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I reckon it takes the market power of an Apple to hold out on proprietary charging ports. Only reason they held out is 1) keep their accessory licensing revenue

I reckon it takes the market power of an Apple to hold out on proprietary charging ports. Only reason they held out is 1) keep their accessory licensing revenue stream and 2) introduce friction with Android users (see iMessage). Almost no one else has the kind of market power to do that without pissing users off to their detriment. Aside from Apple, the voluntary standards process was working. No one else was still resisting USB-C. Can you name some examples?

anony999 4y ago
There are still laptops with various charger types not to mention digital cameras and other electronics that could use usb-c pd but refuse to adopt it. I think the law should be expanded to any kind of electronic device that whose power requirements can be satisfied by the usb-c specifications.
- btbuilder 4y ago
  Laptops are also covered, but by 2026.
- Robotbeat 4y ago
  Isn’t USB-C at high power kind of expensive per watt? USB-C is not royalty-free, either.
  - anony999 4y ago
    >> Isn’t USB-C at high power kind of expensive per watt? I don't think it's too expensive if you consider the environment impact not to mention the bad user experience caused by multiple chargers. I also believe at certain point the economies of scale should make it less expensive.
speleding 4y ago
Actually there were some solid arguments against USB-C, most importantly that it's not IP rated and therefore is not allowed to be used in kitchen or bathroom equipment. It would be so much nicer if we got one standard that covers everything.
- marsokod 4y ago
  How so? I can find IP67 micro-USB and USB-C connectors on digi-key. Is it a matter of USB-C not having the IP rating as part of its spec? And my latest trimmer is actually using micro-USB, though with an additional plastic plug preventing the use of the charger on another device. But I can charge the trimmer with any other Micro-USB charger.

anony999 4y ago

There are still laptops with various charger types not to mention digital cameras and other electronics that could use usb-c pd but refuse to adopt it. I think the law should be expanded to any kind of electronic device that whose power requirements can be satisfied by the usb-c specifications.

btbuilder 4y ago
Laptops are also covered, but by 2026.
Robotbeat 4y ago
Isn’t USB-C at high power kind of expensive per watt? USB-C is not royalty-free, either.
- anony999 4y ago
  >> Isn’t USB-C at high power kind of expensive per watt? I don't think it's too expensive if you consider the environment impact not to mention the bad user experience caused by multiple chargers. I also believe at certain point the economies of scale should make it less expensive.

speleding 4y ago

Actually there were some solid arguments against USB-C, most importantly that it's not IP rated and therefore is not allowed to be used in kitchen or bathroom equipment. It would be so much nicer if we got one standard that covers everything.

marsokod 4y ago
How so? I can find IP67 micro-USB and USB-C connectors on digi-key. Is it a matter of USB-C not having the IP rating as part of its spec? And my latest trimmer is actually using micro-USB, though with an additional plastic plug preventing the use of the charger on another device. But I can charge the trimmer with any other Micro-USB charger.