You may have heard news that the EU is mandating that digital devices use USB-C ports for charging. Basically, all tablets, phones, laptops, cameras, etc must have a USB-C port to charge, as opposed to something like Apple’s Lightning port found on iPhones. And you know what? I’m ready for it!
Yes, seriously. I have so many devices now that use USB-C to charge; it’s great! So common, so ubiquitous, so simple. Everywhere I go in my house or at work. Every room. Every charge plug. It’s all USB-C all the time.
Well, almost. There’s still Lightning for iPhone. And AirPods. Also my 8th-gen iPad.
But I don’t use my iPad much anymore. And I always charge my iPhone via Qi “wireless” inductive pads. So I’m almost 100% USB-C. In fact, for Christmas I received a gift of new over-the-ear headphones. And guess what? They charge via USB-C. Because of course.
 |
| Photo by Marcus Urbenz on Unsplash |
Other than my Apple gear with Lightning, I have one micro-USB device hanging around…for now. It’s a JBL Go 2 bluetooth speaker. And it’s on the chopping block, soon to be replaced by a newer version that uses USB-C.
There’s an argument that mandating USB-C may stifle innovation. I think there might be some merit to that point, but overall I think the convenience and simplicity of having a single universal port overrides potential limits to innovation.
There’s also some push back against the precedent of a public government entity dictating what a private company can or can’t do. But I’ll leave such politics to better minds. As an end-user, I’m ready for USB-C in all the things.
Are you ready for USB-C in all devices? Why or why not?
Interesting story! Really mixed feelings about this... Fewer proprietary cables is a good thing, it ought to help reduce landfill. We "commoners" wait around a long time for big companies to set wise standards, and when they don't, is it unreasonable for the government to step in? I don't feel great about it being top-down. On the other hand, it's hard to see how the situation would have improved any other way.
ReplyDeleteOn the flip side, if Apple does come up with something truly innovative, they could always sell those products in the US and elsewhere outside the EU. It would soon become apparent if it was a better solution than USB-C, or if it was just a money grabber. :)
Good point, Marian. Reducing e-waste is one of the reasons the EU wants to mandate this. And on the subject of government overreach...in general I prefer less gov't as it tends to grow too big, but it's good to have it as a check/balance against things, like capitalism, when they likewise grow too big.
DeleteAlso agree that letting the market decide what works best, consumers voting with their wallets, works well enough most of the time.
It will be interesting to see how all plays out! Thanks for your thoughts too :)