US must adopt USB-C charging standard like EU, senators urge
- Reference: 1655484852
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2022/06/17/usb_us_senate/
- Source link:
In a [1]letter [PDF] to Commerce secretary Gina Raimondo, two of Massachusetts' senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren, along with Bernie Sanders (I-VT), say a proliferation of charging standards has created a messy situation for consumers, as well as being an environmental risk.
"As specialized chargers become obsolete … or as consumers change the brand of phone or device that they use, their outdated chargers are usually just thrown away," the senators wrote. The three cite statistics from the European Commission, which reported in 2021 that discarded and unused chargers create more than 11,000 tons of e-waste annually.
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Consumers, the senators argued, are also negatively affected. The same EC report cited above found that the average consumer owns three mobile phone chargers, but despite this some 40 percent reported occasions of being unable to charge their device due to not having the right cable.
[3]Tough news for Apple as EU makes USB-C common charging port for most electronic devices
[4]Apple to replace future iPhone Lightning port with USB-C next year, this guy claims
[5]UN warns of global e-waste wave as amount of gadgets dumped jumps 21% in 5 years
[6]One-size-fits-all chargers? What a great idea! Of course Apple would hate it
The EU's response to the proliferation of Lightning ports, Micro-USB, USB-A and other standards was to simply [7]shut the door on its single market to anyone not adopting USB-C. Commissioners decided early this month to vote that policy into law, giving tech companies 24 months to adapt.
While laws of this type don't single Apple out, the iMaker is definitely a central subject. Speaking to reporters at a press conference announcing the new law, Maltese MP Alex Agius Saliba said the rule applies to everyone, and called Apple out by name.
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"Apple has to abide," Saliba said.
In May, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that from the second half of 2023 Apple may dump the Lightning port used in its iPhones in [10]preference of USB-C . This, he added, could speed transfer and charging rates.
[11]
Under the EU's law, all electronics - cameras, phones, tablets, earbuds, speakers and the like - must be equipped with a USB-C port that can deliver power. While most Android devices, and even newer Apple iPads, come with USB-C, the iPhone is holding stubbornly to its Lightning Port.
"We urge [the Department of Commerce] to follow the EU's lead by developing a comprehensive strategy to address unnecessary consumer costs, mitigate e-waste, and restore sanity and certainty to the process of purchasing new electronics," the senators' letter read.
It's not a stretch to say most people would be happy to ditch cable spiderwebs and cluttered drawers for a few USB-C cords, but USB-C itself is an [12]unstandardized mess . Cables come with different wattage capacities and data transfer speeds, and some USB-C cables are designed to only deliver power, not data. To compound the confusion, USB-C ports can be configured for power alone.
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If the Department of Commerce takes action, it will need to be very precise to prevent USB-C from simply becoming another addition to a confusing maze where the wrong cable is still the wrong cable, but with the added fact they all look the same. ®
Get our [14]Tech Resources
[1] https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23633293/Letter___E_Waste_and_Charging_Cords___6_16_22_1__2_.pdf
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Yqz5hGxeEeQZ-qAn-N-mvAAAAM0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2022/06/07/eu_usb_c_common_charger/
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2022/05/12/apple_lightning_usbc/
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2020/07/02/united_nations_warns_of_global_ewaste_wave/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/23/eu_one_charger_plan/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2022/06/07/eu_usb_c_common_charger/
[8] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Yqz5hGxeEeQZ-qAn-N-mvAAAAM0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[9] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Yqz5hGxeEeQZ-qAn-N-mvAAAAM0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2022/05/12/apple_lightning_usbc/
[11] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Yqz5hGxeEeQZ-qAn-N-mvAAAAM0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[12] https://www.androidauthority.com/state-of-usb-c-870996/
[13] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Yqz5hGxeEeQZ-qAn-N-mvAAAAM0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[14] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
It's an ideal law.
Team-A can say that are battling climate change and e-waste while helping the consumer
Team-B can say they are veto-ing oppresive government interference in the free market
Nothing changes and everyone wins
Can't wait for the typical Apple no response response.
You're charging it wrong.
Don't worry, that's where [1]the Brussels Effect comes in. Device manufacturers prefer to make as few different models as possible to reach as many markets as possible so models in the US will just get USB-C around the same time, regardless of whether American law requires it.
The only manufacturers that might be evading this are the ones that don't plan to sell any devices in the EU anyway. But for them mass production, harmonised production processes, and economies of scale will probably make USB-C the cheapest or simplest option.
The same thing happened with [2]the 2009 EU push to stop using proprietary phone chargers . It only officially applies in the EU but you'll struggle to find proprietary phones chargers anywhere nowadays as the impact was global.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brussels_effect
[2] https://www.digitaleurope.org/resources/memorandum-of-understanding-on-the-future-common-charging-solution-for-smartphones/
Device manufacturers prefer to make as few different models as possible …
… to reach as many markets as possible so models in the US will just get USB-C around the same time, regardless of whether American law requires it.
That does tend to be their preference, but when iPhones with dual nano-SIM support were produced for the Chinese, Hong Kong, and Macao markets starting in 2018, other world markets didn’t receive the opportunity to also sell those models.
There is confusion indeed
My wife has a Samsung Galaxy A3.
So do I.
Yet, because her model is a year before mine, she doesn't have the same connector.
I will readily admit that I am fed up with these shenanigans. I have been forced (business reasons) to use a mobile phone since 2006, and not a single one has come without a specific charger and cable.
If you want to plug a desktop PC, on the other hand, the same cable has been in use for the past twenty years.
Stop the insanity.
Re: There is confusion indeed
I do beg to differ Sir!
For the desktops/laptops I have there are 3 possibilities;
1: 2 pin "figure of 8" (acer laptop adapter)
2: 3 pin clover leaf plug (lenovolaptop adapter)
3: IEC C13/15 (kettle lead) (desktops/servers with builtin psu)
Similarly for external powered drives any of the 3 options could be needed.
So at least 3 different leads potentially required in my household (UK).
Re: There is confusion indeed
I use all of those, 2 laptops with cloverleaf, 2 monitors and 2 printers with C14. A figure of 8 (C8) on the Mac mini. Usb mini-A powering a usb hub. Old raspberry pi micro usb, somewhere there is an external drive with a jack connector.
I have lost count of the number of laptop power leads I have had over the years, HP barrel adaptors (2 types) Lenovo usb-c, macbook MagSafe and probably a few more.
Running behind my tv I have C8s, hard wired cables, C13 etc.
To be honest phones are just an easy target. The rest of the market has so many variations that it is impossible to keep track of.
Re: There is confusion indeed
No confusion. Before USB-C the Chinese had standardized on Micro USB which cleared a lot of the clutter. Now we have USB-C they're switching everything to USB-C. It just takes time to permeate and there's also the usual "Too Big To Go With The Crowd" holdouts.
Its possible to have a connector that's both USB-C and Micro USB. It won't do all the fancy things USB-C does but its adequate for low rate charging and simple I/O.
De-duplication?
I'm not sure about the need for de-duplicating similar chargers. If I have two devices that both need charging, I need two chargers, and it doesn't really matter if they are the same connector style or not. The only advantage I see would be when retiring an older device it might be possible to re-use the older charger with a newer device, assuming that they have the same power requirements.
I have been collecting adapter cables and adapters for years. Both cables and actual adapters for different types of plugs. I can and do adapt USB2 chargers on USB3 devices and vice versa.
And the old wall warts? I have a drawer full. If working, I never throw any away. Saves a lot of time and frustration.
I miss ...
... my iGo charger with interchangeable tips.
Actually, I still have the charger with a selection of tips (mini-USB, micro-USB plus some proprietary Dell and Lenovo laptop tips). I can piggyback a second tip off the charger and charge two different devices at the same time. From 120 Vac, 240 Vac, a 12 Vdc automotive "cigarette lighter" plug or an aircraft dc plug. But when they got out of the phone/laptop power biz, the supply of tips started to dry up. And newer formats were never developed.
They had a great bright blue LED indicator light as well. Guaranteed to keep you wide awake in a hotel room all night.
I fail to see why busybodies in either Brussels, Washington, or elsewhere need to get involved. I buy the tech in my home, and for years now I have not considered a phone unless it used USB-C. It's not like such devices are rare or overpriced. I didn't and don't need a nanny state to establish a single charger and cable standard for my household.
And the piles iof e-waste from manufacturers bundling cheap disposable walwarts don't affect you cos they end up in rivets in China
Nah, it won't get through to law before the Republicans take over again and undo everything they started trying to do. After all, Apple and Google pay an AWFUL LOT of "campaign contributions" to protect their business models.