard connector for USB. This does contradict the next point that if Apple does this then Apple could not enforce quality of the products like they do with Lightning. Lightning predates USB-C, and it was because of the shortcomings of USB and their own 30-pin connector that they developed Lightning. I suspect Apple had prior knowledge of USB-C coming to market at some point as they were working on getting Lightning to market, an
Re: USB requirement, not USB-C (Score:3)
"Lightning predates USB-C"
The release of lightning-equipped products predates the release of USB-C-equipped products, but the USB-C spec was brought to the USB-IF before the release of any such products.
Apple is a member of the USB-IF, so they knew it was coming before they ever released any products with lightning.
Apple had the option to bring lightning to the USB-IF as a proposed standard, but instead they chose to make it proprietary in a deliberately anticompetitive action which shows they are not good
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Apple released the first USB-c laptop in 2015. Lightning pre-dates USB-c, but Apple could have made it work if they had wanted to. Instead, they decided that "USB-c is for computers, lightning is for smaller devices" (and eventually decided the iPad was a computer).
I kind of understand why Apple made that decision, though I think it was a bad decision. And I would be more pro-lightning if Apple hadn't kelp the lightning rights locked up for many years.
I welcome our USB overlords! I love bringing one cha
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I kind of understand why Apple made that decision, though I think it was a bad decision.
So long as you understand that they did it to get lockin and sell peripherals, OK. Their stupid chip (DRM in a cable? booooo) limited their maximum charging current and they had to go to Type C if they wanted to have a plug and a decent charge rate at the same time.
Anyhoo Type C is here now and it's awesome and it's cheap as hell. I just got an inline current meter and an OTG Y cable that fast charging actually works through for like five bucks. Soon I expect it will cost ten, so I've been buying a bunch of
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Lock-in (and thus profit$$$) was a big issue, yes, but to be fair, a lot of initial USB-c cables (and some chargers) were very sketchy. Apple could guarantee good USB cables from the macbook charger to the MacBook air since people don't switch those out much, but for phones people used whatever charger/cables were nearby which could be forced into the ports. So that was an excuse for a few years, but yeah. mostly it's just the money.
Very early on I started buying only decent USB-c cables and chargers. Th
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Apple had the option to bring lightning to the USB-IF as a proposed standard, but instead they chose to make it proprietary in a deliberately anticompetitive action which shows they are not good faith members of the USB-IF.
How do you know they didn't offer Lightning as a standard? I suspect they did but were rejected, and the other members of USB-IF copied a lot of Apple's homework for USB-C.
The release of lightning-equipped products predates the release of USB-C-equipped products, but the USB-C spec was brought to the USB-IF before the release of any such products.
Sure, but you must know that it can take years for a spec to become a product. Apple was likely working on Lightning for a long time before USB-IF was working on USB-C, and that means a lot of investment in money. Apple had products to ship to keep customers happy and stay in business, they can't just stop their product pipeline hoping
Re: USB requirement, not USB-C (Score:2)
Whatever connector selected there's going to be problems.
I think it’s funny (Score:2)
But Apple is laughing their a$$es off all the way to the bank. Oh no, you’re forcing us stop selling all our entry-level devices that use slightly older tech! Guess we’ll just *happen* to forget to update the plugs on all those low-profit product lines. Want an iphone? No cheap options now, baby! You can buy
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Everything says the contrary
1. If Apple thought these devices were not profitable, they would not have marketed them in EU in the first place
2. If Apple was looking to remove these older products from the shops, they would not wait until the last possible day, and they would certainly would not wait until after Christmas purchases. They would have removed them last month, such that people would have to buy the "iphone 27 pro max ultra" this Christmas! TFA says they will remove these phones from sale in EU o
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If they want to enforce a plug standard, itâ(TM)s much like requiring all power outlets to be the same. No problem.
I like the analogy but like all analogies it breaks down at some point.
On the back of many of my electronic devices in my office there's a 120VAC input that's a standard IEC C14 inlet. Some of my equipment have a different kind of 120VAC inlet. It's not a big deal, and I think little of it, because I'll certainly find a cord included with that piece of equipment to connect whatever inlet that may be to the standard outlets I'll find on the walls of my office. To carry that analogy to the iPhone Apple sho
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Um, a USB-C port *is* today's equivalent of that standard barrel connector. Except it actually is a standard connector, with standardized specs about what it can and cannot do.
Those barrel jacks have none of that. They come in a variety of sizes, a variety of configurations (both center-positive and center negative), both AC and DC, a variety of voltages, and a variety of current ratings.
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Once upon a time I remember needing to keep on hand a switchable voltage power supply that had a variety of barrel connectors in case of a wall wart power supply that came with my electronics had failed. I'm not sure exactly when it happened but something like 20 years ago I noticed that most every new device that came with a wall wart used either of two sizes of barrel connectors, and used either 5VDC or 12VDC. This was great for me since I would just keep old wall warts from failed electronics knowing t
Errm, Switzerland isn't in the EU (Score:1)
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From the fine summary:
Switzerland, while not an EU member, follows EU market rules.
Yep, not in the EU but they decided to play along with some EU rules to be a good neighbor.