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Surely Apple continue selling old models for a couple years, so waiting until the last moment would not work.

quitit 3y ago
Not so as the mandate only applies to newly released products sold in the EU, not existing products. Also as the Pro's USB3 controller is in the A-series chip and not a separate component it stands that Apple had already planned the change over -before- the EU even tabled it as a mandatory requirement. Sure you could say that they saw the writing on the wall, which is certainly a factor, but they could have just as easily switched the port without deeper integration into the device just to satisfy a legislative requirement. On the other hand one could equally say: Apple have been transitioning their entire lineup to the type C connector over several years and now would be an appropriate time to bring the phone into the fold. The idea that Apple bent to the will of the EU is largely overblown, it was an obvious change and their hardware indicates that they've been planning this for a while.
- Liquid_Fire 3y ago
  Do you have a source for "newly released"? Everything I can find talks about "new" only. I am not surprised that Apple have planned this for a while, because the EU have been pushing this for a while even before making USB-C mandatory. Previously it was only a recommendation for micro-USB, and Apple was practically the only manufacturer that didn't adopt it. If it was such an obvious change, why did it take them 5+ years longer than other manufacturers?
  - quitit 3y ago
    >The new rules would not apply to products placed on the market before the date of application. Source: The European Parliament website. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20220930IPR41928/long-awaited-common-charger-for-mobile-devices-will-be-a-reality-in-2024 https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20220930IP... > Do you have a source for "newly released"? Everything I can find talks about "new" only. Respectfully the only place you need to be looking for this information is the EU parliament website.
    - Liquid_Fire 3y ago
      Thank you. In my defence, I did see that page, which (apparently incorrectly) says at the top: > By the end of 2024, all mobile phones, tablets and cameras sold in the EU will have to be equipped with a USB Type-C charging port.
      - happytiger 3y ago
        Bear in mind they are preempting the mandatory change by one product cycle. It’s hardly an argument for a progressive change that wasn’t directly the result of inbound regulation.
        quitit 3y ago
        If regulation is the case, then they could have waited until iPhone 17 and implemented as nothing more than a port change. That's not what's happened though - the USB3.0 controller is part of the A17Pro chip. It's trivially debunked that this change is in response to EU enforcement merely by observing the timeline of EU legislation and elementary understanding of chip design and lead time/mass production. This isn't suggesting that they didn't see the writing on the wall, but it's patently evident that the decision was made even before the EU considered making type C the mandatory connection standard. As I said already, it's just as likely this is part of their phased transition into the type C connector. Also these MFi arguments for lightning are nonsense, not only are the fees minimal, but they persist with type C. The EU forcing Apple to switch to the type C connector is largely a HN fantasy. It was happening regardless.

Not so as the mandate only applies to newly released products sold in the EU, not existing products. Also as the Pro's USB3 controller is in the A-series chip and not a separate component it stands that Apple had already planned the change over -before- the EU even tabled it as a mandatory requirement. Sure you could say that they saw the writing on the wall, which is certainly a factor, but they could have just as easily switched the port without deeper integration into the device just to satisfy a legislative requirement. On the other hand one could equally say: Apple have been transitioning their entire lineup to the type C connector over several years and now would be an appropriate time to bring the phone into the fold. The idea that Apple bent to the will of the EU is largely overblown, it was an obvious change and their hardware indicates that they've been planning this for a while.

Liquid_Fire 3y ago
Do you have a source for "newly released"? Everything I can find talks about "new" only. I am not surprised that Apple have planned this for a while, because the EU have been pushing this for a while even before making USB-C mandatory. Previously it was only a recommendation for micro-USB, and Apple was practically the only manufacturer that didn't adopt it. If it was such an obvious change, why did it take them 5+ years longer than other manufacturers?
- quitit 3y ago
  >The new rules would not apply to products placed on the market before the date of application. Source: The European Parliament website. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20220930IPR41928/long-awaited-common-charger-for-mobile-devices-will-be-a-reality-in-2024 https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20220930IP... > Do you have a source for "newly released"? Everything I can find talks about "new" only. Respectfully the only place you need to be looking for this information is the EU parliament website.
  - Liquid_Fire 3y ago
    Thank you. In my defence, I did see that page, which (apparently incorrectly) says at the top: > By the end of 2024, all mobile phones, tablets and cameras sold in the EU will have to be equipped with a USB Type-C charging port.
    - happytiger 3y ago
      Bear in mind they are preempting the mandatory change by one product cycle. It’s hardly an argument for a progressive change that wasn’t directly the result of inbound regulation.
      - quitit 3y ago
        If regulation is the case, then they could have waited until iPhone 17 and implemented as nothing more than a port change. That's not what's happened though - the USB3.0 controller is part of the A17Pro chip. It's trivially debunked that this change is in response to EU enforcement merely by observing the timeline of EU legislation and elementary understanding of chip design and lead time/mass production. This isn't suggesting that they didn't see the writing on the wall, but it's patently evident that the decision was made even before the EU considered making type C the mandatory connection standard. As I said already, it's just as likely this is part of their phased transition into the type C connector. Also these MFi arguments for lightning are nonsense, not only are the fees minimal, but they persist with type C. The EU forcing Apple to switch to the type C connector is largely a HN fantasy. It was happening regardless.