[coob]

Ugh no thanks. Lightning is orders of magnitude superior to other current solutions (except cost). If it came to the point where this was actually enforced, I bet Apple would just pay the fines it receives and just continues to use Lightning.

[yaakov34]

The upcoming USB standard connector is apparently going to adapt and extend most of the nice features of Lightning. There is a nice article on appleinsider about it [1].

I'll bet that the new EU standard adapts that, rather than enshrining some current solution. In fact, the sort-of-non-mandatory previous EU standard (which was micro-USB) was allowed to expire, since they were working on the next one.

As for whether this is possible - yes, it's certainly possible to require compliance with a certain standard as part of product certification for marketing in the EU. To what extent they want to make it mandatory (extra fees, or outright requirement if you want to market in the EU) - we'll see.

[1] http://appleinsider.com/articles/13/12/04/next-gen-usb-conne...

[MBCook]

Except it won't be here for 2+ years and no one has even seen a doodle of what it looks like. Right now, it's basically vaporware.

I do find this odd though. I thought everyone else had standardized on USB-micro because of a previous dictate by the EU. I'm not sure why they're doing it again.

[nolok]

The previous standardisation was based on an agreement, not a law [1]

As for why a law now when it worked without it until now

> "The Common EPS Memorandum of Understanding expired at the end of 2012. The European Commission reported that all of the MoU signatories, "have met their obligations under the MoU," but that most of the signatories declined an EC request to extend the MoU beyond 2012"

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_External_Power_Supply

[SwellJoe]

USB 3.0 is not an order of magnitude inferior to Lightning. As I understand it, the primary reason Lightning was chosen over micro USB was simply that the iPad needs more power than micro USB is specified to provide. That kind of thing can be resolved in the two years we have before this has to go into effect.

I'm always on the side of standard connections. Which is one of several reasons I never choose Apple products. Having it imposed by law feels vaguely wrong, but Apple's behavior (on this front, and several others) also feels vaguely wrong to me.

[fleitz]

I'm usually for standards however in the case of apple, it's basically it's own standard and in the case of MagSafe far superior.

[dingaling]

Magnetic power connectors are clever, but were standard on rice cookers for a couple of decades before Apple adopted them. Not really 'theirs'.

[klausa]

>USB 3.0 is not an order of magnitude inferior to Lightning.

USB 3.0 micro plug is order of magnitude inferior to Lightning in arguably the most important part - experience of plugging and unplugging, which you'll do at least twice a day.

Until we can survive on wireless power, I'll take reversible Lightning over that ridiculous oversized Micro-B USB 3.0 (even the name is ridiculous) plug any day.

[nwh]

Don't hold your breath, "wireless" power is ridiculously inefficient even at extremely short distances. You might as well just use a good plug.

[MBCook]

> As I understand it, the primary reason Lightning was chosen over micro USB was simply that the iPad needs more power than micro USB is specified to provide.

I don't think that's the case. First, they were coming off the older 30-pin dock connector. Second, the connector needs to do far more than just syncing and charging. It's also used for video out, audio out, sensor input, and who knows what other future updates. Apple designed Lightning to be very flexible for future use.

Honestly I don't believe that if USB 3 was more common Apple would have gone with it.

[thirdsight]

Just like AirPrint (IPP), AirPlay (DLNA), AirDrop (Bluetooth/OBEX), Facetime etc...

Basically as usual, it's Apple and everyone else.

I'll stick with my USB charger thanks as it is 100% ubiquitous as I will my Internet Printing Protocol, DLNA (which doesn't even require an Apple box to talk to my TV!) and bluetooth that works properly across all devices I've encountered.

Edit to add: I have 3 Lightning iPads in my house (none are mine personally). The male connectors aren't durable - two dead ones so far. I'm not sure about the sockets either which are way more expensive to replace.

[danbmil99]

So stick with whatever you want, but what gives you the right to demand that by law, Apple must support your preferred charger configuration? If you don't like what Apple has to offer, vote with your wallet and choose a different vendor.

[victorhooi]

I think it's a good thing, to avoid the rampant NIH-ism and vendor lock-in which seems to permeate the industry.

Sony is a good example - look at their MiniDisc fiasco (I owned several MiniDisc devices), or their MemoryStick format.

Just use a open format like SD, and stick to it.

Or look at every single phone manufacturer back in the early 2000's, that had to invent their own (usually) inferior charging standard, in some misguided hope you'd stick with them due to all the chargers you'd bought.

Or the proliferation of laptop charging standards/pins.

Guys - we're delivering power to a portable devices - it's not like we're designing the bloody ISS.

Yes, I can admire the engineering that goes into say, the Lightning adapter being reversible.

But look at all the ridiculousness of Apple's previous 30-pin connector. They could have just used USB. But then the Apple fans goes "But...but....you can't use TV out!". Yeah, well, the Samsung Galaxy II and MHL would disagree with you.

And look at their MagSafe versus MagSafe 2 connectors - they had to change their entire adapter and make it incompatible just to make it what, 2mm thinner?

And even though I don't own an iDevices, I think it's absurd that Apple charges "licensing" fees to use it's connector, and needs to add in "authentication" chips. Really?

This is as bad as inkjet manufacturers like Lexmark putting in authentication chips to their ink catridges.

Same sort of proprietary vendor lock-in nonsense.

[thirdsight]

I did. Which is why I have a Nokia Lumia 820 (which charges via USB or wireless charger).

It's not about preferred configuration. It's about not producing tonnes of electronic waste by having to require an unreasonable magnitude of charger and device configurations.

[coob]

Are you talking about first party connectors? We have projects in rural primary schools in Malawi and are yet to have single cable failure with our dozens of lightning iPads there.

[omonra]

Curious how the decision was made to go with Apple ipad vs a cheaper alternative for rural Malawi schools?

[thirdsight]

Yes, the cables shipped with the devices.

[dippyskoodlez]

I've yet to see a broken lightning connector personally of the 20-30 devices I've seen/used, but I can't say the same of USB. There are sample descrepencies of course, as USB has been around long, but saying the Lightning connector isn't durable is pretty much flat out the opposite opinion of most impressions/experiences, and sounds more like a paid spam-pinion without evidence supporting any specific issues.

[nwh]

The connector is durable but the cable leading up to it isn't. I can of course only speak anecdotally, but I've gone through 4 lightning cables in a year and a half, the kicker being that they're not by any measure cheap (AUD$25). My first one took less than a week to become unusable.

[dippyskoodlez]

The cable itself is a whole nother story(and actually shared between the 30 pin.). Your post implies the connector sucks, when infact its probably one of the best connectors I have ever seen IMO.

[stefan_kendall]

I've literally handled hundreds of second-hand iPads (I traded them for a while), and none of the lightning cables had issues. I'd venture to guess there's something wrong in your house rather than the with the cables.

I've seen tons of dock connector issues with broken ports, but none with lightning so far.

[kubiiii]

The problem is that a very versatile connector (lightning or usb) is also used to make something as trivial as charging a battery. The UE rightfully wishes to standardize the battery charging part only but that means either adopting a standard connector which would be a regression for some constructors or split the functionnalities in a transparent way from the user POV.

[alexcroox]

Agreed, it's smaller, faster and gasp works both ways.