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iPhone 5 Scorns Standards Promise To European Commission

Posted by Soulskill on from the we-have-found-that-customers-enjoy-paying-money dept.

WebMink writes "Back in 2009, Apple signed an agreement aimed at reducing electronic waste resulting from mobile phone accessories. But this week's launch of the iPhone 5 shows them reneging on that commitment. Instead of including a micro-USB connector on the iPhone, as they agreed to do along with the rest of the phone industry, they created yet another proprietary connector. At a stroke, they have junked earlier iPhone accessories, forced a new industry in Apple-only accessories to arise and broken their promise to the EC. It's a huge missed opportunity both for their customers and for the environment."

14 of 543 comments (clear)

  1. RTFA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    From TFA:

    "Which is the agreed common interface?

    On the basis of the Micro-USB interface, the companies have agreed to develop a common specification in order to allow for full compatibility of chargers and mobile phones. These specifications have been translated in European standards.

    N.B.: The agreement allows for the use of an adaptor."

    Apple supplies adaptors, therefore they're not "scorning" the agreement.

    1. Re:RTFA by Anubis+IV · · Score: 4, Informative

      Apple supplies adaptors, therefore they're not "scorning" the agreement.

      Exactly correct. This agreement has already been in place for years, as the summary was quick to point out, but they failed to note the fact that Apple has been complying all along by including adapters. You can expect the same to be true for the iPhone 5 as well.

      And even if they had they changed to micro-USB, they would have exactly the same problems as the ones being cited in the summary, so this strikes me as a bit of a double standard. Since the data handling via USB on smartphones is not standardized, meaning that there is not necessarily any interoperability between devices with a particular accessory, you'd still have an industry dedicated to making Apple-specific accessories, simply due to the volume of devices that they could work with. Similarly, you would have rendered all of the previous accessories obsolete by moving to a new standard, and you'd have also been forced to introduce a new adapter. Also worth noting is that micro-USB is incapable of charging an iPad according to that article, which this new dock connector will surely be used for.

      The only argument left from the summary is that they've broken their promise to abide by the standard, and as you aptly pointed out, that is untrue.

      Considering how often this stuff has come up on Slashdot (particularly with the fact that it was a major point of discussion when the new dock connector leaked a few weeks back), I'm surprised it's not common knowledge on Slashdot how Apple has handled that agreement, even for our non-European friends.

  2. Re:Is USB really better? by petteyg359 · · Score: 4, Informative

    Hardly. Any "smart phone" has plenty of CPU power to be a USB host, and various Android devices have been promoting that feature for several months.

  3. My pet peeve... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    The proprietary connector, whether it's the old one or the new one, is the reason I don't buy Apple gadgets (although I do buy and love Apple's laptops). The recent development that all devices use microusb for charging is the best thing ever. I can charge my Kindle, cellphone, cordless mouse, and bluetooth hands-free, all with the same, omnipresent standard cable.

    A couple of years ago, I worked in a small desert town in Iran. I had forgotten to bring the Apple cord for my iPod Touch. I had any number of "normal" usb cords available, including micro and mini, but there was no place where I could get hold of an Apple cord. My iPod was useless. I can't believe they still haven't wised up to the idea of a standard connector.

    Certainly a pet peeve of mine. If it wasn't for the stupid connector, my awesome Macbook Pro would be connected to an iPhone right now, instead of to a Galaxy S3.

  4. Re:Is USB really better? by kenorland · · Score: 4, Informative

    Android devices not only support USB Host (and support it well), the same micro-USB connector is also used for HD video and audio via MHL. Samsung shows that you can make a micro-USB connector that allows simultaneous micro-USB, charging, and MHL connections.

  5. Re:Fuck Apple. by icebike · · Score: 4, Informative

    I have Android and can do the same thing without the proprietary connector.
    Wait, I don't need a connector at all. Bluetooth.

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  6. Misleading story, Apple complies by making adaptor by Master+Of+Ninja · · Score: 4, Informative

    This is just another misleading story - Apple actually has complied by providing an adaptor for charging. They specification that they are adhering to is the Common External Power Supply and allows the use of adaptors. They already have on for older type of dock connector. I suspect Apple has valid reasons as they want data transfer to be as fast as possible with their proprietary adaptors, but still allow micro-usb charging if people want it.

  7. Technically, Apple IS compliant. by fluffy99 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Technically, Apple IS compliant.

    From the agreement at http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise
    Undertaking 4.2.1 states that “if a manufacturer makes available an Adaptor from the Micro-USB connector of a Common EPS to a specific non-Micro-USB socket in the Mobile Phone, it shall constitute compliance”. Annex II futher states that “An EPS provided with a detachable cable shall be equipped with a USB Standard-A receptacle. Above requirement also applies to detachable cables used as adaptor i.e. where the Micro-B is replaced by a proprietary plug”

    Switching to just a micro-USB would have been stupid as you can't get analog audio or HD video through USB 2.0. Still I feel for all the people who've invested in accessories that use the standar Apple 30-pin. Expensive accessories like docks, iHome clocks, etc.

    1. Re:Technically, Apple IS compliant. by CODiNE · · Score: 4, Informative

      But can you put 10W over a micro-USB cable? If you charge an iPad over a normal USB plug it takes forever. The iPad power plug goes way over normal USB spec. Using their own connector means they can do crazy stuff like that without worrying about frying other devices it might plug into.

      I totally agree they overcharge though.

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  8. Wrong, ships with adaptor in EU by SuperKendall · · Score: 5, Informative

    I have to make a correction here. Apple doesn't SUPPLY the adapter, but it does make one available for you to BUY

    In the EU they DO ship with a Lightning->MicroUSB port.

    You are probably thinking about the U.S., where it does NOT ship with a Lightning->iPod 30-pin adaptor. But it does ship with a Lightning->USB cable to connect to any standard USB port... if you can connect to a standard USB port already does it matter so much if there's an adaptor? It's mostly for accessories.

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  9. Re:Steve Jobs is happy... by Anubis+IV · · Score: 4, Informative

    The law also doesn't say what the summary claims it says.

    It specifically allows for adapters to be used, and Apple has had a micro-USB adapter available for quite awhile now that complies with the standards that have been set.

  10. Re:Is USB really better? by SScorpio · · Score: 4, Informative

    Or they could be the Samsung Galaxy II and III and support MHL.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_High-Definition_Link

    MHL supports power to the device, CEC standard remote control for media playback control, 1080p uncompressed video, and 8 channels of uncompressed audio.

    The only issue with MHL is that Apple doesn't paid any royalties for every device that uses the connector. The Roku Stick which is a full Roku that is the size of a large thumb drive is pretty neat as well.

  11. Re:Fuck Apple. by Guspaz · · Score: 4, Informative

    Micro USB doesn't meet all of Apple's requirements. They've been pretty mum about what and how they're using the new connector, but micro USB is certainly not orientation independent, and the traditional connector you find on smartphones is limited to low speed (USB 3.0 uses a different and much larger micro connector). It's hard to figure out if Apple's decision to go their own way for a dock adapter is justified, but I'd point out that the last time they came up with a new and proprietary connector... the entire industry adopted it. I'm referring to mini displayport, which Apple developed as a proprietary variant on DisplayPort, but made it royalty free and got it into the DisplayPort standard itself.

    Connectors are not automatically evil just because they're developed by Apple, and designed-by-committee standards are not always the best solution to a company's individual problems. If DisplayPort had been the end-all be-all connector, then we wouldn't have seen miniDP largely supplant it.

  12. Re:Fuck Apple. by Guspaz · · Score: 5, Informative

    They agreed to no such thing (The EU's voluntary agreement gives other options, which Apple took). They've done enough unscrupulous things that you don't need to make stuff up.