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Apple won't switch. They pissed of many people with the switch to lightning and were aware of that. They will probably do the same thing as with the headphone j

Apple won't switch. They pissed of many people with the switch to lightning and were aware of that. They will probably do the same thing as with the headphone jack: Getting rid of any kind of connector. They already have the basics for that in place. It's just a matter of tooling now.

scarface74 8y ago
Have you ever known Apple not to drop ports in fear of pissing off customers?
- selectodude 8y ago
  They have never had this many customers to piss off. A billion active iOS devices is pretty serious.
  - scarface74 8y ago
    You mean like when they removed the headphone jack? What are those pissed off iOS users going to do? Switch to Android and still have to buy new cables? Edit: The exclamation point was a typo. I didn’t mean to have the tone that might imply.
    - threeseed 8y ago
      > What are those pissed off iOS users going to do? Firstly, the number of those users is from Apple's perspective anyway insignificant. The fact that they stopped shipping the Lightning->3.5mm dongle indicates this. Secondly, there are many workarounds. Including buying the dongle, switching to headphones with Lighting connectors or using Bluetooth.
  - hrktb 8y ago
    It seems with their current customer base, there is so much variety in what people want that they have more leeway to ignore what any specific group cares about. I’d guess for instance the number of people pissed off by a change of cable could be balanced by the people happy to use USB-C. The balance between the two is unknowable beforehand, so I’d imagine Apple managers just not care that much as long as a move makes some sense.
kiallmacinnes 8y ago
Apple did sign on to the EU's "Common external power supply" standardisation process. They didn't however implement it. In fact, Apple signed on in 2008 or 2009 to help develop the standard, which was completed + published in late 2010. Then in 2013, and again in 2014, they signed a agreement to extend to standard through to the end of 2014. But... in 2011 or 2012 they introduced the lightning connector? And meanwhile, the the European Commission confirmed that all the agreements signatories, including Apple, are in compliance. There are some vague references to adaptors being available, and thus allowing them to be compliant with the (voluntary..) standard.. I think lightning will be replaced by USB-C - Some of Apples own products are moving to USB-C. But I find the history of the whole thing interesting. Had Apple taken a difference approach, one of cross-company standardisation, maybe lightning would have been delayed a little, but it could have also been THE standard. Just like USB-C is becoming today. It's all a little reminiscent of Firewire, and Firewire's slow + painful, and ultimately - costly for consumers - demise.
- reaperducer 8y ago
  Apple did sign on to the EU's "Common external power supply" standardisation process. They didn't however implement it. I wonder if going with wireless charging brings Apple into compliance. After all, you can get any number of wireless chargers with whatever connector the EU likes this time around. Drop the headphone jack... Drop the charging port... Make a completely wireless iPhone and tell the regulatory bodies to go stick their heads in a pig.
  - kiallmacinnes 8y ago
    Maybe? My (layman's) understanding is that Micro USB is part of the "standard", and that any compliant Micro USB charger must be able to charge you phone. With some caveat around adaptors.. Hence how Lightning got the +1 - adaptors exist, so a Micro USB wall wart can be used to charge an iPhone.. I guess there is no reason a Micro USB -> Wireless charging adaptor can't be considered the same as a Micro USB -> Lightning adaptor - even if the whole "adaptor" thing is kinda skirting the entire point of the standard...

scarface74 8y ago

Have you ever known Apple not to drop ports in fear of pissing off customers?

selectodude 8y ago
They have never had this many customers to piss off. A billion active iOS devices is pretty serious.
- scarface74 8y ago
  You mean like when they removed the headphone jack? What are those pissed off iOS users going to do? Switch to Android and still have to buy new cables? Edit: The exclamation point was a typo. I didn’t mean to have the tone that might imply.
  - threeseed 8y ago
    > What are those pissed off iOS users going to do? Firstly, the number of those users is from Apple's perspective anyway insignificant. The fact that they stopped shipping the Lightning->3.5mm dongle indicates this. Secondly, there are many workarounds. Including buying the dongle, switching to headphones with Lighting connectors or using Bluetooth.
- hrktb 8y ago
  It seems with their current customer base, there is so much variety in what people want that they have more leeway to ignore what any specific group cares about. I’d guess for instance the number of people pissed off by a change of cable could be balanced by the people happy to use USB-C. The balance between the two is unknowable beforehand, so I’d imagine Apple managers just not care that much as long as a move makes some sense.

kiallmacinnes 8y ago

Apple did sign on to the EU's "Common external power supply" standardisation process. They didn't however implement it. In fact, Apple signed on in 2008 or 2009 to help develop the standard, which was completed + published in late 2010. Then in 2013, and again in 2014, they signed a agreement to extend to standard through to the end of 2014. But... in 2011 or 2012 they introduced the lightning connector? And meanwhile, the the European Commission confirmed that all the agreements signatories, including Apple, are in compliance. There are some vague references to adaptors being available, and thus allowing them to be compliant with the (voluntary..) standard.. I think lightning will be replaced by USB-C - Some of Apples own products are moving to USB-C. But I find the history of the whole thing interesting. Had Apple taken a difference approach, one of cross-company standardisation, maybe lightning would have been delayed a little, but it could have also been THE standard. Just like USB-C is becoming today. It's all a little reminiscent of Firewire, and Firewire's slow + painful, and ultimately - costly for consumers - demise.

reaperducer 8y ago
Apple did sign on to the EU's "Common external power supply" standardisation process. They didn't however implement it. I wonder if going with wireless charging brings Apple into compliance. After all, you can get any number of wireless chargers with whatever connector the EU likes this time around. Drop the headphone jack... Drop the charging port... Make a completely wireless iPhone and tell the regulatory bodies to go stick their heads in a pig.
- kiallmacinnes 8y ago
  Maybe? My (layman's) understanding is that Micro USB is part of the "standard", and that any compliant Micro USB charger must be able to charge you phone. With some caveat around adaptors.. Hence how Lightning got the +1 - adaptors exist, so a Micro USB wall wart can be used to charge an iPhone.. I guess there is no reason a Micro USB -> Wireless charging adaptor can't be considered the same as a Micro USB -> Lightning adaptor - even if the whole "adaptor" thing is kinda skirting the entire point of the standard...