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iPhone 5 Scorns Standards Promise To European Commission
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."
I was under the impression that Apple's dock connectors were designed such that they could be plugged into various accessories (speaker docks, etc.) without the need for a lot of processing power to play music and such.
Wouldn't using USB make this a major challenge for the companies building the accessories? After all, USB requires some heavy lifting on the host side.
There's no -1 for "I don't get it."
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.
Apple ships a Micro-USB adaptor with every iPhone in the EU.
The new connector is not a missed opportunity. Micro-USB sucks, the cables suck, the connectors are weak and prone to failure - not to mention by any measure it's superior to have a directionless connector. How is it better for the environment to buy cables more often?
And what about the NUMBER of micro-USB connectors. There are at least three that look nearly alike, I'm sure one of them is the official Micro-USB connector but how can you tell when you have multiple cables each with slightly different tiny connectors?
I would say the EU has failed you all by locking the nation into a poor standard for all phones to have to use, instead of allowing companies to continue to iterate over better connector designs. Instead you wound up with the least common denominator of connectors, dooming yourself to poor power transfer abilities and as I said badly designed connectors prone to breaking.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
All connectors wear out. Id micro usb the best possible? No. But it strikes a good compromise and likely does reduce wast, though I have no studies to back that up.
Apple: The bottom line and 'image' are most important. To that end we only play at giving an actual two shits about you, our workers, and the environment.
Silence is a state of mime.
No, they shouldn't, but people should just stop buying anything made by Apple.
that his products still "sticks it to the man". I can picture him flipping the bird to EC...
Yes. Look up the word "hipster" and you will see a picture of Steve Jobs.
In the definition, however, you will see the term "douche-bag".
I still don't really understand the rationale behind the new connector. It seems the whole motivation for it was to make the iPhone thinner... which, I don't see as a real selling point at this point, especially given all the frustration with having to replace accessories or buy a new set of $30 adapters, and the fact that the iPhone 4s is really thin enough. As for simplicity, it really goes against the Apple aesthetic. One picture from the event made that evident.
Meanwhile, the rest of the industry seems to be moving away from wires and toward wireless. Wireless payments, wireless charging, wireless audio, etc. with NFC and other related technologies. Apple is for some strange reason the last to adopt these innovations, and it will be a whole year before they come up with an answer. In the mean time, they're piling on connectors and dongles galore. It's very strange.
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.
How happy will he be when the EU bans import?
The law wasn't a suggestion.
Sig Battery depleted. Reverting to safe mode.
Why?
I have iPhone and android and the proprietary connector means I can hook my phone into my car's USB port and stream music apps and play my playlists. Not just music off the storage in no order
The new adaptor is cheaper and more useable.
But basically the EU can choose: either you get what comes out or you get to wait until 2014.
Your choice.
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
If you invest in accessories for the new connector, you'll be less inclined to buy a non-Apple phone.
Perhaps their connector has additional pins for HDMI, but they could have placed a real HDMI connector beside the USB connector for easy docking. Alternately, they could sell a dongle to pipe HDMI video out from USB2 as other manufacturers already do.
But then they couldn't lock their customers in and charge exorbitant licensing fees for their connector.
So you don't want your phone using the battery while it is sitting in a dock? That doesn't make any sense. The dock charges the battery so there no reason that a bit of extra processing will make a bit of a difference.
Do you have any ideas for interesting application that the CPU cycles can be used for while it is sitting in said dock?
Geez, nice hyperbolic story.
First, Apple is keeping to the requirement by offering a micro-USB cable.
Second, the reason they didn't use micro-USB is because it doesn't have the requisite number of pins. As we saw with Thunderbolt, the USB folks will *not* allow you to add non-standard pins to their connector.
This connector must support at least 2 amps of charging for the iPad (in the future presumably). That puts micro-USB right out of the picture.
It must also support digitally sending all the data necessary to support the 30-pin compatibility, including the upcoming HDMI and VGA adapters. Building any sort of intelligence into the cable or other end would require an actual USB interface chip and would require extending the USB specification in non-standard ways... not that you could push enough data on the 2 data pins to run a 720p HD display anyway, unless you piggy-backed some custom protocol on top of USB, then had some sort of hand-shake mode to figure that out... assuming the USB people didn't sue you for abusing their standard to begin with.
The connector itself is far better designed than any USB connector ever; it is reversible and it has self-cleaning contacts, yet it is stronger than micro-usb.
It's OK though; I expect a barrage of anti-Apple FUD every time they release a new device. I'm used to it by now. If you want a legit complaint, the price of the 30-pin adapters is ridiculous.
Natural != (nontoxic || beneficial)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdIWKytq_q4
Enjoy watching Apple fans "fall in love" with the "new" iPhone 5 !
(Spoiler: they're all playing with an iPhone 4s, thinking it's the new iPhone 5)
I have Android and can do the same thing without the proprietary connector.
Wait, I don't need a connector at all. Bluetooth.
Sig Battery depleted. Reverting to safe mode.
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.
It has a USB A hole
:D
Late Friday afternoons, my maturity level drops significantly...
An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
No. You never needed a propritary connector. Some docking station music players used the analog lines from the propritary connector, but the new 'lightning' connector doesn't even have those, and in any event they weren't required to play audio. They just reduced the cost of doing so a bit.
Yes, new items will increase waste (old items), increase production of new items (emissions), and cause problems for the consumer (multiple cables).
So... unless you have some magical idea that will remove all of this, it will harm the environment.
And really...? Having a new adapter is going to somehow harm the enviornment?!?!
[rolls eyes]...Really......?
Really.
The idea is not to have a drawerful of one-off adapters and connectors, which is where we were before the mini- and micro-usb connectors became common currency. You save the environment by not having to manufacture and supply new cables with each new device, you save it again by only needing as many adapters and cables as you actively use, and finally, you save it by being able to retain and re-use these cables and adapters long after the original device has been retired/broken.
Small steps, agreed, but every little bit helps. And even if they didn't, I'd be for it just because I've got enough cables and adapters stuffed in my equipment drawers as it is.
I'm hoping this is sarcasm. But just in case it isn't. Yes a new adapter is going to harm the environment. People toss devices that use the old connector instead of reusing them. If they had used a standard (USB) connector in the first place you could reuse chargers etc. from other phones. Not only that but you could you switch from iPhone to Android to Windows Phone without having to buy new devices. Also, realize that that is the only reason for all Apple proprietary connectors. So you can't easily switch to a competitors device.
So yeah, Fuck Apple.
Make an adapter for the adapter. It is the only logical way.
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.
Wireless payments, wireless charging, wireless audio, etc. with NFC and other related technologies.
Apple has adopted Bluetooth LE (as have other companies) which allow all those things to occur. NFC is not required for any of those things.
Furthermore Apple instead of providing NFC, has a much more practical means (for the U.S.) of electronic payment in Passbook. There's almost no NFC support in the U.S..
Apple of course also heavily promotes AirPlay, which is quite wireless...
In the mean time, they're piling on connectors and dongles galore. It's very strange.
They are not "piling on" anything. They fully support Bluetooth LE as noted, they are simply changing out a connector standard for something more modern. Who would not prefer to have charging and video output options that all come out of a single port? It also allows for faster charging than you could have if you simply support USB, important for tablets.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
If it is a "bad deal", Apple's competitors will eat the "Apple" marketshare up.
I can see the need to modernize connectors and to present the best you can to give long term value to customers over a long time period, just like the prior connector.
The future iPhones will break traditions again and people will keep saying "but it isn't like other smartphones."
The only thing needed is to answer customer needs. For me that is lighter, smaller, more adaptable to varying use conditions.
What? Are you seriously confused? I can only hope this I've misunderstood your sarcasm. There are so many problems with your comment I'm not sure where to start. If the car has a USB port, it's not proprietary. Being able to stream music and control playlists has zero to do with the connector. Just imagine if iPhone had used USB from the start, then everyone would be able to use any phone in "device enabled" car. Thanks for fucking over everyone that doesn't buy your products Apple. The proprietary connector is only there to lock you into Apple products. Apple's new proprietary connector is only there to continue to lock you into new products and to force 3rd party device creators to have to licence the new connector and create a whole new wave of for-iPhone-only devices. Every time you see any proprietary connector, think of it as someone poking you in the eye with a dick. That's really what it is. They are fucking you. In the eye. With a dick.
So yeah, fuck Apple.
Apple to EU Cities: Drop Dead
Thank you, Edward Snowden.
"Arguments from authority are worthless." —Carl Sagan
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.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
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.
Dock's weren't the only accessory that used that connector. Example: I have a dongle for connecting to Ant+ sensors (Heart-Rate, Cadence, Stride, etc..). That's not going to charge it while consuming the extra power.
Someone posted some interesting points in the linked article, I've pasted it here. ( Don't shoot the messenger who is an android fan.) Discuss... *** “Apple has reneged on that commitment to the European Commission to change to micro-USB”. This is simply false. 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”. —http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise... 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” —http:// ec.europa.eu/enterprise... Apple’s decision not to use a Micro-USB connector is in keeping with the agreement, as they also offer a Micro-USB to Lightning adaptor. Their charger also appears to be a common EPS, so that any USB-A to Micro-USB cable can be used with it to charge any other compliant phone; and the iPhone 5 can be charge from any other common EPS with a detachable cable (i.e. with a USB-A port, as per the standard."
The question is if all of the older accessories will work with the adapter. If they do, the main thrust of this complaint is misguided. If they don't, then it's spot on.
seems pretty reasonable to me--it's not like apple is changing it every year.
For the functionality described, it is identical. You can listen to music over your USB and control a music player. The only question is what is the standard protocol for controlling these devices over USB. The connectors are just copper wires.
"The law wasn't a suggestion."
The law isn't even a law (or regulation, for that matter). It's a voluntary agreement ("Memorandum of Understanding").
Secondly, the agreement only covers phones which "Supports USB user data handling as defined in 'Universal Serial Bus Specification'". Although there are no details available on Apple's new connector, it's possible that it doesn't handle USB directly, but relies on a conversion chip in an external adapter. That would place Apple in compliance with the MoU.
The MoU also allows adaptors [sic] to be used - "An 'Adaptor' is defined as a device with a Micro-USB receptacle/plug connecting to a specific non Micro-USB connector. For clarification: an Adaptor can also be a cable."
"National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
Check the UIDs brosif. I'm not the same person that made the original comment. And my desires are relevant, as a potential customer, their shitty connectors only drive me into their competitors arms and they lose money.
Ah thanks for the clarification, I had forgotten about that type of add-on accessory.
No you can't. The connector doesn't "Stream" anything... it's an analog "line in" that's no better than if you used the headphone jack. The cable also transmits controls back and forth so the buttons on your radio can control the iPhone... what a fantastic idea... unfortunately you could do this in 1980 with corded remotes for VCRs. Well, it's 30 years later and the Android/Windows Mobile/Blackbery and just about every other device made todays communities would like to introduce you to Bluetooth. It's already 18 years old, but it makes your Apple adapter cable look rather silly.
You could look into getting a better stereo. The $100 Sony one I got for my 2003 car has no problems sorting mp3s off a stick using folders, and loads my iPod's playlists and genres with no problem. Little to do with a data cable.
yeah, i have an android tablet with microusb the shit is retarded half the time you trying to plug it in upsidedown because it's tiny and if you try and plug it in in a dark room its always shitty and also it won't hold the weight of my tablet so if i leave it hanging off the connecter it could fall and drop. micro usb might be cool for really tiny mp3 players like the sansa clip but for phones or tablets it's shit.
There's a stockpile of copper in China. Somebody has to use it. Trouble is, I don't think there's going to be anywhere near as much copper going into these connectors as went into all the empty skyscrapers they built.
For all intensive purposes, "whom" is no longer a word. That begs the question, "who cares"?
I know of a magical way that can REDUCE it. Standards.
I think it's interesting to note that htc developed a 12 pin connector compatible with standard mini usb cables and their connector, yet apple, who is supposed to be the father of all things innovative has to create a whole new proprietary connector to get 8 pins. http://pinouts.ru/images/htc_headset.gif
Soon they're gonna make you buy an iVan der Graaf iGenerator
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.
Please show me how to airplay a power point to the projector from wifi, and do the same with an android tablet and an android phone all to the same hardware. Apple owns the board room for wireless and easy presentation control. I have installed more apple TV units in board rooms and had IT departments whine at me in the past 3 months than I have installed android based anything in the past 5 years.
you guys that are on a hell bent apple hate rage have no clue. the rich guys all use apple, they all like apple and that is who apple cares most about. And you will see more and more of it showing up in corporate use because it "just works"(tm) and works very well.
you should be pissed at microsoft and google for not even offering anything to compete.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
The great part about standards, there are thousands to choose from.
Samsung can get HDMI video out that usb port, yet LG doesnt, they put that craptastic second connector on there. Then Motorola does something completely different. Show me ANYONE that follows a standard.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
They get a cut of everything you buy for an apple device so there is a huge incentive for Apple to make a new proprietary connector for each edition of it's products. If you keep buying Apple, you're a fool throwing money down a bottomless Apple pit.
Tell, me, please, where you got the idea the Apple's proprietary royalty-laden connector requires no CPU time to decode input...
Really? So how does my car offer a folder-based tree of my music then if it's just forwarding button presses?
TODO: Something witty here...
If they wanted to advance the state of the art they could have proposed their connector as a standard to the EU. Instead this shows Apple wants to bilk customers for buying their expensive adapters and accessories.
Can you plug a USB connector in in any orientation? That's a pretty big aspect of the user experience (the less technically oriented you are, the more annoying that's going to be), and the easiest solution to that is to just design a connector and standard that supports being plugged in either way. Micro USB doesn't do that, for whatever reason. Another aspect is performance. The standard micro connector only works for USB 2.0, after that you need a bizarrely massive connector for micro USB 3.0.
Not any more. No iPod out on the new connector. Fart.
by Mike Buddha -- Someday the mountain might get him, but the law never will.
My sons school uses android tablets with this, https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fonjector.android.screencapservicefree2&hl=en
Apple's Lightning to USB connector only provides USB 2.0 speeds. Being orientation independent does not seem that big of a deal to me. Oh and the lightning connector is larger than a micro-USB connector.
You seem to be uneducated.
iPhone 5 us usb 3.0 usb 3.0 DOES NOT HAVE A STANDARD MINI CONNECTOR.
Or would you rather they made it a slow turd like all the phones with usb 2.0 I certianly dont want a super slow usb 2.0 to copy my 64 gig of video and audio files over. or to extract the video recorded at 1080p.
The next google Nexus phone will not have a mini usb connector on it, will you go all frothing at the mouth at google?
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
That is very interesting considering I have heard about Intel having demoed working prototypes on streaming video using WiFi for many years now.
http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/architecture-and-technology/intel-wireless-display.html
Motorola sucks though (hopefully google will fix that)
I purchased a xoom on clearance, and it was well worth the 240 I paid for it, but the Motorola accessories suck.
unlocked up a dock on clearance with built in speaker. I was hoping it'd be better than my logitech mini boombox as it was powered from a wall, rather than USB. It touted "amazing sound", and though it was better in quality than the mini boombox, it was pretty much in audible with mild background noise, I use the mini boombox with windows cracked driving 60 mph in a car, and over 70 with windows up.
I can't use this dock within 20 feet of a copy machine, and barely in my room when the birds chirp in the am.
Even at the huge markdown for clearance, the speaker is worthless (though a charging dock is nice, so not a Rio off).
I suppose It's what I get for buying a device that used standards (micro USB, geni), but if I purchased an iAnythibg dock that plugged in and had a speaker, it'd retail for far less, and play better (de facto standard and competition is beating real standards and nothing being compatible due to physical differences in the standard ports).
Wow, sent an e-mail as suggested when clicking on "use classic" banner, and got a fast response that addressed my msg
I can over DLNA.
NO wires needed. Get with the program grandpa. Wires are so OVER.
Sig Battery depleted. Reverting to safe mode.
I could be wrong (if so someone is sure to tell me) but I'm pretty sure Apple got an exemption from that European rule.
Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
> 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.
Yeahhhh.... my BS detector just blew a circuit breaker. I hate it when that happens.
Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
If I was the Commissioner in charge of this I would slap Apple with a fine and force them to give a free adapter to everyone which has an Apple phone.
Jimmy Kimmel passed off an iphone4 as an iphone 5 to get reactions from the street, hilarious! http://www.youtube.com/watch?nomobile=1&v=rdIWKytq_q4
If the car has a USB port, it's not proprietary.
I recently purchased a new radio for my car. While doing research I was AMAZED at the number of radios that offered an Apple only cable. Of course I immediately crossed those off my list. But USB devices seemed to be in the minority!
Of course, the new phone won't work with the old radio. I guess you can purchase another adapter...
Many phones have micro-HDMI ports. You know, that standard that happens to have been designed for the purpose of carrying video and audio?
yeah, i have an android tablet with microusb the shit is retarded half the time you trying to plug it in upsidedown because it's tiny and if you try and plug it in in a dark room its always shitty and also it won't hold the weight of my tablet so if i leave it hanging off the connecter it could fall and drop. micro usb might be cool for really tiny mp3 players like the sansa clip but for phones or tablets it's shit.
So, put a dot of whiteout on the "up" side off the plug and treat all electrical devices with more care. FTFY.
To be fair we're not really sure what speeds it provides; all we know is the only cable they're shipping now is a lightning to USB 2.0 cable. It looks like there's enough pins for USB 3.0 if the equivalent of the shield is conductive (it's not clear to me that GND and GND_DRAIN really have to be connected to separate pins anyhow), and it's entirely possible they plan to use active cables to get higher speed outputs in the future anyhow (who knows what the native signaling format is).
Why? It's pointless anyway. All phones come with a charger so you won't recycle the old one. In fact, unless you're a cunt, you'll give someone the charger when selling / giving them the phone as is often what happens. Also the expectation you only own a phone for the duration of your contract and then replace it is far worse . Phones aren't really built to last. I've seen a few models of android phones have their battery die shortly before or after a contract . That is only 1.5 to 2 years. Even the shittiest laptop batteries out perform that.
Yes they are. The pins are programmable on both ends. You can write low level interfaces which are smart on both sides. The old adapter couldn't do that.
Well, yeah. Real life shows us that when they don't follow standards and we get waste. And that's what happens. Over and over.
I hardly doubt Apple not following any known standard is a protest against the diversity of standards in contemporary technology.
So if everyone actually DID follow standards things would be less wasteful. That's all I'm saying.
Apple's Lightning to USB connector only provides USB 2.0 speeds
That doesn't prove anything. The issue is what is possible with lightning designed devices from the ground up.
iOS can do that too, it's called AirPlay.
iPod Out was a special feature that allowed the iPod to generate a display on, say, a car's video screen. It has nothing to do with the audio stream or with being able to control song play. It goes away because the analog video out signal goes away. I think only BMW and Mini actually used the feature.
Michael J.
Root, God, what is difference?
Really? I just got back from VMWorld and I did not see a single airplay anywhere and believe me, there were thousands of presentations. I think you are confusing one dude giving a presentation with an actual conference room/board room A/V presentation setup. These setups are far more elaborate then one person giving a powerpoint presentation on a single screen for a few people in the room. They are integrated into recording systems, Webex, remote A/V like Cisco telepresence or Polycomms, and also include voice and electronic whiteboards. I have no doubt Apples setup is easy for an ad hoc meeting but I'm sorry, board rooms are not getting rid of or swapping out their A/V equipment and conference room setups for only an Airplay and an iPad just yet.
The fact is, though that Apple AGREED to include a micro-usb connector on the iPhone, at least for charging and now they have reneged on that agreement.
If they ACTUALLY needed more, they could have placed the additional connection next to the micro USB and kept their word.
My cables look like this:
||
|\
| |
Since the connector on my phone is at the top left and I know which way the notch goes, I almost never get it backwards. It's muscle memory at this point.
If you don't like it, don't buy one. It's that simple.
For actual reasons why Apple didn't go with a micro-USB connector, check out Boom.
The proprietary connector is only there to lock you into Apple products.
You only have to look at the pinout documentation of the (just retired) 30 pin connector to know that isn't true. The original 30 pin connector had communications lines for both USB and Firewire, permitting an iPod to connect to either port type using a single connector on the device side. Some of the pins were later used for composite video out (pin 8), and S-video chroma/luma (pins 9 and 10). Pins 11, 12, and 13 are used for standard RS-232 serial communications. Pins 2 - 6 were used for analogue audio in and out. So unless you can point me to a USB connector that provides analogue audio in and out, composite and S-video out, standard RS-232 out (and not RS-232 encapsulated within USB Bulk packets), and somehow also finds a way to jam Firewire into the cable, you have to admit that Apple had some very good reasons to use their own connector.
As for the new Lightning connector, I can't say. I haven't seen a pinout on it yet to know what signals are being put through it. If it's Thunderbolt compatible and/or has HDMI output onboard, then it probably wouldn't be sufficient to use a standard USB connector. If not -- then yes, it seems like a somewhat idiotic change to me, considering how many millions of devices and cables out there won't work with it.
Yaz
The Micro USB connector sucks. Every phone I've ever seen using it starts having problems with loose connections causing intermittent charging after 9-12 months. Meanwhile the iPhones I have had have all charged fine for as long as I've owned them. I have a now ancient 3G iPhone, still charges fine after having been used by three members of my family over 4 years. Even disregarding the variety of features available on the Lightning connector, I'll pass on the Micro USB "standard", thanks.
Perscriptio in manibus tabellariorum est.
True. But you need a $99 adapter to do that.
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
Ah, so orientation independence is the new excuse for going proprietary?
That's funny. For the old Apple connector, the excuse was that it had analog audio and control channel, permitting cheap devices to be made for it, as opposed to micro-USB + MHL. But, apparently, that's no longer important now that the new connector has been prominently advertised as "all-digital".
It is equivalent in functionality to USB + MHL.
whats the matter? can't trade your foodstamps for a new adapter?
You go to school to be an a-hole, or does it come natural to you? See, THAT's exactly the "Superior" attitude a lot of iPhone owners are famous for. A lot of overpriced luxury car owners too. If all you have about you that says "I'm superior to others" is a hunk of plastic phone in your hand, then you have my pity. Some people in this world really think that they are better than others because they 'own' more. They're sad. You come into this life with nothing and you leave with nothing but your life's deeds. I hope someday you "get it." Try not to be a jerk all your life.
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.
No, but microUSB being a terrible and dead-end obsolete connector is a better excuse. Locking yourself down to USB 2.0 speeds for years to come would be idiotic.
5 million Android phones that are physically larger than iPhones will create tonnes of unnecessary plastic and precious metal waste. But I don't see you complaining about that.
Do you honestly think Apple's little dongle you must pay for is according to the spirit of that directive?
Given that it explicitly allows companies to satisfy the directive with an adapter, yes. Did you honestly believe anyone would believe you'd read the directive?
One nice thing about living in a country that has decent transport is that you get to skip the part where you spend 15-20 hours per week in a car. Ick.
Thanks to all in this thread for reminding me how much I don't miss that.
Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
Fine, then let's go with an eSata connector, and let whatever is accessing the device use it like an external hard drive.
I am John Hurt.
Yes, well thankfully being a commissioner doesn't actually allow you to do whatever you damn well please. Apple's adapter solution is specifically allowed for in the MOU.
Also, realize that that is the only reason for all Apple proprietary connectors. So you can't easily switch to a competitors device.
People are going to balk at switching to another device because of the power/data cable that comes free with every device? It's more of a hassle to transfer your contacts.
Apple can write low level interfaces which are smart of both sides. Do you really think they are going to release the documentation so Stalks can do it?
Are you REALLY stupid enough to BELIEVE that seriously?
Don't think I really need USB 3.0 speed. I mostly just plug in my phone to charge it. Once I get a Nokia 920 I won't even need to plug it in for that.
Can you plug a USB connector in in any orientation?
Yes. Some of the orientations aren't recommended though.
Parent's comment must be trollbait, as randomly installing Apple hardware into a boardroom of any sizable company without IT's say so would have you shot, and your body buried in a shallow ditch somewhere along the NJ turnpike.
I am John Hurt.
That's what I really don't get about this whole thing. Apple is all about simplifying things. Wireless charging and NFC just seem like a no brainers for them. Think of how cool they would have made those commercials look with all the hip kids using these great new features. People would have loved it and if Jobs were still alive he would have spun it as his magical idea. I honestly don't get it. Apple just isn't the same without Jobs I guess.
Audio and Video are well supported by USB class protocols. Audio since 1998 and Video since 2004. Requiring drivers has nothing to do with lack of standards, but a lag in native support by certain popular OS.
Lightning to Lightning may well be faster. Which may prove useful in the future as Lightning peripherals come along.
Don't be so easily trolled. That's an AC, and not necessarily an iPhone owner.
The goal is that in the long term "everyone" has a whole bunch of micro-USB chargers at home
Then the iPhone is already on target. It ships with a USB charger into which you can plug ANY USB cable. The Apple Lightning cable is only proprietary at one end, on the other end it's a standard USB cable for connecting to a computer or charger.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Apple stuff is more environmentally friendly because it is re-used, repaired and re-purposed much more often then android equipment. With the large numbers of each Apple iPhone made there are larger stocks of replacement parts. If a screen breaks on a HTC phone you have to pay more for that part if you can find it at all, on iPhone they are readily available. People do not often throw them out or toss them in a drawer till they are trash... they sell them or give them away and they find another life. I have not tossed a single iPhone nor do I know anyone who has. I know of people with hold phones like the g1 and the Samsung captivate that just are not worth dealing with as used. Have an old Apple 30 pin adapter? I bet you know a ton of people who could use it. If not only the cable is wasted, the charging block is good for any USB device.
USB 2.0 allows for 400mbits data rate.
Please tell me what supplier Apple will be getting flash memory from that can be written to at even one fifth of this speed.
I hate printers.
Except that Apple complies with the standard by providing an adaptor, and therefore this story is complete BS.
-Glitch "We all know Linux is great...it does infinite loops in 5 seconds." - Linus Torvalds
So build on it. Add USB 3.0, additional connectors for other stuff as needed. It still has the massive benefit of 1) working with every charger out there, and 2) working with every USB 2.0 device out there without special software.
Yes, new items will increase waste (old items), increase production of new items (emissions), and cause problems for the consumer (multiple cables). So... unless you have some magical idea that will remove all of this, it will harm the environment.
And what Android devices do not come with a cable, expecting you to reuse your old cable. So an iOS device comes with a cable and an Android devices comes with a cable. Same waste (old items), same increased production (emissions). It seems the only real criticism is needing multiple cables for people who own both platforms.
Apple can write low level interfaces which are smart of both sides. Do you really think they are going to release the documentation so Stalks can do it?
Probably. Apple does tend to document their low level interfaces rather well. And they do encourage the 3rd party hardware market. I can't see any reason they wouldn't.
Oh, god, not another Android circle-jerk.
Yes a new adapter is going to harm the environment. People toss devices that use the old connector instead of reusing them.
Maybe people around you are greedy and lazy, but if I went to my apartment complex's mail room and left all my iPhone cables and whatnot there with a note saying "please take", they'd be gone in a few hours. People toss stuff?! Have you never seen a yard sale before?
If they had used a standard (USB) connector in the first place you could reuse chargers etc. from other phones. Not only that but you could you switch from iPhone to Android to Windows Phone without having to buy new devices. Also, realize that that is the only reason for all Apple proprietary connectors. So you can't easily switch to a competitors device.
What, is Apple preventing the competitor from selling you a cable? I have 2 iOS devices. I have four cables for them, and four chargers. I have docks for both. I have several bluetooth devices. I'd be out four cables and two docks if I decided to switch to Android.
So I keep the chargers, give away the docks and cables, and spend a few bucks to buy new cables, yet somehow Apple is "forcing" me to keep my devices.
This was about connectors. When it comes to hardware Apple can be either conservative or drive the industry. For example they only recently moved to USB 3 on their laptops, quite a bit behind windows. While on the other hand they are super early with the whole thunderbolt conversion. That was true during the Jobs era as well.
I don't know why they haven't done much with NFC it may not work well enough yet or not offer enough advantages over BlueTooth. As far as wireless charging / inductive charging that is the sort of technology Apple would generally be excited about. On the other hand in practice it doesn't seem to do very much that a simple cable can't. It seems like to gimmick to me, though I might be missing something.
You can already do this with DLNA, which is a standard. Some phones, i.e. Samsung, support this (AllShare) for displaying live video content on a large screen.
This post is encrypted twice with ROT-13. Documenting or attempting to crack this encryption is illegal.
Apple's chargers are not compliant with the USB charging standard. They use a specific resistance across the data pins to identify as capable of high current charging, while the USB charging standard mandates shorted data pins for this purpose. Also, there are two variants of high current charger - 1A for the original iPhone, and 2.1A for iPads and iPhone 4 and later. The USB spec is 1.5A, which is the maximum current that a USB plug is designed to carry.
The EU is concentrating on the wrong end of the charging cable. If they really cared for the environment they would mandate that phone come only with a charging cable, and that having a simple USB A plug. The real problem is the unnecessary transformers on the wall side...
It's a gimmick for sure but it's one I think I'll enjoy. Jobs hated buttons, he hated ports. I'm sure he also hated cables. Remember the original iMac mouse cable? it was so short because it only needed to reach the keyboard port. Jobs didn't want to make it long because he hated the clutter. He totally would have been all over wireless charging. And just like with multitouch he would have claimed to have invented it.
Quite off topic but I can't help to say it: it's amazing how Apple, in the iPhone5 video, mentions the new connector as a new feature, and as if it was a gift from God, they say that it's reversible.
We can not deny they're marketing genius, the way they do those videos with Jony Ive and the other guy acting skills describing characteristics already in other devices as a incredible step in technology history, like LTE.
"We've created the new, much smaller lightning connector." Wow, what would this world be without it?
"And we made it reversible, so it fits either way." Thanks for explaining me that it fits either way, when I heard reversible, I did not catch it.
(My karma went from "Excellent" to "Good" recently, don't be so hard, please).
No they don't - they hide the shit out the documentation and only provide it to companies that sign the "Made for iPod" agreement, who promise to treat is as the Holiest of Holies in a locked cabinet in a disused lavatory in the basement with a sign saying "Beware of the Leopard". Oh, and it's only available to companies - individuals with a cool idea can fuck off. Oh, and the company has to be large enough to afford legal counsel, since Apple requires the lawyers for the company sign it.
For a site about things like basic rights, Slashdot users sure do like to censor "dissent".
My Hyundai actually does this too.
Everything above is my opinion....YMMV
i'll take being able to use the standard cables that i have at home, work, parents/friends houses, or in my bag (being standard you tend to collect a few) over being able to plug it in any way. specially being that nearly all cables have a picture on the "top" of the connector so it's not particularly difficult to tell which way it goes in.
USB 2.0 is fast enough for anything a phone will need.you can stream HD and transfer an entire album in less than a minute.
also from what i can find the iphone 5 and the new cable only support usb 2.0 speeds.
i spent five minutes thinking and all i got was this crappy sig
Nah, you just have the choice of 15 hours a week in a car or 20 hours a week on a bus. As opposed to the US, where your choice is 20 hours a week in a car or 80 hours a week on a bike. And yes, I did the 20+ hours a week on a bike in the US for about a year. My other choice was 40+ hours a week on a bus for a 15 mile trip (or a car).
Learn to love Alaska
If you read the linked-to page about the agreement, you'll see that the title is "One charger for all - Frequently asked questions", emphasis mine. The first FAQ, "What's the issue?", says:
and the second FAQ, "What is the solution envisaged?", says:
The astute reader will note that a certain word that begins with "c" and ends with "harger" appears quite frequently in those items. This was not about "mobile phone accessories" in general, it was about a particular accessory, namely the charger, so "they have junked earlier iPhone accessories, forced a new industry in Apple-only accessories to arise" is 100% irrelevant to the MoU.
As for the charging part - the only part relevant to the "promise to the EC" - TFMoU explicitly says that "[making] available an Adaptor from the Micro-USB connector of a Common EPS to a specific non-Micro-USB socket in the Mobile Phone" is sufficient to ensure compliance. Perhaps Apple phones sold within the EU should ship with that adaptor, rather than selling it as an add-on, but that's another matter.
Now, TFMoU also says that the Signatories:
where an "EPS" is an external power supply and
so if, for example, the Apple USB Power Adapter sold in one EU country doesn't provide "a Micro-USB B-Plug attached via a cable which delivers power to the device being charged", then they're not conforming to that part of TFMoU. At least from the picture, it offers what appears to be a USB 2.0 Group 7 - Standard “A” Receptacle, rather than a "USB 2.0 Group 7 – Micro-USB B-Plug", so, unless it includes a cable that plugs into the Standard A-Receptacle and has a Micro-USB B-Plug, they aren't complying - and the Apple page says they include an "Apple Dock Connector to USB Cable", which plugs into the Standard A-Receptacle but has an Old Fashioned 30-Pin Apple Dock Connector, so no go.
So maybe the title should be changed to "Apple USB Power Adapter Scorns Standard Promise To European Commission", as the iPhone 5 does something that TFMoU considers OK.
On the other side, you can find people moking Apple because their Lightning/USB cable (currently) only support USB2.0 and not USB3.0.
However, USB2.0 is MUUUUUUUUUUUCH faster than LTE or WiFi n.
So, you can't go all wireless until wireless has leaped the bandwidth of wired connections.
Sig (appended to the end of comments you post, 120 chars)
Laughed myself sick when I saw this story right next to Monkeys made smarter with prosthetic device.
Watching a 1080p movie while driving does not really looks like a good idea.
The Micro plug design is rated for at least 10,000 connect-disconnect cycles
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Serial_Bus#Mini_and_Micro_connectors
I prefer 4 hours a week on a train, for a "15 mile" trip.
Current conjecture is that Apple will be able to migrate Lightning to USB without needing any physical changes so the future USB 3 iphone will not have to change connectors. USB 3 will not work over micro USB and there is a different, incompatible connector for this. Sooo...so when USB 3 phones from people other than Apple come out they will either need to leave micro-USB on for charger compatibility (highly unlikely), or they will need to use an adapter just like Apple does. I eagerly await the hyperventilated denunciations of these NON COMPLIANT phones...
Democracy is a sheep and two wolves deciding what to have for lunch. Freedom is a well armed sheep contesting the issue
USB 2.0 is limited to a staggeringly slow 480mbit.
I have installed more apple TV units in board rooms and had IT departments whine at me in the past 3 months
read: 1, in my mums lounge
than I have installed android based anything in the past 5 years
read: 0.
There are no commuter trains in any of the places I have lived. Well, I take that back, there is a commuter train in the "enlightened" non-US city I'm living in now, but the train doesn't serve the north half of the largest city in the country. I'd have to pass work to get to the train station closest to work, and that's the train station closest to me. But if I lived on the south side, then I'd have train service. And from what I can tell, trains aren't that convenient for most of the planet. Sure, NYC, Paris, and Tokyo have decent service, but most of the planet doesn't.
Learn to love Alaska
Every phone I have ever bought has come with a new cable. Come to think of it, every USB device I have ever bought has come with a new cable. Any device that didn't would be subject to whiney reviews saying "they were too cheap to supply a cable".
Apple could quite easily dispense with all the criticism if only they were prepared to make an adapter from Lightning to USB. But they'll never do that because they have to keep everything proprietary.
By the way, there is a much bigger issue with migrating from iOS devices to Android than the connectors as I found out when I wanted to buy my first smart phone. I wanted to buy an Android phone because I had an iPad and an iPod Touch I wanted to compare the interfaces and also experiment with developing for Android, but then I realised that I would have to buy all my apps all over again, so I bought an iPhone. The software is a much bigger lock in than than any wire.
All I want is a secure system where it's easy to do anything I want. Is that too much to ask ~~ Randall Munroe
Don't be so easily trolled. That's an AC, and not necessarily an iPhone owner.
Right, thanks. I'm still in the learning phase of how /. works.
Lightning is, in all likelihood, just USB + general use pins, like the old dock connector.
Besides, if they really needed something faster, there's always microUSB 3.0.
480 millibit is very slow indeed. Is this per second or per hour?
Samsung can get HDMI video out that usb port ... Show me ANYONE that follows a standard.
Actually the Samsung Galaxy S II's HDMI out of a USB port is standard
The video is actually MHL
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_High-Definition_Link#Products
It seems like MHL works by fucking around with the pullups, like USB OTG does.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/23/samsung-galaxy-s-ii-first-with-mhl-port-for-dual-purpose-usb-or/
Essentially, the micro-USB shaped MHL jack at the base of the Galaxy S II features internal circuitry that recognizes USB or MHL impedance and then automatically switches the phone into USB data / charging or MHL audio / video / charging modes. A special 5-wire micro-USB to HDMI cable lets you send video and audio to existing HDMI-equipped displays. Unfortunately, the TV won't charge the Galaxy S II during playback unless you insert a phone charger adapter between the GSII and TV or wait for MHL-enabled TVs to begin shipping later this year. Once connected, you can then use your TV's HDMI-CEC compatible remote to navigate and control the Galaxy S II's media interface. The GSII is just the first MHL device with a half-dozen phones, at least one tablet, and a few TVs coming this summer. More details are available in the video interview after the break.
echo -e 'global _start\n _start:\n mov eax, 2\n int 80h\n jmp _start' > a.asm; nasm a.asm -f elf; ld a.o -o a;
Listening to music on a smartphone on public transport reminds me of a far side cartoon where the lions approach some zebras and all of them scatter except one with headphones on.
echo -e 'global _start\n _start:\n mov eax, 2\n int 80h\n jmp _start' > a.asm; nasm a.asm -f elf; ld a.o -o a;
Even worse Apple fanboys will flame them on their blogs for "relying on an obsolete feature".
echo -e 'global _start\n _start:\n mov eax, 2\n int 80h\n jmp _start' > a.asm; nasm a.asm -f elf; ld a.o -o a;
Good point. So if this gimmick works well it would have been something Apple would have done. And if it doesn't work well, Apple improves it, rebrands it and claims it. Yeah I agree with you.
Now lets see what happens over the next few years with wireless charging.
I think you are thinking of their manufacturing license. Their hardware development license is no bid deal. http://mfi.apple.com/faqs.html They require individuals to manufacturer via. a big company but no such requirement for development.
As for lawyers executing an NDA that can required by states. For example in NJ there are fairly strong protections regarding agreements signed by an individual without council. I agree with you that means they want an enforceable NDA.
No idea, but my bmw didn't come with USB or any other dock. It came with an audio in socket, which I attach to the headphone socket of whichever phone I happen to be carrying.
If I'd paid a little more I'd have bluetooth connectivity, which would let me control my phone (and the music it's playing) from the steering wheel. It wasn't worth it for me.
This was about connectors. When it comes to hardware Apple can be either conservative or drive the industry. For example they only recently moved to USB 3 on their laptops, quite a bit behind windows. While on the other hand they are super early with the whole thunderbolt conversion. That was true during the Jobs era as well.
LOL. That made my day. Guess what. Thunderbolt is driven by Apple and Intel and in competition to USB 3.
Small steps, agreed, but every little bit helps. And even if they didn't, I'd be for it just because I've got enough cables and adapters stuffed in my equipment drawers as it is.
Indeed. Douglas Adams: 'Time to declare war, I think, on little dongly things':
http://www.douglasadams.com/dna/980707-03-a.html
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.
Of course news about a fake are Fake News.
Actually I think that Apple go one better than the EU standard. A lot of iDevices (such as the nano, touch?) ship without a charger. All you get is a cable to connect your iDevice to a standard USB port on a computer or USB charger wall-wart (which you can purchase separately in the unlikely event that you don't already have one).
Result - no power supply to throw away at the end of life.
As to the change from the old 30-pin connector to lightning - I think that was going to happen anyway at some point. How many Samsung/Nokia/LG/Motorola phones have kept the same connector for the last 10 years? Devices have come down in size to the point where making them any smaller (or thinner) would have been impossible withoug getting rid of the old connector.
What most people care about is that their new iDevice comes with a cable that they can use to connect it to a computer/wall wart for charging purposes.
So long as Apple keep the same connector format for the next 10 or so years, accessoies will catch up quite quickly. I don't see most people having a problem with that.
Come on man, it's not that hard... I believe in you, One day, you too can learn to plug it in the dark just like the other billions of people who do it almost every day :)
Never antropomorphize computers, they do not like that
Your USB port uses 1V? That's weird.
Cwm, fjord-bank glyphs vext quiz
Actually, I'm pretty sure that the standard USB 3 connector is fully backwards compatible with existing Micro USB cables. The only thing you can't do is connect a new USB 3.0 B or Micro B cable to an old USB 2.0 device.
Actually, the iPhone is apparently still stuck at USB 2.0 speeds, and what's more there is a standard Micro USB 3.0 connector that's fully backwards compatible with all existing Micro USB cables.
It explicitly allows companies to use an adapter in order to allow companies with existing proprietary charge connectors to sign up to the MoU. Creating a new proprietary connector may not explicitly be against the rules, but it certainly seems to go against the spirit of the agreement.
At the very least, they've violated the spirit of the agreement, even if not the letter.
That is not bluetooth. even bluetooth 7.0 does not have the bandwidth.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
Never said it was bluetooth, I said I could stream full hd over DLNA.
Playing full HD was offered up as an example of why apple needed a 30 pin connector.
It helps if you follow the thread before rushing in to post the obvious.
Sig Battery depleted. Reverting to safe mode.
Apple should be banned from selling all its products in Europe for pulling a stunt like this
Yes and I'm not sure how that disagrees with what I said. They adopted Thunderbolt early, as early as Intel made it available and USB 3 late.
If I were Apple I wouldn't give a rats ass what the EU wants. There isn't a law that requires them to use USB so they should do what the decide is the best way to go. Random countries in Europe are always flogging apple in their courts over stupid shit so I would have told them to piss off as well. Never let the government dictate what is the best course of action for anything. They really suck at it.
If your profit is from selling hardware, what would your reaction be to the European Commission or to anyone else?
Leslie Satenstein Montreal Quebec Canada
You rattled off 3 cities that comprise 30 million people then state most of the planet has poor service?
The agreement says "It's perfectly OK to do XYZ", they did XYZ, how is that in violation of the spirit of the agreement?
I think you mean that it violates what you would like the spirit of the agreement to be.
Assuming of course that the Micro plug is correctly attached to the system. I have an HTC Evo and have seen a lot of reports by EVO users of the connector on the phone failing, thus making it impossible to sync the phone or charge it.
cheap labor conservatives - they want to keep you hungry enough to be thankful for minimum wage.
Fortnight.
Lightning has 8 pins. USB 2.0 has 4 pins. Do you really think that it's nothing but a proprietary USB 2.0 connector? It has enough pins to make USB 3.0 work, and I suspect they've planned ahead for such things when it becomes required.
I have more devices and more cables that use a 30-pin dock connector than micro USB, so that's a pretty standard cable to me that I have at home, work, friend's houses, in my bag, etc.
The USB 2.0 limitation in Lightning would appear to just be either the initial implementation, or all they're choosing to use at the moment. The fact that it has double the pins of a USB 2.0 connector does indicate that there's more going on there, and there seems to theoretically be enough pins available for USB 3.0 if they should choose to implement that in the future.
There also isn't any standard for how you can get video data off of a USB 3.0 port in On-the-Go mode. In theory you can do this, USB 3.0 has the bandwidth to to this, but converting that signal into something that you can connect to a monitor is going to require some sort of external adapter circuitry. Some of the whiny fucks who are bitching about this will shit themselves and wail and say "well Apple should have put an HDMI port on the phone". Really? Why? I have an HTC Evo, it has a micro USB port and a mini HDMI port for connecting to an external monitor. In the two years I've had this phone I've used that adapter exactly zero fucking times. Are there any other useless ports that you twats would like to see on the new iPhone 5? How about an RS-232 serial port, oh, and a Centronics parallel port in case I want to connect the phone to my old HP LaserWriter, and a pair of PS/2 ports would be nice too, you can never tell when you'll want to plug in an old Logitech keyboard and mouse.
There is, in case you didn't know, a thing called "market research". It's where you go out and try to figure out what people will want to buy so you can make stuff that they'll want to buy. Apple did some market research and said "hey, you know what, most people don't connect their phones to their TV sets and don't really want to, so let's do something other than put a useless mini HDMI connector on our phones. Apple is really good at this and always has been. In the 1970s Jobs and Wozniak said "Hey, we think people would like to buy an affordable computer that's easily programmable and expandable" and the Apple I was born. Which every other manufacturer then proceeded to copy with varying degrees of success. Then in the 1980s Apple looked at the Xerox Star and said "Hey, we think that people would like to buy a computer that's easier to use". They made a few fumbles along the way (the Lisa, the original 128k Mac) but eventually got it right with the Ma
cheap labor conservatives - they want to keep you hungry enough to be thankful for minimum wage.
I have more devices and more cables that use a 30-pin dock connector than micro USB, so that's a pretty standard cable to me that I have at home, work, friend's houses, in my bag, etc.
unless you plan on buying a bunch of new adaptors they're not going to be particularly usefull for an iPhone 5.
The fact that it has double the pins of a USB 2.0 connector does indicate that there's more going on there, and there seems to theoretically be enough pins available for USB 3.0 if they should choose to implement that in the future.
not sure if it really has double or if this is just so you can stick it in either way around. either could be the case though.they could make it 3.0 compatible in the future however that would only work on future devices that could handle that.
i spent five minutes thinking and all i got was this crappy sig
That's beside the point. If people want a new phone, they'll buy a new phone, whereas they would most likely re-use any chargers/cables that they'd already bought. This prevents any re-use of cables and chargers even if they choose to stick to the same platform.
You're a temporary arrangement of matter sliding towards oblivion in a cold, uncaring universe
If people want a new phone, they'll buy a new phone, whereas they would most likely re-use any chargers/cables that they'd already bought.
Do any phones actually ship without chargers? I took a look at the Samsung Galaxy SIII as an example, as that seems to bt eht flavour of the month Android phone. Sure enough it ships with a charger.
What about Google's flagship Nexus series? Yep, the latest one still ships with a charger.
Really, the people who are criticising Apple on waste grounds are full of shit.
You are reading the wrong figures. The charger must shut off the current before it reaches 5A, which Note 1 says is for safety reasons. Allowed PD Current Draw from Charging Port is 1.5A (7th row in the table on page 44).
well, yeah. It works good in the dense areas, but most of the population is in intermediate cities, not the largest ones.
Learn to love Alaska
I can over DLNA. NO wires needed. Get with the program grandpa. Wires are so OVER.
Go charge your Android wirelessly. I'll wait....
"We can categorically state we have not released man-eating badgers into the area." - UK military spokesman, July 2007
Apple's new proprietary connector is only there to continue to lock you into new products and to force 3rd party device creators to have to licence the new connector and create a whole new wave of for-iPhone-only devices. Every time you see any proprietary connector, think of it as someone poking you in the eye with a dick. That's really what it is. They are fucking you. In the eye. With a dick. So yeah, fuck Apple.
Really. So the new connector has absolutely no advantages whatsoever over the old 30-pin connector with its now unused Firewire pins, or the non-reversible and only 2-pin data mini-USB? REALLY?
Please go look at the specs before posting.
"We can categorically state we have not released man-eating badgers into the area." - UK military spokesman, July 2007
http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/store/accessory?action=accessoryDetails&accessoryId=47605
There you go son, 20 differ phone models to choose from.
Sig Battery depleted. Reverting to safe mode.
When you're insanely rich, they call them "tycoons."
Views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the author.
Sure... its "baby" steps, but there have been an ENORMOUS amount of proprietary charges out there. I've also gotten angry that even the ones that are USB compatible seem to modulate something about what they're doing so that the cable doesn't work with anything other than the charger that ships with the device (re: HP Touchpad, etc). Sometimes its a voltage limitation, but that's where standards help. Got a cable? Great... use any charger. That... is THE idea. Don't hault innovation by putting a constraint on how big, what shape, and how many pins the adapter should have. But, let's get everyone on board first with how you get power to the cable or adapter.
Yes, phones usually come with a single charger. Most people I know also buy a charger for their car and often get an extra charger to use at home/work so that they don't have to keep carrying it around with them.
I tend to agree that the "waste" argument is a bit weak, but changing connectors is an asshat thing to do. I hated it when Nokia changed their connector size - it's a pain in the arse to have to worry about whether to use the new style or old style connector. I long for the day when you can charge all mobile devices with the same charger - maybe wireless charging will be the answer.
You're a temporary arrangement of matter sliding towards oblivion in a cold, uncaring universe
The spirit of the agreement is to reduce waste by not making not making accessories (specifically, chargers) obsolete when you buy a new phone.
Now tell me, will the amount of electronic waste be increased or reduced by introducing a new dock connector on the iPhone 5?
The new dock connector will still allow you to charge your device from a standard USB charger just fine, thereby not making chargers obsolete, as was the intention.
Again, though, individuals need not apply. Apple will not under any circumstances allow an individual to gain access to the MFi specs. You need to be a company, have legal counsel, and pay for a credit review(?!?)
For a site about things like basic rights, Slashdot users sure do like to censor "dissent".
No, but microUSB being a terrible and dead-end obsolete connector is a better excuse. Locking yourself down to USB 2.0 speeds for years to come would be idiotic.
I might be being a bit special here, but does anyone actually transfer large amounts of data to/from their phone over USB?
For me, the USB port on my phone gets used for exactly 3 things:
1. Charging
2. Tethering
3. Flashing a new firmware
(1) and (2) don't need super high-speed, (3) happens so rarely that I don't care if it takes a bit longer.
For everything else, I just copy over wifi - far less faff than trying to find a cable to plug my phone into the computer (not to mention I can still do this if I left my phone somewhere else in the house rather than having to go get it just to retrieve some photos off it or similar).
So is this supposed need to go faster than USB2 a real need, or an imaginary need that no one actually has?
http://blog.nexusuk.org
Have you ever tried connecting a micro USB cable in the dark, or without stopping whatever you were doing and focusing 100% of your attention on it? EVERYONE hates that aspect of micro USB.
You're referring to the host side of the connector which for your information is also an unchanged USB type A connector in current lightning cables. The device side of the micro-USB cable is not upwardly compatible so when phones other than new iPhones go USB3 they will need to change the device side connectors. The iPhone is just the first phone to change & from what I've seen of the future USB3 connectors, Lightning is clearly superior.
Democracy is a sheep and two wolves deciding what to have for lunch. Freedom is a well armed sheep contesting the issue
My phone has 64GB of storage, it's not unusual for me to be going on a trip and wanting to copy over tens of gigs of stuff. Doing that over wifi (especially when 2.4GHz is painfully over-saturated and few phones support 5GHz 802.11n) can be rather slow.