Yay for my EU! This is great news - I don't know how many of these suckers are in my house. We need more bold moves like these. Time to get innovation starting.
Have you seen how small the the charger is on the 3G S? That is the tiniest charger I have ever seen. The problem the EU is addressing is that chargers are thrown into land fills along with the phone. In the case of iPhone, I don't think many are going to be thrown away because they make pretty decent WiFi and iPod devices even after they are replaced with a new phone.
Yes, Apple is already pretty standardized. Nevertheless, at some point an iPod or iPhone will break down and not being worth repairing or its resale value will drop to zero but the charger will still be fine. Unless you sell or give away your Apple devices before they come completely obsolete, you are bound to accumulate those chargers eventually.
If you are out with your iPhoneGS using your turn by turn GPS and your battery runs down, you can run into a gas station and buy a standard 12 volt microUSB car charger and keep running on down the road.
So to limit the number of chargers that end up in land fills we will sell them cheap on every corner?
There are quite a lot of reports of inserting a FW400 plug the wrong way into the connector, thus connecting the power pins with the data lines and consequently frying something along the data path. I have seen it myself, once somebody forces a FW400 plug the wrong way in, no extra force is needed a second time (thus easily frying a second device). The FW800 connector is much more foolproof in this respect.
I agree that the FW400 connector wasn't quite 'directional' enough to prevent this, although I can't imagine forcing one in that way (unless the build tolerances were so sloppy that it allowed it with little pressure).
The FW800 connector, on the other hand, is a pain in the ass. I defy anyone to reach around and plug one in blind. Hell, when everything is colored black and the lighting sub-optimal, I have a hard time getting it right even if the port is facing me. If they're going to supersede FW400 and throw out the connector, at least design a replacement that inserts easily.
At least Ethernet survived all the upgrades using the same connector. But alas, that's coming to an end after 10G (which is pushing the limits of RJ-45 as it is).
I want a single tiny fibre-optic sexless connector for all data in the future. Plug it in anywhere, and let the device sort it out. Network, peripheral, A/V, storage...
I'm all for standardisation in cases like this, and all for regulation in order that it is achieved as quickly as possible. However I do think that they've standardised the wrong end of the cable here. Why not standardise on a power brick with a standard-sized USB connector on it, and have every phone which doesn't employ a micro-USB connector on the phone itself (which should be recommended but not compulsory) include a cable ending with a stndard USB connector?
That way you can still have the benefits of a more capable connector like the iPhones, but have the other benefits such as being able to plug any device into either a USB charger (lots of these around already) or a computer, or indeed anything else with a standard sized USB connector?
Then we would see, for example, cars coming out with rows of USB connectors in them which you could connect your phone or iPod or camera or whatever into for charging and accessing services. I don't think a micro-USB connector is entirely practical for that type of application because it's just too small and fiddly. So I applaud the idea but I think the detail of how its achieved is basically wrong.
I just hope they don't do away with the dock connector or else a lot of accessories will be useless, including my Alpine car stereo iPod adapter. With Apple's track record for frequent obsolescence of features, I wouldn't put it past them to do that.
I don?t think that will happen based on this initiative. What I do find a bit funny is that Apple will have to ship an additional adapter to apply to this motion to reduce adapters. I suppose they could also forego the wall charger being included but seems like something you do later on after the 30-pin-to-Micor-USB adapter solution is well placed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by trumptman
I had recommended they put the microUSB on the top of the iPhone and the dock connector on the bottom. No matter what they do, it is good news in my view.
The EU finally didn?t something with tech that makes sense.
great so everyones just gunna make silly adaptors so there phone can be compatable with mini USB. Who has stakes in mini USB. Are they made in Europe or something.
How about taking a minute to look it up rather than airing such poor assumptions?
It's still weak, I would think it needs a few years of work yet.
Quote:
Originally Posted by noirdesir
How do you allow people to keep using their old chargers without agreeing on some kind of standard?
How about just not changing the connectors every generation of products and having different connectors for different model lines? Somehow, Apple has managed to make their dock connector work for three generations of phones and five generations of iPods, two of Touch and several of nano. There were a couple hiccups, such as killing Firewire charging (not sure why they did that), but they did offer a couple years transition away from Firewire charging, I wish the communication between Apple and accessory makers was better about that, it sounds like Belkin, etc. were caught unaware of the new guidelines.
The cables and adapters can and do get lost on occasion, so old cables can still be pretty useful.
Quote:
Originally Posted by noirdesir
There are quite a lot of reports of inserting a FW400 plug the wrong way into the connector, thus connecting the power pins with the data lines and consequently frying something along the data path. I have seen it myself, once somebody forces a FW400 plug the wrong way in, no extra force is needed a second time (thus easily frying a second device). The FW800 connector is much more foolproof in this respect.
If that's true, to me, that sounds like the someone was trying to be dumb. Really, forcing Firewire in backwards means that someone is more willing to brute force it than think for five seconds and try it the other way. Those people should not be allowed to use electronics. Making things idiot proof doesn't work, because there will always be an arms race between idiot proofing and making idiots that can manage to bypass idiot proofing.
I'm all for standardization (well, intelligent standardization), but I already see how this can be subverted. The Micro USB connector is fine for small, handheld devices, but what happens with something that uses a bit more power? Netbooks, portable DVD players (as long as people continue to use discs), portable hard drives... what do these devices use? I'm guessing/hoping that the full-sized USB power port becomes as commonplace as the anachronistic auto cigarette lighter socket, namely at each seat position in a car and airplane, at library and hotspot tables, in hotels, etc. If this happens, the cancerous Sony Wall-Wart Disease may finally become a thing of the past.
So currently you have 1 plug for your iPhone and iPod but now you'll have the super-duper awesome ability to use another adapter to power your iPhone but don't try to use it plug into your computer becasue the bandwidth is @ss - yeah, brilliant...
This standard might be good for everybody else but when the iPhone uses the exact same cord as the iPod and thus there are 100's of millions of them and you can get a cord for it anywhere and not to mention the data capabilities are crap, umm, yeah. Maybe a win for everybody else but certainly just a waste for Apple - my iPhone doesn't need a half-capable charging only port on it...
Wait, what crap data bandwidth? Doesn't Micro USB use the same USB signaling that's in the dock connector? Besides, it's not as if iPod/Phone transfer speeds are blowing anyone's socks off yet.
This is good news, and I hope they extend it to non-smart phones, too.
I also hope the agreement covers more than just the physical port. My current phone uses micro-USB, but it will only charge if you've plugged in an "approved" charger (ie, one purchased from the phone manufacturer). So I can't simply plug it into the USB port on my computer or use another phone's micro-USB charger. So hopefully they put an end to that practice, too!
As far as dock adaptors, I don't know if they still do, but several years ago someone sold dock-to-FW and dock-to-USB adaptors to allow you to use any FW or USB cord to charge your iPod, instead of Apple's special cable with a dock connector on one end. They were small and relatively cheap, and I'm assuming making a micro-USB version would be trivial.
That said, even though it would be against the Apple design standard, I'd prefer they add a micro-USB port. That way I can recharge while using the dock for something else.
How do you allow people to keep using their old chargers without agreeing on some kind of standard?
But I guess your argument is that if people wanted standardized chargers they would have bought only phones which have them already. In other words, every problem will be solved by the free market. And if it is not solved, it by definition is not a problem. Market failure simply does not exist.
I think his argument is that instead of making phones that have direct connections to this Micro USB, a bunch of companies (at least in the mean time, and at least for Apple in that matter) will just make adapters to Micro USB that will be this intermediary and THAT will end up going to the landfill. Technology changes so rapidly, who's to say that Micro USB will (or should) be the standard for the next X amount of years.
And to agree with another poster above, Apple already has a pretty standardized charger/data transfer system and millions of iPhones and iPods that share the same charge cables. I currently use my charger/cord from my old iPod to connect to the dock for my iPhone. So you see, that already saved one tree (joking, of course).
What he's also trying to suggest is why Micro USB. Why not proprietary Apple connectors or whatever. Or something else. As much as they're trying to save the environment, what will probably happen is Micro USB charger manufacturers and their investors will benefit from this in the short term, and then they'll realize later that Micro USB will be obsolete and that something else will be necessary and better. And then, there you go. Millions if not a billion Micro USB cords/chargers straight to the landfill.
If you want to save the environment, do it with the basics - paper, plastic, glass, metal. Planting trees and alternative energy. Not technology. Maybe through power consumption and the manufacturing process, but not with the actual product. It just doesn't work that way.
And what's with the rest of your comment? How are people to buy a 'standardized' charger when the standard isn't set yet outside of Apple? And that economics jargon is going nowhere, it's not even what he was talking about. Not every problem will be solved by the free market, at least in a timely fashion, and by that time the would-be standard will have already been replaced by another set of possibilities, because the turnover for technology, especially in mobile phones, is high. Mobile phones are an outlier because of the factor of size, form, and the amount of companies currently producing mobile phones. The standardization would limit innovation in the technology of mobile phones, and for mobile phones, innovation is essential. Market failure IS possible. And just because a problem isn't solved doesn't mean it's not a problem. You're neglecting the factor of time. Your logic and view of economics is skewed.
Yes, Apple is already pretty standardized. Nevertheless, at some point an iPod or iPhone will break down and not being worth repairing or its resale value will drop to zero but the charger will still be fine. Unless you sell or give away your Apple devices before they come completely obsolete, you are bound to accumulate those chargers eventually.
When I pay for a new iPhone I definitely want a shiny new charger as well. Proper disposal of electronics is something that people need to do regardless of how small it is. We have a company that comes to the office several times a year to pick up our discarded computers, printers, monitors etc. They even accept other appliances as well. There are also local community organizations that accept used cell phones for charitable fund raising.
I guess I assumed that everyone would adopt the iPhone's charging configuration by supplying a phone-specific cable with the micro USB connector at one end, and plug that into a cable-less power cube. In other words, separate the cable from the brick.
Whether USB, miniUSB or microUSB, whatever the "standard" becomes here in the States (or around the world), separating the cable from the brick makes a lot sense and should go far to reduce waste.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigmc6000
Maybe a win for everybody else but certainly just a waste for Apple - my iPhone doesn't need a half-capable charging only port on it...
The EU standard may not make its way here, but whatever standard gets adopted (if one is ever adopted, and I hope one is eventually) I'm sure Apple (and other manufacturers) will do everything they can to make sure the new standard is backwards compatible. And when this can't be done, surely low-priced adapter solutions will quickly fill the gaps.
What if this is the first initiative to get every portable device to only have the Micro-USB on the devices themselves? To eventually force Apple to remove the 30-pin connector in favour of just the Micro-USB connector on all their portable devices in the EU?
I guess I assumed that everyone would adopt the iPhone's charging configuration by supplying a phone-specific cable with the micro USB connector at one end, and plug that into a cable-less power cube. In other words, separate the cable from the brick.
.
.
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* Edit: #11 posted that as well while I was composing.
Adopting a phone specific cable doesn't make sense as it just shifts the problem from the charger to the cable. You still can't charge your phone if you don't have the right cable. A simple adaptor that has a male dock connector and a female micro usb port (like in post 11 that you identified) is exactly what I had in mind when I stated that I thought an adaptor is most plausible.
It makes sense because Apple doesn't like to duplicate functionality, it doesn't break compatibility with existing third party products, and Apple likes adaptors. Of course if you lose the adaptor, you are still out of luck, but I don't see Apple getting rid of the dock connector or adding a micro usb port to the iphone while keeping the dock connector (but who knows) anytime soon. I suspect that Apple will support the standard with an adaptor and almost everyone else will have micro usb support without the need for an adaptor right on the phone (after an initial transition period).
Why is AI dragging their feet on the obvious 3GS overheating issues. Now there is a story.
A decision on a standardized charger is not THAT newsworthy.
Hmm no overheating problems here, only over heating problems i have heard about are the Pre turning itself into something hot enough to iron shirts with, and discoloring the screen at the same time.
I stand corrected, and of course there's the guy that put his iphone under his pillow to listen to tunes as he fell asleep and got "burned" on his arm from it .. ok lol that's just Darwin at work!
This seems silly for Apple to participate unless they are licensing the iPod connector cable. Its very easy to charge an iPhone-- everywhere you go someone has an iPod cable.
What if this is the first initiative to get every portable device to only have the Micro-USB on the devices themselves? To eventually force Apple to remove the 30-pin connector in favour of just the Micro-USB connector on all their portable devices in the EU?
Not only that - those european socialists will force Apple to stop selling OS-X!!!
Somehow I think the 30-pin connector will be with us for a pretty long time. It still has a number of unused pins left, and Apple will want some future expandability when it introduces its line of portable Tesla coils.
Why is AI dragging their feet on the obvious 3GS overheating issues. Now there is a story.
A decision on a standardized charger is not THAT newsworthy.
I have seen one report on the "obvious" 3GS overheating issues. That involved using the gps for (5?) hours straight. Maybe it was left out in the sun too (on the dash)? In that particular case, the iphone didn't even overheat, the white plastic discoloured (why do people buy white anyway?). Maybe there are other reports that I haven't seen, but I'd say it is far from obvious and clearly not a widespread problem or AI would be reporting it.
Adopting a common charger is very newsworthy. Sorry that AI isn't providing you with enough negative Apple stories.
Comments
Have you seen how small the the charger is on the 3G S? That is the tiniest charger I have ever seen. The problem the EU is addressing is that chargers are thrown into land fills along with the phone. In the case of iPhone, I don't think many are going to be thrown away because they make pretty decent WiFi and iPod devices even after they are replaced with a new phone.
Yes, Apple is already pretty standardized. Nevertheless, at some point an iPod or iPhone will break down and not being worth repairing or its resale value will drop to zero but the charger will still be fine. Unless you sell or give away your Apple devices before they come completely obsolete, you are bound to accumulate those chargers eventually.
If you are out with your iPhoneGS using your turn by turn GPS and your battery runs down, you can run into a gas station and buy a standard 12 volt microUSB car charger and keep running on down the road.
So to limit the number of chargers that end up in land fills we will sell them cheap on every corner?
There are quite a lot of reports of inserting a FW400 plug the wrong way into the connector, thus connecting the power pins with the data lines and consequently frying something along the data path. I have seen it myself, once somebody forces a FW400 plug the wrong way in, no extra force is needed a second time (thus easily frying a second device). The FW800 connector is much more foolproof in this respect.
I agree that the FW400 connector wasn't quite 'directional' enough to prevent this, although I can't imagine forcing one in that way (unless the build tolerances were so sloppy that it allowed it with little pressure).
The FW800 connector, on the other hand, is a pain in the ass. I defy anyone to reach around and plug one in blind. Hell, when everything is colored black and the lighting sub-optimal, I have a hard time getting it right even if the port is facing me. If they're going to supersede FW400 and throw out the connector, at least design a replacement that inserts easily.
At least Ethernet survived all the upgrades using the same connector. But alas, that's coming to an end after 10G (which is pushing the limits of RJ-45 as it is).
I want a single tiny fibre-optic sexless connector for all data in the future. Plug it in anywhere, and let the device sort it out. Network, peripheral, A/V, storage...
That way you can still have the benefits of a more capable connector like the iPhones, but have the other benefits such as being able to plug any device into either a USB charger (lots of these around already) or a computer, or indeed anything else with a standard sized USB connector?
Then we would see, for example, cars coming out with rows of USB connectors in them which you could connect your phone or iPod or camera or whatever into for charging and accessing services. I don't think a micro-USB connector is entirely practical for that type of application because it's just too small and fiddly. So I applaud the idea but I think the detail of how its achieved is basically wrong.
So, in summary, you're an idiot.
Watch it!
I just hope they don't do away with the dock connector or else a lot of accessories will be useless, including my Alpine car stereo iPod adapter. With Apple's track record for frequent obsolescence of features, I wouldn't put it past them to do that.
I don?t think that will happen based on this initiative. What I do find a bit funny is that Apple will have to ship an additional adapter to apply to this motion to reduce adapters. I suppose they could also forego the wall charger being included but seems like something you do later on after the 30-pin-to-Micor-USB adapter solution is well placed.
I had recommended they put the microUSB on the top of the iPhone and the dock connector on the bottom. No matter what they do, it is good news in my view.
The EU finally didn?t something with tech that makes sense.
Well here's your cookie
great so everyones just gunna make silly adaptors so there phone can be compatable with mini USB. Who has stakes in mini USB. Are they made in Europe or something.
How about taking a minute to look it up rather than airing such poor assumptions?
"Nokia powering up self-charging cell phone"
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10267006-1.html
Lets eliminate the chargers all together.
It's still weak, I would think it needs a few years of work yet.
How do you allow people to keep using their old chargers without agreeing on some kind of standard?
How about just not changing the connectors every generation of products and having different connectors for different model lines? Somehow, Apple has managed to make their dock connector work for three generations of phones and five generations of iPods, two of Touch and several of nano. There were a couple hiccups, such as killing Firewire charging (not sure why they did that), but they did offer a couple years transition away from Firewire charging, I wish the communication between Apple and accessory makers was better about that, it sounds like Belkin, etc. were caught unaware of the new guidelines.
The cables and adapters can and do get lost on occasion, so old cables can still be pretty useful.
There are quite a lot of reports of inserting a FW400 plug the wrong way into the connector, thus connecting the power pins with the data lines and consequently frying something along the data path. I have seen it myself, once somebody forces a FW400 plug the wrong way in, no extra force is needed a second time (thus easily frying a second device). The FW800 connector is much more foolproof in this respect.
If that's true, to me, that sounds like the someone was trying to be dumb. Really, forcing Firewire in backwards means that someone is more willing to brute force it than think for five seconds and try it the other way. Those people should not be allowed to use electronics. Making things idiot proof doesn't work, because there will always be an arms race between idiot proofing and making idiots that can manage to bypass idiot proofing.
So currently you have 1 plug for your iPhone and iPod but now you'll have the super-duper awesome ability to use another adapter to power your iPhone but don't try to use it plug into your computer becasue the bandwidth is @ss - yeah, brilliant...
This standard might be good for everybody else but when the iPhone uses the exact same cord as the iPod and thus there are 100's of millions of them and you can get a cord for it anywhere and not to mention the data capabilities are crap, umm, yeah. Maybe a win for everybody else but certainly just a waste for Apple - my iPhone doesn't need a half-capable charging only port on it...
Wait, what crap data bandwidth? Doesn't Micro USB use the same USB signaling that's in the dock connector? Besides, it's not as if iPod/Phone transfer speeds are blowing anyone's socks off yet.
I also hope the agreement covers more than just the physical port. My current phone uses micro-USB, but it will only charge if you've plugged in an "approved" charger (ie, one purchased from the phone manufacturer). So I can't simply plug it into the USB port on my computer or use another phone's micro-USB charger. So hopefully they put an end to that practice, too!
As far as dock adaptors, I don't know if they still do, but several years ago someone sold dock-to-FW and dock-to-USB adaptors to allow you to use any FW or USB cord to charge your iPod, instead of Apple's special cable with a dock connector on one end. They were small and relatively cheap, and I'm assuming making a micro-USB version would be trivial.
That said, even though it would be against the Apple design standard, I'd prefer they add a micro-USB port. That way I can recharge while using the dock for something else.
How do you allow people to keep using their old chargers without agreeing on some kind of standard?
But I guess your argument is that if people wanted standardized chargers they would have bought only phones which have them already. In other words, every problem will be solved by the free market. And if it is not solved, it by definition is not a problem. Market failure simply does not exist.
I think his argument is that instead of making phones that have direct connections to this Micro USB, a bunch of companies (at least in the mean time, and at least for Apple in that matter) will just make adapters to Micro USB that will be this intermediary and THAT will end up going to the landfill. Technology changes so rapidly, who's to say that Micro USB will (or should) be the standard for the next X amount of years.
And to agree with another poster above, Apple already has a pretty standardized charger/data transfer system and millions of iPhones and iPods that share the same charge cables. I currently use my charger/cord from my old iPod to connect to the dock for my iPhone. So you see, that already saved one tree (joking, of course).
What he's also trying to suggest is why Micro USB. Why not proprietary Apple connectors or whatever. Or something else. As much as they're trying to save the environment, what will probably happen is Micro USB charger manufacturers and their investors will benefit from this in the short term, and then they'll realize later that Micro USB will be obsolete and that something else will be necessary and better. And then, there you go. Millions if not a billion Micro USB cords/chargers straight to the landfill.
If you want to save the environment, do it with the basics - paper, plastic, glass, metal. Planting trees and alternative energy. Not technology. Maybe through power consumption and the manufacturing process, but not with the actual product. It just doesn't work that way.
And what's with the rest of your comment? How are people to buy a 'standardized' charger when the standard isn't set yet outside of Apple? And that economics jargon is going nowhere, it's not even what he was talking about. Not every problem will be solved by the free market, at least in a timely fashion, and by that time the would-be standard will have already been replaced by another set of possibilities, because the turnover for technology, especially in mobile phones, is high. Mobile phones are an outlier because of the factor of size, form, and the amount of companies currently producing mobile phones. The standardization would limit innovation in the technology of mobile phones, and for mobile phones, innovation is essential. Market failure IS possible. And just because a problem isn't solved doesn't mean it's not a problem. You're neglecting the factor of time. Your logic and view of economics is skewed.
Yes, Apple is already pretty standardized. Nevertheless, at some point an iPod or iPhone will break down and not being worth repairing or its resale value will drop to zero but the charger will still be fine. Unless you sell or give away your Apple devices before they come completely obsolete, you are bound to accumulate those chargers eventually.
When I pay for a new iPhone I definitely want a shiny new charger as well. Proper disposal of electronics is something that people need to do regardless of how small it is. We have a company that comes to the office several times a year to pick up our discarded computers, printers, monitors etc. They even accept other appliances as well. There are also local community organizations that accept used cell phones for charitable fund raising.
Well here's your cookie
Chocolate chip, please!
I guess I assumed that everyone would adopt the iPhone's charging configuration by supplying a phone-specific cable with the micro USB connector at one end, and plug that into a cable-less power cube. In other words, separate the cable from the brick.
Whether USB, miniUSB or microUSB, whatever the "standard" becomes here in the States (or around the world), separating the cable from the brick makes a lot sense and should go far to reduce waste.
Maybe a win for everybody else but certainly just a waste for Apple - my iPhone doesn't need a half-capable charging only port on it...
The EU standard may not make its way here, but whatever standard gets adopted (if one is ever adopted, and I hope one is eventually) I'm sure Apple (and other manufacturers) will do everything they can to make sure the new standard is backwards compatible. And when this can't be done, surely low-priced adapter solutions will quickly fill the gaps.
A decision on a standardized charger is not THAT newsworthy.
I guess I assumed that everyone would adopt the iPhone's charging configuration by supplying a phone-specific cable with the micro USB connector at one end, and plug that into a cable-less power cube. In other words, separate the cable from the brick.
.
.
.
* Edit: #11 posted that as well while I was composing.
Adopting a phone specific cable doesn't make sense as it just shifts the problem from the charger to the cable. You still can't charge your phone if you don't have the right cable. A simple adaptor that has a male dock connector and a female micro usb port (like in post 11 that you identified) is exactly what I had in mind when I stated that I thought an adaptor is most plausible.
It makes sense because Apple doesn't like to duplicate functionality, it doesn't break compatibility with existing third party products, and Apple likes adaptors. Of course if you lose the adaptor, you are still out of luck, but I don't see Apple getting rid of the dock connector or adding a micro usb port to the iphone while keeping the dock connector (but who knows) anytime soon. I suspect that Apple will support the standard with an adaptor and almost everyone else will have micro usb support without the need for an adaptor right on the phone (after an initial transition period).
Why is AI dragging their feet on the obvious 3GS overheating issues. Now there is a story.
A decision on a standardized charger is not THAT newsworthy.
Hmm no overheating problems here, only over heating problems i have heard about are the Pre turning itself into something hot enough to iron shirts with, and discoloring the screen at the same time.
I stand corrected, and of course there's the guy that put his iphone under his pillow to listen to tunes as he fell asleep and got "burned" on his arm from it .. ok lol that's just Darwin at work!
What if this is the first initiative to get every portable device to only have the Micro-USB on the devices themselves? To eventually force Apple to remove the 30-pin connector in favour of just the Micro-USB connector on all their portable devices in the EU?
Not only that - those european socialists will force Apple to stop selling OS-X!!!
Somehow I think the 30-pin connector will be with us for a pretty long time. It still has a number of unused pins left, and Apple will want some future expandability when it introduces its line of portable Tesla coils.
Why is AI dragging their feet on the obvious 3GS overheating issues. Now there is a story.
A decision on a standardized charger is not THAT newsworthy.
I have seen one report on the "obvious" 3GS overheating issues. That involved using the gps for (5?) hours straight. Maybe it was left out in the sun too (on the dash)? In that particular case, the iphone didn't even overheat, the white plastic discoloured (why do people buy white anyway?). Maybe there are other reports that I haven't seen, but I'd say it is far from obvious and clearly not a widespread problem or AI would be reporting it.
Adopting a common charger is very newsworthy. Sorry that AI isn't providing you with enough negative Apple stories.