Swiss government wants universal charger for Smartphones in 2017

[Toddwjp]

standards are always good, i remember the days when every phone had a different charger and connector,

[Ekpyrosis]

In fact, North America is less standardized compared to the EU, because there is no law forcing manufacturers to use any specific port type. Nor should there be. Mark my words, this will stifle innovation in the long run. Once a specific connector is adopted as the "standard", changing to a new one will be a much bigger hassle then it already is.

I don't think it will stifle innovation. Companies can still use whatever connector they came up with, as long as they release an adapter, they don't break EU law. That's also the reason why Apple's use of the Lightning connector is legal. And I think this requirement for adapters makes technology transitions easier, if anything.

[s3ns3]

To be honest, android's kind of already did this with micro usb, switching to type c in the coming years... It's frankly only Apple that needs to adapt

no no no. apple did the forward move,going with a solid and reversible connector.its just a better port than the crappy microusb. only now android starts to adapt with the usb type-c

hence why i selected the 3rd option. its either that,or forever crap microusb like connectors. who knows maybe a company(apple or samsung?) will make a phone with wireless charging-anywhere in the house. maybe it will be goodbye cables

 

but theres something that i dont get

 

''Towards a single charger for mobile telephones''  -  they mean the actual wall charger right? not a universal port? or both?

[dalekphalm]

I don't think it will stifle innovation. Companies can still use whatever connector they came up with, as long as they release an adapter, they don't break EU law. That's also the reason why Apple's use of the Lightning connector is legal. And I think this requirement for adapters makes technology transitions easier, if anything.

Do you have a source indicating that any connector is permitted, as long as you can use an adapter to (presumably) USB Type C? I have not seen anything indicating that.

[jaggysnake57]

That's one of those things you can't really say without examples. They were hardly the first in anything large markets, there were earlier smartphones (not good but there were) there were tablets (again, not that good), etc, etc. Apple steals plenty as well, they always have. Shamelessly. So please give some examples. Everybody in those industries copy, and each of them has one or two changes/innovations per decade that the rest steal from.

 

 

 

http://www.cnet.com/news/what-steve-jobs-really-meant-when-he-said-good-artists-copy-great-artists-steal/

http://www.fastcodesign.com/1672799/5-ideas-apple-gleefully-stole-from-google-twitter-and-microsoft

 

Stealing and copying are good things in that industry. And Apple does plenty of both, as does everyone else.

 

captive touch, hi res screens, premium finish, fingerprint scanners, apps, really good phone cameras, force touch.....all things apple pushed forward and all things that everyone started jumping on the band wagon with. they lead and people follow.

[Sauron]

captive touch, hi res screens, premium finish, fingerprint scanners, apps, really good phone cameras, force touch.....

 

None of which apple invented... especially "apps", they're just programs. They copied them and applied improvements in some cases. Which is exactly what everyone Apple is suing did. Apple straight up invented maybe one or two things (and I can't think of them right now).

[ashypanda]

didn't the EU pass this a few years ago and it's supposed to come in to effect either next year or 2017, as the EU has done the same for laptop chargers to reduce the amount of E-waste, and because of this apple was forced to make a lightening to microUSB adaptor.

[QueenDemetria]

I still don't really understand how they got around the EU law that requires phones to be able to charge using micro usb (or some other similar law).

This is how: 

product link(Apple UK)

Loopholes... 

[SansVarnic]

Calm down girls and boys!

 

Actually there is already a law enforcing this in the EU and as far as I know in the US as well.

But only the charger has to be universal with an USB conncetor. The cable from the charger to the phone can still be proprietary. That is fine and doesn't needed to be changed.

Switzerland is finally also erforcing this too.

 

Not in the US

 

North America is already standardized, isn't it? I think the lack of standardization is a European thing.

 

Anyway, it's a good thing for sure. Companies like to be non-standardized because then each device's connector is proprietary, and each manufacturer can charge a bigger premium for their socket, and can ensure that their customers will only buy from them. Basically, non-standardization enables price-gouging and anti-competitiveness.

 

Standardization doesn't keep the industry from moving to something new and better. If something better comes out, then the industry will make use of it - using a standardized connector.

 

Not in the US

 

There is most definitely not a law enforcing Smartphone charging standards in the US. Companies are free to use any connector port they want. Micro USB has become the de facto standard among basically all smartphones aside from Apple, but it's not by law.

 

North America is no more standardized than the EU. Micro USB remains the de facto standard, but manufacturers are free to use whatever port they want. Apple chooses to use the Lightning Connector, for example (It really is superior to Micro USB - we'll see how it compares to USB Type C over the long term though).

 

In fact, North America is less standardized compared to the EU, because there is no law forcing manufacturers to use any specific port type. Nor should there be. Mark my words, this will stifle innovation in the long run. Once a specific connector is adopted as the "standard", changing to a new one will be a much bigger hassle then it already is.

 

Correct

 

I'm not talking about the connector on the phone, it the one on the charger (USB type A female) the is universal.

 

Yes its universal but no law incorporates/forces it. The USB A connector is a unspoken universally accepted deal among the major companies.

 

That's not a law, or a universal standard. It's a de facto standard, just like the Micro USB side is.

 

It just so happens that most charging cables are also data cables, so it makes sense from a manufacturers perspective to use USB Type A Male as the other end of the cable, and by extension, to use USB Type A Female as the input port on the charger brick.

 

Correct.

 

If such a law existed in the US this conversation would not be taking place. Since Apple, MS, Google, IBM, etc are all based in the US.

[dalekphalm]

captive touch, hi res screens, premium finish, fingerprint scanners, apps, really good phone cameras, force touch.....all things apple pushed forward and all things that everyone started jumping on the band wagon with. they lead and people follow.

Yeahhhhh, my piece of crap LG IQ (Windows Mobile 6.5) had a fingerprint scanner, and that phone came out in 2010. Apple introduced their fingerprint scanner (TouchID) with the iPhone 5s, which came out in 2013. LG beat them by three years, and I doubt LG was even the first to have an integrated fingerprint scanner.

 

Apple takes an existing product, technology, or service, and improves it. Makes it shiny, well polished, and easy to use. They didn't invent Capacitive touchscreen enabled Smartphones either - LG - yep - they did that too with the LG Prada:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LG_Prada

 

They beat Apple to market by about 3 months, back in 2007.

 

Premium finish? They didn't invent premium finish by any stretch, although they certainly popularized it. But that's kind of their thing - they popularize things to the masses.

 

No one is claiming that Apple hasn't been important to the Smartphone industry. We'd probably all still be using shitty blackberry's and half-baked, barely usable Android pieces of crap if Apple hadn't pushed the envelope. But they have invented very very very few things in the Smartphone market.

[qwertywarrior]

There are universal laptop chargers. Granted they'll probably kill your laptop because they have to adapt to the power requirements and computers need a very stable source of power, but they do exist.

im talking about the connector part

[suicidalfranco]

captive touch, hi res screens, premium finish, fingerprint scanners, apps, really good phone cameras, force touch.....all things apple pushed forward and all things that everyone started jumping on the band wagon with. they lead and people follow.

capacitive touch: IBM 1960s (if you meant multi-touch, multi-touch: LG Prada)

high res display: LG GC900 Viewty Smart April 2009

fingerprint scanner: Pantech GI100 Q2 2004

apps: every symbian based phone could run java apps, every symbian based phones had a good enough browser to download said apps

really good phone cameras: Samsung i8910 Omnia HD May 2009

[Mooshi]

It's called "micro usb". Any company not adapting to this standard (Apple) is a scrib.

[Ekpyrosis]

Do you have a source indicating that any connector is permitted, as long as you can use an adapter to (presumably) USB Type C? I have not seen anything indicating that.

It's micro USB (but I'm talking about the EU, not about Switzerland)

4.2.1 In order that compatibility of as many Mobile Phones as possible with a Common EPS [External Power Supply]

may be enabled, if a manufacturer makes available an Adaptor from the Micro-USB connector

of a Common EPS to a specific non-Micro-USB socket in the Mobile Phone, it shall constitute

compliance to this article.

source

But now that I look into it, it seems that it was a voluntary agreement and it's no longer in effect.

So calling it a law is a bit of a strech and some (myself included) were misinformed about EU "legislation".

[TrigrH]

@ everyone who is like "OMFG we will be stuck on USB-C forever"

 

1. Just like the standard type A connector you can have compatibility and still improve the design, USB 1.1 was released in August 1998 and still works in a type A 3.1 port. (correct me if i'm wrong)

2. USB-C can handle 100 watts..... (apple ipad charger is 12w btw)

 

there is no issue with "stagnation" here. 

[Samfisher]

Aren't all chargers already compatible with everything?  It's only the cable that needs changing, the chargers are all standard fare.

[SydneySideSteveSomewheres]

Sure, QI charging.

 

It's the only way to avoid issues with future pinouts and connector advances. 

 

But IMHO the government should have exactly zero say in what charging standard companies prefer to use on their devices.

 

Although Apple have been filing Patents for Wireless charging which Apple calls Near Field Magnetic Resonance (NFMR) for some time now. Currently the technology of wireless charging, you mentioned QI or Power Matt, the actual power inducing process uses more energy than normal corded charging. Which could mean that option would seem to work against the objective of green technology and also there are different standards of inductive charging too.

That being said, certainly the technology is moving in that direction, and it would be expected that a magnetic wireless charging mat for an automotive application should arrive soon (to the luxury car market anyway).

 

This is how: 

product link(Apple UK)

Loopholes...

This may be an alternative but if you go into an Apple store to pick up the next generation thing with all the bells and whistles. The sales attendant will hardly look at selling you a five dollar connection adapter (  :lol:  when 2m Lightning cable costs USD$29). More likely they would tell you that you can have any phone want but due to the new regulations you will need to purchase the "iHump" battery pack (with a small redesign to make it only accept the new "rated" charging cable). The loophole would therefore be along the lines of...

The new user/owner could not be enforced to put that iHump on their device.

Apple would be in the clear as they made sure the device left the store qualified to use the "rated" charging cable.

The sales clerk made an extra hundred on the sale, with no pressure sales tactics required.  B) 

 

 

Links

PATENTSCOPE- World International Property Organisation (WIPO)

Apple Store- Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Dock

Apple store- iPhone 6s Battery case (people call me iHump)

Androidcentral.com- QI & Power Matt in Starbucks

Autonews.com- Automakers Gamble on Wireless Charging Standard

[suicidalfranco]

can't believe that there are people who actually believe that going back to this

is a good thing

[Real_PhillBert]

 Although Apple have been filing Patents for Wireless charging which Apple calls Near Field Magnetic Resonance (NFMR) for some time now. Currently the technology of wireless charging, you mentioned QI or Power Matt, the actual power inducing process uses more energy than normal corded charging. Which could mean that option would seem to work against the objective of green technology and also there are different standards of inductive charging too.

 

 

I don't believe the consolidating of charging connectors has anything to do with green technology. Yes, inductive charging is less efficient than other options but it does eliminate the need for regular updates to pinned connectors, and the amount of power loss during an inductive charging process on your phone is essentially negligible when viewed in the context of your daily energy usage. 

 

People are running around this thread like we are going to be using USB-C for the next 100 years, I have news for you; we aren't. Therefore a government mandated adoption of any fixed pin connection is short sighted and potentially harmful to the market. 

[Trixanity]

If it isn't about reducing waste or going green, then what is it? It's not like they decided that one has to use a government issued standard.

I can imagine that, if necessary, changing a standard such as this every 5, 10 or 15 years will be healthy for both the environment and for the industry.

This means the industry have to come up with a significantly improved design instead of incremental if they wish to make their new design incompatible with the old.

I think usb-c will prove to be a robust design that will last 10 years at least.

Micro usb-b was designed in a time before the smartphone revolution, before needing devices on the go like usb thumb drives and other peripherals that can be used across multiple devices and form factors.

Usb-c was designed with these use cases in mind and with room for improvements in technology such as increased bandwidth among other things.

[dalekphalm]

It's micro USB (but I'm talking about the EU, not about Switzerland)

source

But now that I look into it, it seems that it was a voluntary agreement and it's no longer in effect.

So calling it a law is a bit of a strech and some (myself included) were misinformed about EU "legislation".

Neat. You learn new things every day. I agree, that's very misleading. if it's voluntary, then it's not really law. However, I'm happy with that as a method of compliance.

 

@ everyone who is like "OMFG we will be stuck on USB-C forever"

 

1. Just like the standard type A connector you can have compatibility and still improve the design, USB 1.1 was released in August 1998 and still works in a type A 3.1 port. (correct me if i'm wrong)

2. USB-C can handle 100 watts..... (apple ipad charger is 12w btw)

 

there is no issue with "stagnation" here. 

Yeah, and the Type A connector is kind of shit, not being reversible. That's WHY Type C connector was invented (in part). And yes, I know there are non-standard third party reversible Type A connectors.

 

You're counting on Type C being able to keep up with technological changes. We have absolutely no way of knowing whether it will or not. Why hamstring manufacturers by forcing compliance? Most will adopt Type C anyway, and those that don't (Apple) offer a viable alternative with it's own benefits. As much as everyone hates Apple, and as much as they charge a premium for accessories, the Lightning connector is a damn good connector.

 

can't believe that there are people who actually believe that going back to this

-snip-

is a good thing

There are exactly zero people advocating for that. What we're worried about, is that if a single connector is adopted by law as a standard, it'll become difficult to change that connector when a new and better one is invented. It already takes long enough to change connectors when any manufacturer is free to do so at any time.

 

Additionally, there may be a lack of innovation in the mobile computer connector interface industry, since who is going to want to invest in developing a new connector when there is no guarantee that it'll be adopted as the new standard.

[-BirdiE-]

While I have loved it since the industry switched almost entirely to micro-usb, I worry that standardizing the charger would inhibit innovation. Yes, even when saying "oh, but if a better technology comes along we can totally switch to that!", I feel that company's won't even start the R&D process unless it is guaranteed to be used to some degree, and a standardized industry won't guarantee the use of anything before significant amounts are spent on R&D.

[rockking1379]

Dude, calm down It was a joke, Apple Isnt all bad, they do have for example a very good OS. OSX Is usually much more stable than Windows and their computers are tested to be stable before they are shipped... Learn to take a joke... damn.... Butthurt lvl 100...

yeah i take offense to people like you! words are hurtful and you need to know that. what you say or write has an impact on people. now you are on the defense because someone called you out on it. i dont take calling people "dumb", "retarded", or "idiot" jokingly. they are serious matters and should be addressed seriously

[kuddlesworth9419]

It has nothing to do with innovation because all power chargers are essentially they are the exact same thing. The only difference s the interface. Wattages should be the same anyway.

[Norseman4]

The standardization for chargers could be easily solved with a dongle. Apple would have lighting to USB power, other devices would have USB-B/C to USB-C/B depending upon what is finally standardized on.

 

Make those charging dongles cheap to purchase separately, ~$2.00 for the USB based devices and $25 for Lightning (c'mon, it's Apple), and include them with all new purchases and everybody is happy.