Why EU has mandated charging port to type c?

Submitted by anayonkars t3_11vlte5 in iphone

Hello,

This is regarding the EU's enforcement/mandate for charging ports to be type c (press release).

I'm asking this question in r/iphone because it'll have the most impact due to the mandate.

I'm not siding iPhone, but just out of curiosity, why EU has mandated the charging port to type C? Some of you may recall that back in the days when smartphones were not mainstream, each mobile phone maker used to have their own charging devices with proprietary ports - e.g. Nokia had a different charger than Siemens. I used to have a Sony CyberShot digital camera which only accepted Sony memory cards (not any others like Sandisk or Kingston). Even today, a lot of cameras have their own proprietary charger.

Hypothetically speaking, let's say company x comes up with a mobile device exclusively targeted for security. Given the fact that type c ports can be used for data transfer as well, company x decides that their phones won't have type c, but some proprietary port for charging. Or they'll have both proprietary port and type c, but the type c will only do data transfer and not charging (not sure if that's possible as per type c specs, but hypothetically speaking). That way, the user will be 100% sure that when they are charging the device, they won't have to worry about data transfer/theft while charging.

My point is, even if it is a bad business decision, why EU (and not the mobile manufacturer) have a say about what should be the hardware interface of a mobile device?

Some time back lot of mobile phones stopped having a 3.5mm audio jack - forcing people to either move to Bluetooth headphones or carry a 3.5mm adapter. How EU is OK with this, but not with different companies having different charging ports? (and where will it end? will we also be forced to follow certain mandates for types of API all applications must expose? the possibilities are endless but probably that's a different discussion).

0

Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

MashAndPie t1_jctp83x wrote

Because it's better for the consumer. If you only have 1 connector type, then you don't need a different charger/cable for each phone. Nor do you need to worry if you move from, for example, the Apple ecosystem to something else.

That saves the consumer money and is arguably better for the environment because fewer chargers/cables are required (plus additional transport impacts, packaging etc.) If this expands into other devices - tablets, cameras etc. then you see how this really ramps up.

It's not the first time that the EU has taken a pro-consumer stance on technology. Those of a certain age may remember the EU having issues with Windows coming bundled with Internet Explorer, just as one example.

6

freediverx01 t1_jcy3o8g wrote

The “better for the environment“ argument falls apart pretty quickly when you consider how many Lightning cables are going to be dumped into landfills as they’re replaced with USB-C cables.

1

AstronautMindless873 t1_jcttvum wrote

Eu did this to basically create a universal port for all electronic devices, which as a consumer I fully support.

I am an Apple user fully invested in the Apple ecosystem. I have an iPhone, an Apple Watch, an iPad, AirPods and a MacBook. I absolutely fucking hate the charging solutions this company offers. I need 3 fucking cables to charge my devices, which all belong to Apple, and an extra MagSafe cable if I want to charge MagSafe. Fuck that, they can absolutely make one cable for all devices and I can’t wait until they’re forced to.

And your security argument makes no sense, even Apple in it’s state is protected against what you’re saying. If you can’t unlock the device then you can’t allow it to connect to a computer and transfer data from/to it.

Apple’s decision to keep multiple charging ports at this point is strictly financial, they benefit a lot from forcing people to buy oem cables that cost a lot more then a regular usb type c cable that would work on all devices.

3

infinityandbeyond75 t1_jctxm20 wrote

You realize for now that it only applies to iPhones and iPads for now right? Wireless charging isn’t affected right now. The only thing that may possibly be on the books for wireless charging is that anything other than a standard Qi charger must be included in the box. That means the Apple Watch can continue with their current chargers for years to come. The law also doesn’t include things like AirPods so they can continue using Lightning if they want. It also doesn’t apply to things like external batteries and portable speakers.

2

infinityandbeyond75 t1_jctqal3 wrote

While a lot of people applaud this decision (simply because they want to have only USB-C devices) I’ve read a lot of articles from several countries (including the EU) and many say government should stay out of it.

One of Apple’s complaints was what if we come out with a better option but then we have to wait for the government to change the law to implement the better option for EU purchases.

There was a time that some countries required micro-USB so Apple just included a small adapter in the box. That appeased the requirements for those countries.

I think the reason the headphone dongle requirement was never regulated is that headphones aren’t a requirement in the functionality of the device. However, charging is.

2

AstronautMindless873 t1_jctub2j wrote

That doesn’t make any sense. If all devices will use usb type c then obviously companies interested in this will invest more R&D into usb type c ports and make them faster or more efficient. And governments should absolutely be involved in what companies are allowed to do, tech companies included.

1

infinityandbeyond75 t1_jctyvyx wrote

So why didn’t companies just keep improving on USB-A? Why change it to mini-USB then micro-USB then USB-C? What if a new development is discovered that allows for a full charge in 10 minutes but requires something other than USB-C? When governments require USB-C by law then it keeps innovation behind - not promote it. That’s why all the new USB developments have changed to this point. Of course for the short term USB-C will get better and faster but at some point USB-D or something else will come out that will be better and then the EU has to change their law again. This also wouldn’t be a quick thing either.

0

AstronautMindless873 t1_jcu33w0 wrote

I don’t doubt your little brain cannot comprehend these things, but if everybody is forced to use one thing, then people will work towards improving that thing. It’s common knowledge. Take a breath of fresh air and relax, don’t spam 3 comments on one reply.

−1

freediverx01 t1_jcy4d39 wrote

History disproves your argument. If not for Apple, we never would’ve had Lightning or USB-C. The electronics industry as a whole is not known for its great design skills or focus on user convenience. Micro USB is an example of what the industry will come up with on its own while Lightning and USB-C are examples of good design pushed forward by Apple, who is an outlier. Apple has frequently lead the way in embracing new technologies many years before the commodity electronic manufacturers followed suit.

0

phero1190 t1_jctrndd wrote

Because USB C is better than lightning in every way. And most devices use it already, including iPads. It just makes sense to have everything on one.

2

freediverx01 t1_jcy4u7j wrote

That’s a good argument for embracing USB-C over Lightning. It’s not a good argument for having a government institution mandate a consumer product design feature. Let’s not forget that everything that’s good about USB-C is a result of Apple‘s influence on the establishment of that standard. If it weren’t for Apple, we’d still be using uni-directional, micro-USB connectors.

−2

aintkaran_ t1_jctuide wrote

I see the whole debate about this topic and understand both sides.

I like to think of the debate like this So let’s say there is this third world OS that is super secure and is exceptionally better than both android and ios rn and is cross platform so 1 os for every type of device. It’s catching trends and is getting really popular among devices and stuff. So one day EU decides to mandate the entire market to switch to this new os. Cause it’s better and very efficient and all.

Understandable from EU’s perspective that it’s better for the consumer but is it really their place to make decisions about it?

More views and insights are welcome

2

freediverx01 t1_jcy2a5d wrote

The benefits of a standardized charging port are reduced costs and increased convenience for end users, since it’s a pain in the ass to buy and fiddle with different cables for charging different devices.

The reality is that although Apple has dragged their heels far too long in standardizing the use of USB-C throughout their product line, especially on the iPhone, it is a mistake for governments to be mandating technological design details in areas that are still evolving.

If governments had standardized charging ports back when micro-usb was the most widely used connector, we’d probably still be stuck using that horrendous design to this day. Most device manufacturers are focused on minimizing costs and maximizing volume, with little regard for elegance or usability. So we should not allow “the market” to dictate design details like this with the backing of government regulations.

For the record, I welcome having usb-c ports on all of my Apple devices. But I don’t welcome this coming as the result of government-mandated design standards which could stand in the way of better designs in the future. This may be irrelevant for charging ports since the next step will likely be wireless, but it sets a bad precedent.

0

VI-loser t1_jcwk16v wrote

You might consider that the EU mandated this change because Google paid them to.

−1