The EU has approved a common charger law that will require all devices within specific categories, including smartphones, to standardize on USBC.

Most devices have already gone this way, including Apple's MacBook and iPad lines, but the iPhone line is stuck with Apple's proprietary lightning connector. My guess is because they don't want to go and retool all their manufacturing processes for the phone, especially at this part of the economy. The costs of updating their manufacturing plans are likely a major factor.

This change could open up new options for organizations and consumers in the EU. Standards being good and ensuring that consumers and organizations have options allows for broader ecosystems and it also brings down the cost. However, some people are not fans of highly prescriptive legislation and rule-making. They point out that if the EU had mandated db25 charging ports years ago, we would now be dealing with phones that are the size of cigarette cases.

The question remains, should standards be mandatory? Some argue that it's a good thing to mandate common interfaces, as it can lead to more efficient and innovative solutions. However, others think that the EU is being silly in trying to name USBC, assuming that one day there won't be a USB D or e or F. They point out that if the EU mandates USBC now, the rest of the world will just wave at them and say "nanny nanny boo boo".

The fact remains that Apple will have to retool themselves to do all this work. Getting a device certified for use in both the EU and other regions can be difficult, especially when it comes to radio frequencies. According to someone who works on the Apple RF envelope, sometimes just moving a hole in an RF cage by a fraction of an inch is necessary to get it to pass or fail certain tests.

This change could also have an impact on e-waste. If all devices start using USBC, it's likely that we'll see fewer lightning devices cluttering up landfills and recycling centers. However, the fact remains that some people still have a lot of those devices, and they're now becoming E-Waste.

In conclusion, the EU's decision to standardize on USBC is likely to have both positive and negative consequences. While it could lead to more efficient and innovative solutions, it also raises questions about the role of government in dictating technology standards. As with any major change, there will be those who are excited about the possibilities and those who are skeptical about the impact.

One thing is for sure, however: Apple's iPhone line is stuck with its proprietary lightning connector, at least for now. The company has likely weighed the costs and benefits of updating their manufacturing processes, and has decided not to make the switch just yet. As we wait to see how this evolves, one thing is clear: the future of technology standards is uncertain, but it's going to be interesting to watch.

Meanwhile, smaller companies in Taiwan are already building out solutions based on USBC. They're likely to play a major role in shaping the future of technology standards, and it will be interesting to see how they adapt to the changing landscape. For now, though, the EU's decision is all about standardizing on USBC.

As we move forward, one thing is certain: the days of proprietary charging ports are numbered. The trend towards standardization is already underway, and it's only a matter of time before we see more devices adopting USBC as their go-to technology standard. Whether or not that's a good thing remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure: change is coming, and it's going to be interesting to watch.

The implications of this decision will likely be felt for years to come. As companies adapt to the new standard, we can expect to see more innovative solutions emerge. However, there are also risks involved - what if the rest of the world doesn't follow suit? What if smaller countries or companies refuse to adopt USBC?

These are just a few of the questions that will be on everyone's mind as we navigate this changing landscape. One thing is for sure: the future of technology standards is uncertain, but it's going to be interesting to watch.

In the meantime, Apple will have to find a way to make the transition to USBC work for them. It won't be easy - getting a device certified for use in both the EU and other regions can be difficult, especially when it comes to radio frequencies. However, with time and effort, they should be able to adapt.

The benefits of standardization are clear: it leads to more efficient and innovative solutions. But the process of making this change will likely be slow and painful for some companies - like Apple. It's a reminder that technology standards are not set in stone, but rather are constantly evolving.

As we move forward, one thing is certain: the future of technology standards is uncertain, but it's going to be interesting to watch. The days of proprietary charging ports are numbered, and USBC is likely to play a major role in shaping the future of technology.

The EU's decision to standardize on USBC is just the beginning - it will likely have far-reaching implications for companies and consumers alike. As we navigate this changing landscape, one thing is clear: the future of technology standards is uncertain, but it's going to be interesting to watch.

The question remains, what will be the impact of this decision? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain - change is coming, and it's going to be interesting to watch.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enthis is TWiT the world is changing rapidly so rapidly in fact that it's hard to keep up that's why Micah sergeant and I Jason Howell talk with the people making and breaking the tech news on Tech news weekly every Thursday they know these stories better than anyone so why not get them to talk about it in their own words subscribe to Tech news weekly and you won't miss a beat every Thursday at twit.tv the proprietary i o and power ports have been the name of the game for a long time for device manufacturers however you you may have been seeing the broad impact that the that the market has had uh I'm sorry that Apple's had on the market and most of the eyes are on them Apple has had their proprietary lightning connector port for let's say over 10 years now and they've made a lot of profit from it from those custom specs that are out there and cables that they're selling although organizations and people Grumble about it you know they buy it anyways they don't don't push back well until now European union strikes again and this time they're requiring that specific devices have a more standardized Port like USBC those artists technical article points it out the EU put the final approval into the common charger law that will require all devices within specific categories smartphones included to standardize on USBC now most devices have already gone that way including Apple's MacBook and iPad lines but the iPhone line is stuck with Apple's proprietary lightning connector my guess is because they don't want to go and retool all their manufacturing processes for the phone especially at this part of the uh how the economy is doing especially all the costs of uh of updating their their manufacturing plans not only that does that open the door to more options for organizations consumers in the EU some believe that this will actually be less E-Waste because of it Apple doesn't seem to agree here now my point of view is that they go to USBC it actually opens the door to a number of large number of third-party solutions for charging and for data which could actually can cause some unforeseen consequences sequences when supporting the devices however standards are good and ensuring that consumers and organizations have options allows for broader ecosystems and it also brings down the cost you want to bring my co-host in here because I think I'm sure that they have several different points of view here what do you guys think is the decision here going to impact the market in any way what do you think Critters well in terms of moving the needle on sales one way or the other I don't think so it might boost sales of um uh lightning to USB transition cables but but that's about it um I'm not a fan of Highly prescriptive legislation and Rule making uh what what if the EU had existed and had mandated that we all do db25 for our charging ports we would now be dealing with phones that are the size of cigarette cases um I I just don't know that it's a good thing to do our standards good sure uh should standards be mandatory I'm not convinced at least not at this level um so I I don't see that it has any tremendously harmful effects but I'm not a big fan of going about it this way right what about YouTuber it seems strange that Apple will have to go retool themselves to do all this work you think they'll just do it for the EU and and restrict it only there and still sell the remaining backlog of inventory of lightning stuff to the rest of the world uh let's take a look at that first statement retooling now I don't know if you know if you've ever been involved with a device that has a radio in it getting it FCC certified or EU certified is difficult and any time you change any perforations of your shielded case it's almost black magic to retune the RF envelope um someone near and dear to our good friend Padre actually works on the Apple RF envelope and he said sometimes just moving a hole in an RF Cage just a fraction of an inch you know we're talking about moving it sub millimeters will be all that's necessary to get it to pass or fail certain tests now as far as some of the other comments in this article e-waste well if all of a sudden the the most popular phone on Earth and I believe it still is changes its interface that means all the lightning devices that people have and a lot of us have you know I've got a ton of them are now becoming E-Waste it's going to be a flood you know maybe in the long run a USBC would be great yeah there you go um I happen to really like USBC but the Lightning's been around it is a hermaphroditic um cable meaning you can plug it in either way just like the USBC I think my only uh complaint about the lightning is it doesn't have enough ground lines so powering high-powered devices is actually kind of hard so USBC is better there but let's tell a really short version of this story mandating an actual interface has a lot of interesting ramifications having been with the United States government and working in some interesting environments there were lots of cases where the government mandated certain things let's put it this way we still use paper tape on some devices in the in the classified world and that's because of someone mandating that paper tape must be supported and it is still supported 30 years later is that what's going to happen to USBC I say it's great to mandate that we go to a common interface someday but I think the EU is being silly and trying to name USBC because maybe someday soon there's going to be a USB D or e or F and if they've mandated USBC the rest of the world will just wave at the European Union and say nanny nanny boo boo right right the usb4 is coming along I know I've noticed I've noticed a lot of uh smaller companies out of Taiwan and so on building out these Solutions so we'll just see we'll see let's see how this evolvesthis is TWiT the world is changing rapidly so rapidly in fact that it's hard to keep up that's why Micah sergeant and I Jason Howell talk with the people making and breaking the tech news on Tech news weekly every Thursday they know these stories better than anyone so why not get them to talk about it in their own words subscribe to Tech news weekly and you won't miss a beat every Thursday at twit.tv the proprietary i o and power ports have been the name of the game for a long time for device manufacturers however you you may have been seeing the broad impact that the that the market has had uh I'm sorry that Apple's had on the market and most of the eyes are on them Apple has had their proprietary lightning connector port for let's say over 10 years now and they've made a lot of profit from it from those custom specs that are out there and cables that they're selling although organizations and people Grumble about it you know they buy it anyways they don't don't push back well until now European union strikes again and this time they're requiring that specific devices have a more standardized Port like USBC those artists technical article points it out the EU put the final approval into the common charger law that will require all devices within specific categories smartphones included to standardize on USBC now most devices have already gone that way including Apple's MacBook and iPad lines but the iPhone line is stuck with Apple's proprietary lightning connector my guess is because they don't want to go and retool all their manufacturing processes for the phone especially at this part of the uh how the economy is doing especially all the costs of uh of updating their their manufacturing plans not only that does that open the door to more options for organizations consumers in the EU some believe that this will actually be less E-Waste because of it Apple doesn't seem to agree here now my point of view is that they go to USBC it actually opens the door to a number of large number of third-party solutions for charging and for data which could actually can cause some unforeseen consequences sequences when supporting the devices however standards are good and ensuring that consumers and organizations have options allows for broader ecosystems and it also brings down the cost you want to bring my co-host in here because I think I'm sure that they have several different points of view here what do you guys think is the decision here going to impact the market in any way what do you think Critters well in terms of moving the needle on sales one way or the other I don't think so it might boost sales of um uh lightning to USB transition cables but but that's about it um I'm not a fan of Highly prescriptive legislation and Rule making uh what what if the EU had existed and had mandated that we all do db25 for our charging ports we would now be dealing with phones that are the size of cigarette cases um I I just don't know that it's a good thing to do our standards good sure uh should standards be mandatory I'm not convinced at least not at this level um so I I don't see that it has any tremendously harmful effects but I'm not a big fan of going about it this way right what about YouTuber it seems strange that Apple will have to go retool themselves to do all this work you think they'll just do it for the EU and and restrict it only there and still sell the remaining backlog of inventory of lightning stuff to the rest of the world uh let's take a look at that first statement retooling now I don't know if you know if you've ever been involved with a device that has a radio in it getting it FCC certified or EU certified is difficult and any time you change any perforations of your shielded case it's almost black magic to retune the RF envelope um someone near and dear to our good friend Padre actually works on the Apple RF envelope and he said sometimes just moving a hole in an RF Cage just a fraction of an inch you know we're talking about moving it sub millimeters will be all that's necessary to get it to pass or fail certain tests now as far as some of the other comments in this article e-waste well if all of a sudden the the most popular phone on Earth and I believe it still is changes its interface that means all the lightning devices that people have and a lot of us have you know I've got a ton of them are now becoming E-Waste it's going to be a flood you know maybe in the long run a USBC would be great yeah there you go um I happen to really like USBC but the Lightning's been around it is a hermaphroditic um cable meaning you can plug it in either way just like the USBC I think my only uh complaint about the lightning is it doesn't have enough ground lines so powering high-powered devices is actually kind of hard so USBC is better there but let's tell a really short version of this story mandating an actual interface has a lot of interesting ramifications having been with the United States government and working in some interesting environments there were lots of cases where the government mandated certain things let's put it this way we still use paper tape on some devices in the in the classified world and that's because of someone mandating that paper tape must be supported and it is still supported 30 years later is that what's going to happen to USBC I say it's great to mandate that we go to a common interface someday but I think the EU is being silly and trying to name USBC because maybe someday soon there's going to be a USB D or e or F and if they've mandated USBC the rest of the world will just wave at the European Union and say nanny nanny boo boo right right the usb4 is coming along I know I've noticed I've noticed a lot of uh smaller companies out of Taiwan and so on building out these Solutions so we'll just see we'll see let's see how this evolves\n"