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EU Votes For Universal Phone Charger
SmartAboutThings writes "The European Union has voted in favor of a draft legislation which lists among the 'essential requirements' of electrical devices approved by the EU a compatibility with 'universal' chargers. According to a German MEP, this move will eliminate 51,000 tonnes of electronic waste. The draft law was approved by an overwhelming majority: 550 votes to 12. At the moment, according to estimates, there are around 30 different types of charger on the market, but manufacturers have two years at their disposal to get ready for the new restriction."
What phones don't simply use the micro or mini USB cable and 500ma? iPhone 5?
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"This is a backwards step because imposing a single charger stifles innovation, curbs research, and may impose extra costs on the consumer. The alternative and better action is to encourage diversity, competition and greater development..."
Seriously? How much "diversity" and "innovation" do you need in terms of a charger?
This is not about the mechanical connector (you can always use an adapter cable). This is about those device manufacturers that verify via USB protocol that the charger is made by them too. So the device won't work with anything else regardless of the fact that the cable fits. The idea is that the check should be on the maximum current supported by the charger, not on its make and model.
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Funny, my Android phone uses a common charger. Apple does not, so I don't buy from them (among other reasons). That's how a free market works. The problem is that too many people aren't willing to give up their precious iPhones in protest to Apple's greedy business practices of using expensive proprietary software. I guarantee you if the majority of Apple's customers stopped buying their products, Apple would start changing. But they don't, so Apple has no reason to stop doing what they are doing. Corporations won't usually self regulate. They will, however, take the most profitable route. If consumers don't demand regulation from corporations in exchange for their money, then obviously it won't happen.
The "other jack" is a USB 3.0 microUSB port. It's backwards compatible with the USB 2.0 microUSB port.
upon the advice of my lawyer, i have no sig at this time
No. He is. They are just his kind of clowns, so they don't look funny to him. That is the only difference.
Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
Because exactly that is what a government is for.
You only see the plug, we see the environment and energy savings.
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From what it sounds like, this legislation is simply the next stage of a law that has been around for years already, and with which Apple has complied since 2011.
Various European standards bodies made legally-binding agreements with Nokia, RIM, Apple, et al. back in 2009 to standardize on micro-USB within two years. Apple complied in 2011 by including a Lightning->micro-USB adapter in the box with all of its European models, and has done so for the last three years. Since that time, the rule has bubbled up the legislative hierarchy and is about to take effect across the EU for all manufacturers, regardless of if they were a party to the original agreements or not.
I.e. This law changes nothing at all for Apple. Moreover, even if it did, the timeline in the summary is incorrect. Member states of the EU have two years to adopt the legislation internally. Manufacturers have an additional year on top of that to abide by it. So even if Apple were forced to replace Lightning with micro-USB, it wouldn't need to do so until 2017.
Because the corporations couldn't stop squabbling like children overdue for naptime long enough to come to an agreement. So papa government had to stand them in opposite corners and make the decision for them.
The only actual features of the lightning connector are that it can be used by people who have suffered too much brain damage to understand spatial orientation and Apple can use dirty tricks to make sure only the unique Apple special snowflake cable can work.
This is what the European Union really does - they set standards so stuff works all over Europe, across borders and across vendors. Like GSM phones. In the past, over 20 years they moved the 220V and 240V countries to 230V. That was completed in 2003. Trying to get the whole EU to use the same AC power plug, though, was not successful.
So when will the Europoean Union mandate a single spoken language and that all cars must drive on the same side of the road?
BS. Android phones would use USB charging anyway, it's the cheapest path.
Apple complied in 2011 by including a Lightning->micro-USB adapter in the box with all of its European models, and has done so for the last three years.
They certainly sell an adapter, but it is not supplied in the box, at least in my experience of devices bought from Apple stores in the UK.
Why do they think this is a matter for governments to decide?
Same reason each country has a standard railroad track, a standard power outlet, etc. Letting industries decide on mutually incompatible standards largely serves to lock in consumers and also creates great inefficiencies in the economy due to incompatbility. Standardization would allow business like cafes & airports to offer charging solutions that fit all their customers, and it would produce less physical waste.
If it's for-profit but free, you're not the customer -- you're the product (e.g., the Slashdot Beta's "audience").
Right you are, it seems. Mea culpa.
Most phones except for the American Company Apple uses a Micro USB.
Oh, please -- put down the flag.
As an American Apple user, I hate the fact that Apple doesn't use the same charger / data cable as everyone else and that, worse, my iPhone 5 isn't even compatible with my iPhone 3 charger. It's an overpriced, short POS that has a pointless chip in it to prevent third party cables from working properly. It's also not water-resistant (which is great in case you accidentally drop the end of it into a glass of water on your desk). All in all, Apple's new charger has significantly worsened my enjoyment of the phone.
So, I'm all for standardization on something nearly everyone else has agreed is sane. Apple gets no free pass for being American with me.
If it's for-profit but free, you're not the customer -- you're the product (e.g., the Slashdot Beta's "audience").
I read it as:
EU Votes For Universal Phone Charger
The draft law was approved by an overwhelming majority: 550 volts to 12.
Offtopic, Inflammatory, Inappropriate, Illegal, or Offensive comments might be moderated up.
I wish DIN would make a standard specification for cordless power tool battery attachment. It'd be nice to be able to interchange brands with batteries and tools.
It's not worth fixing with a proprietary socket that actively detects generic versions and rejects them while more than doubling the cost. It would be worth fixing with a fully open design. Or it could be fixed with color coding the shell around the connectors. It could even be fixed by putting a bump on the top of the connector to make orientation clear.
At the same time, I don't see a bunch or people ripping their hair out because their house key needs a particular orientation.
how is me talking about charger compatibility considered off topic?? lol
You must be new here.
Obviously you've upset a Samsung fanboi. An Apple fanboi will mod you as insightful shortly. I'm screwed as they will both mod me a troll for pointing this out.
Is UK in EU?
Regular USB will do 10 watts, 5 volts 2 amps. My Samsung phone uses just such a charger. Need more? The USB Power Delivery standard, which needs different cables, will handle up to 100 watts, that being 20v 5a.
USB PD was standardized in July 2012 so it has been around for awhile.
There's nothing unreasonable about different companies having different standards. This is none of the governments' business. It's regulation where there should be none. The state should stick to their core business of protecting people from the initiation of force.