What a stupid waste of time for government. Having many different types of charges on cell phones is annoying, but it’s such a small dumb thing. Instead of working important problems, government is using its immense power to solve a tiny annoyance.
It’s bcoz the entire generation of adults are only capable of dealing with the splashy headlines or the homepage of a website and NONE have any interest in diving into the details. I’m a part of this generation. I worked in graphic design for decades and I have come to this conclusion. They don’t want to deal with the actual solution of real problems, they’re passing them along to future generations.
Here in San Francisco, one of my work colleagues called the mayor’s office and asked a pointed question about the homeless population (I’m in social work, and don’t think enough is being done in terms of addressing the details of the problem)—the response from the mayors office, “we inherited the problem…”
that tells me all I need to know about the effectiveness of government.
This request/law really is a backward initiative. What if USB-C ports will be obsolete in the (near) future, as something much better will be invented? Will the EU issue a new law then? Really? We have no bigger problems to resolve?
We're not yet so broken a world that we can't work on more than one problem at a time.
I disagree. We’re a broken system and the politicians continue to push the real problems onto the next generation of politicians. And everyone else suffers from it.
What a stupid waste of time for government. Having many different types of charges on cell phones is annoying, but it’s such a small dumb thing. Instead of working important problems, government is using its immense power to solve a tiny annoyance.
Did you miss WEEE and RoHS? They represented massive change in industry and had an impact worldwide.
This proposal is part of a suite of proposals. You should be looking at it from a wider perspective.
Europe (EU) is behind tech wise on the desktop and in mobile, Apple may need to design one iPhone for the USA, Japan and the rest or the world and one for Europe the (EU), easy done now that Intel is history. And same also applies to the AppStore. The tech Balkans is coming.
The more road blocks the EU comes up with the further behind they will get.
When will the EU force the USA to use their type of electrical outlets and 220V instead of 120V?
When has the EU ever forced the USA to do anything?
Sarcasm? If not what is this article about if not the EU again telling an American company how to build things. Telling Apple what to do is telling a USA company what to do.
Newsflash: America has been building modified versions of its cars to conform with European regulations for almost a century. It's rumoured that some individual countries even make them completely rearrange the cockpit and put the steering on the right (fuckin' Nazis, probably amirite?)!
Weirdly, European car makers change their car designs for the North American market, as well (ugly monster bumpers and double-eyed headlights on the Mercedes SL 560, I'm looking at YOU). Must have been those dictators in Washington, right?
Different regions have different regulations. You want to sell your product, you conform to regulations. If you don't want to do that, you get out of the market. EU sales are about 1/3 of Apple's revenue, IIRC. What do you think is going to happen?
NB: I don't think this is a good idea — if they'd had their way years ago when they first tried it, we'd all be stuck with Micro-USB now still. I assume we'll probably look at USB-C the same way a decade from now.
In time they the EU will get a different iPhone than the rest of the world, one that is less than, Apple’s market percent is above 50% for the first time and rising in the USA, heading to 60%. The sun is setting on Samsung and Android in the USA a smartphone choice for most.
Apple makes the best OS/Hardware combo in tech world, the upper 15% worldwide won’t buy anything else no matter how much they cry. See any of the upper division products worldwide.
What a stupid waste of time for government. Having many different types of charges on cell phones is annoying, but it’s such a small dumb thing. Instead of working important problems, government is using its immense power to solve a tiny annoyance.
Did you miss WEEE and RoHS? They represented massive change in industry and had an impact worldwide.
This proposal is part of a suite of proposals. You should be looking at it from a wider perspective.
Europe (EU) is behind tech wise on the desktop and in mobile, Apple may need to design one iPhone for the USA, Japan and the rest or the world and one for Europe the (EU), easy done now that Intel is history. And same also applies to the AppStore. The tech Balkans is coming.
The more road blocks the EU comes up with the further behind they will get.
How can harmonisation be a roadblock?
How can interoperability be a roadblock?
How can standardisation be a roadblock?
I'm not sure how the EU can be behind techwise on the desktop and mobile when there is actually more choice for those elements within the EU than the US.
I hope you realize that some pretty important components in iPhones and Macs are from EU companies. Not to mention manufacturing elements from the likes of ASML.
This request/law really is a backward initiative. What if USB-C ports will be obsolete in the (near) future, as something much better will be invented? Will the EU issue a new law then? Really? We have no bigger problems to resolve?
We're not yet so broken a world that we can't work on more than one problem at a time.
I disagree. We’re a broken system and the politicians continue to push the real problems onto the next generation of politicians. And everyone else suffers from it.
The unaffordability problem for many will only get bigger, three to five cars every five house's, apartment complexes with 50% more cars than parking spaces, and of course more homeless.
How do EV’s work with more people without a garage?
What happens when a new, better standard comes along, which it inevitably will, both wired and wireless? Will the law be flexible enough to make changes or are they stuck forever with an outdated technology?
What happens when a new, better standard comes along, which it inevitably will, both wired and wireless? Will the law be flexible enough to make changes or are they stuck forever with an outdated technology?
From a recent post of mine:
"Will the proposal be an obstacle to innovation?
The Commission's proposal aims at providing consumers with an open and interoperable solution and, at the same time, enabling technological innovation. The proposal encourages innovation for wired and wireless technology charging.
Any technological developments in wired charging can be reflected in a timely adjustment of technical requirements/ specific standards under the Radio Equipment Directive. This would ensure that the technology used is not outdated.
At the same time, the implementation of any new standards in further revisions of Radio Equipment Directive would need to be developed in a harmonised manner, respecting the objectives of full interoperability. Industry is therefore expected to continue the work already undertaken on the standardised interface, led by the USB-IF organisation, in view of developing new interoperable, open and non-controversial solutions."
Just like the Russian Federation is trying to bring back their glory days of Baltic domination, the EU is trying to restore the glory days of European gadget dominance.
That said, we do need USB-C on the iPhone if for no other reason than speedier ProRes (and possibly 8K) data transfers and charging versatility - iPhone desperately needs faster I/O and not everyone has a Wifi 6/6e router. Wired connections are always faster with less latency and greater dependability than wireless anyhow.
Apple's just being stubborn and is trying to save features for future iPhone models - instead they could bless future models with USB 4/Thunderbolt 4.
When will the EU force the USA to use their type of electrical outlets and 220V instead of 120V?
When has the EU ever forced the USA to do anything?
Sarcasm? If not what is this article about if not the EU again telling an American company how to build things. Telling Apple what to do is telling a USA company what to do.
Newsflash: America has been building modified versions of its cars to conform with European regulations for almost a century. It's rumoured that some individual countries even make them completely rearrange the cockpit and put the steering on the right (fuckin' Nazis, probably amirite?)!
Weirdly, European car makers change their car designs for the North American market, as well (ugly monster bumpers and double-eyed headlights on the Mercedes SL 560, I'm looking at YOU). Must have been those dictators in Washington, right?
Different regions have different regulations. You want to sell your product, you conform to regulations. If you don't want to do that, you get out of the market. EU sales are about 1/3 of Apple's revenue, IIRC. What do you think is going to happen?
NB: I don't think this is a good idea — if they'd had their way years ago when they first tried it, we'd all be stuck with Micro-USB now still. I assume we'll probably look at USB-C the same way a decade from now.
I'm not aware that the UK have any laws where all autos sold, bought or driven in the UK, must have the steering wheel on the right-side of the "cockpit". (maybe @crowley can fill us in.) AFAIK. the ONLY reason why auto manufacturers make autos to be sold in the UK, with the steering wheel on the right-side, is because autos with the steering wheel on the left -side would not sell very well. And I shouldn't have to explain to you why. Just like most cars in the US have the steering wheel on the left-side but there is no law dictating that autos with the steering wheel on the right-side can not be sold, bought or driven in the US. It's just not going to sell very well.
Another example of this would be that the US requires all autos sold, bought and driven in the US, to meet emission standards. But the US are not Nazis about it and dictate how the auto manufactures design their autos to meet emission standards. So long as they don't cheat like what Volkswagen did. The catalytic converter is what most auto manufacturers must use now of days to meet emission standards (and not only in the US) but that can change if something better comes along. (Hopefully something less expensive and not worth stealing.) But the catalytic converter is not the same for every auto. It is not a standard. Auto manufactures design their own converters, for their own autos. The catalytic converter on a Mercedes might not work on a Honda and probably won't even fit.
With safety standards on autos, there are direct proof that they work and solve a problem. As "ugly" as the 5MPH rated bumper looks on the 1980's US Mercedes 560SL. There is no solid proof that standardizing all mobile devices to use a USB C port for charging, will reduce e-waste. For sure not in the short term and probably also not in the long term.
As for the dual round headlights, Mercedes in the 80's, did not have to design it that way in the US. They could have used the rectangular headlights that were on their European model. But it still had to be a seal beam. (Which I think they still were.) Here's a interesting article about the history of round seal beam headlights in the US. It was first required in order to standardize the headlights on US autos. But later in early 1980's, they were no longer required and US cars came with rectangular headlights, if the auto maker wanted to design their autos that way. This is an example of a "standard" that was later tossed out due to the problem it was originally written to solve, no longer being a problem. But it was no longer a problem because of innovation in the auto industry, not because US cars were required to use round seal beam headlamps for forty years.
33% revenue from the EU? Not even close. Maybe about 8 years ago. China is about 20%. Japan is about 9%. It's about 38% for both N & S America. The EU is somewhere in the lower 20%. And even lower when you exclude the UK now. Apple do not breakdown Europe by countries. They only state that all of "Europe" accounts for about 24% of their revenue. The EU is about 27 countries, out of 40 countries in "Europe". But even 20% is a lot of revenue money-wise and hard for Apple to give up.
Here's are relatively resent numbers. (be sure to click on "more", to get the full article.)
When will the EU force the USA to use their type of electrical outlets and 220V instead of 120V?
When has the EU ever forced the USA to do anything?
Sarcasm? If not what is this article about if not the EU again telling an American company how to build things. Telling Apple what to do is telling a USA company what to do.
Newsflash: America has been building modified versions of its cars to conform with European regulations for almost a century. It's rumoured that some individual countries even make them completely rearrange the cockpit and put the steering on the right (fuckin' Nazis, probably amirite?)!
Weirdly, European car makers change their car designs for the North American market, as well (ugly monster bumpers and double-eyed headlights on the Mercedes SL 560, I'm looking at YOU). Must have been those dictators in Washington, right?
Different regions have different regulations. You want to sell your product, you conform to regulations. If you don't want to do that, you get out of the market. EU sales are about 1/3 of Apple's revenue, IIRC. What do you think is going to happen?
NB: I don't think this is a good idea — if they'd had their way years ago when they first tried it, we'd all be stuck with Micro-USB now still. I assume we'll probably look at USB-C the same way a decade from now.
I'm not aware that the UK have any laws where all autos sold, bought or driven in the UK, must have the steering wheel on the right-side of the "cockpit". (maybe @crowley can fill us in.)
Doubt it. You can drive a left hand drive car if you want, and it would be pretty inconvenient for continental trucks if you couldn't. But I don't sell cars, so I have no idea and don't really know why you would think I would.
Doesn't really make much difference either way, I'm sure you get spheric's point.
It may increase E-waste in households that don’t have non-Apple portable devices or laptops. But still want to use a new iPhone.
I don’t think that is a real concern?
It’s much more an issue that iPhone cables work only with iPhones and (some) iPads, not with other brand phones. That is a source of E-waste.
Errrrr… that is EXACTLY what this law intends to solve…? By standardising the connector on the device to USB-C, it ensures that all cables work with all brands of phones…
I don't understand how standardizing the charging port is going to solve the E-waste problem. The E-waste problem cause by charging bricks exist because they become obsolete and is no longer useful. Having a drawer of USB and Apple lightening chargers is not yet contributing to E-waste because they are still useful and not in landfill. A 10 year old iPhone 5 5W charger can still be use to charge todays iPhone 13. It might be slower than the newer chargers but it's not a major issue for overnight charging. Plus, slower charge rate is better for the battery.
Taking it from the start for a family of 4 with no mobile devices. Husband buys a mobile phone and going to need a USB -C charger. Wife gets a mobile phone is also going to need her own USB-C charger. If both have the same schedule, you can't charge two mobile devices overnight, with one charger, at the same time. Older kid gets a mobile device will also need a charger. As when the younger kid gets a tablet. All for the same reason, most charging of mobile devices are done overnight. 4 devices in this family will going to need 4 chargers.
Husband then gets a laptop. That's going to most likely require another charger, even if there's already 4 USB C chargers in the household. For most, when using a laptop at home, it's nearly always plugged in, so to not drain the battery and it would be a hassle to unplug the charger you're using on the bedroom nightstand to charge your phone overnight and plug it in where your using your laptop and then back to the bedroom again, every time you use your laptop. Or bothering anyone else for their charger. That's 5 mobile devices and 5 chargers. Not including the extra ones at work or school locker, cars and to have an extra one at home, just in case.
A year later, the husband changes to wireless charging and buy a wireless charger. Does he throw away the charger for his phone? No, he keeps it because he can still use it or his other family members can or a friend can still use it. It doesn't become E-Watse as long as there's a use for it and is kept in a drawer and out of landfill.
Right now, there is still use for every older USB, USB Mini, USB Micro and Apple lightning charger. There are still hundreds of millions of devices that can still use those chargers. There is absolutely no need to toss them into landfill just because you got a new mobile device with a different charging port and no longer have any use for it. Who doesn't know someone with an iPhone or Samsung phone, that can use an extra charger? At my local Goodwill and Salvation Army, they have a bin full of old chargers and ac/dc power supplies. You know what I don't usually find in the dozens of changers in the bin? Any flavor of USB chargers and chargers with lightening. That's because those are still useful and people don't usually toss them out as E-waste. What I usually see in there are power bricks for old video cameras, digital cameras, even old Nokia and Motorola phones, cable TV boxes, routers, modems, external HD cases, radios, clocks, iPod speaker docks, powered computer speakers and lots of old PC laptops chargers. But not the MagSafe ones for older Apple MacBooks, unless they' have a damage cable. MagSafe chargers are still is use because there are still a lot older MacBooks still in use and there's this .......
That can be had for about $15 on eBay. No need to toss those old Apple MacBook MagSafe bricks when one can still use them for USC C charging.
So long as Apple continue to use their lightning connector and support older devices, it keeps the older chargers from becoming E-Waste. How many lightening chargers are going to prematurely end up as E-Waste, when Apple is forced to convert to USB-C? The truth is that eventually, all mobile device chargers will end up as E-Waste, regardless of the connector and consumers will always own more chargers than the mobile devices they're use for. Even if they all use the same connector. The E-Waste problem isn't added to so much by phone makers using different charging ports but by people that think a charger is E-Waste once they think it's useless, just because it charges their new iPhone too slowly or won't charge their iPad. Instead of considering that their charger might still be useful to tens of millions of others still using Apple older devices. Apple iPhone 7 is still fully supported and is still one of the most popular iPhone in use and it came with a 5W lightening charger. No excuse for anyone to turn one of those chargers into E-waste.
Now Apple obsolete 30 pin connector is a different story. But IIRC, Apple iPods and iPhones that used the 30 pin connector came with a USB charger and a USB to 30 pin cable. Not a charger with a built in 30 pin cable. So the USB charger itself is still useful when using a different USB adapter cable. I still have a couple those chargers with the firewire port, instead of the USB port. It's over 20 years old and still not E-waste, as I own a couple of the first 5GB iPod with the rotating wheel, instead of the touch pad. The very first iPod used firewire for charging and data. The second and third generation used firewire to 30 pin. The 4th and on used USB and 30 pin. The iPod Classic 6th generation was the last device to use the 30 pin in 2009 and discontinued in 2012. The 30 pin had over a 10 year run. Lightening is on its 10th year.
This will never be like how one can own 1 charger for 3 cordless power tools and 6 batteries for them. It's one thing to come up with a plan that truly eliminate E-waste and another to come up with a plan like this. Which is nothing more than ........ rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
So let me get this straight: this whole idea of unifying power connectors is not going to work because you’re some kind of freak who still charges his twenty-one year old iPod?
I mean I still have mine, as well, but that is just completely missing the point.
Just like the Russian Federation is trying to bring back their glory days of Baltic domination, the EU is trying to restore the glory days of European gadget dominance.
That said, we do need USB-C on the iPhone if for no other reason than speedier ProRes (and possibly 8K) data transfers and charging versatility - iPhone desperately needs faster I/O and not everyone has a Wifi 6/6e router. Wired connections are always faster with less latency and greater dependability than wireless anyhow.
Apple's just being stubborn and is trying to save features for future iPhone models - instead they could bless future models with USB 4/Thunderbolt 4.
Apple has never revealed the true specs for lightning. It just maxes at USB 2 data transfer speed now. That doesn't mean that USB 2 is the max lightning is capable of.
The real benefit of USB C over lightning is its charging capability. But with wireless charging getting more popular, having a USB C port for charging might be a moot point.
Rumors have it that Apple wants to or will introduce a portless iPhone within the next several years. So Apple have no desire to redesign their iPhone with a USB C port, just to have it for a couple of years, before they go portless. Maybe Apple is working on a faster transfer speed that don't rely on WiFi or a port, but uses the internal magnetic charger and a cable.
This request/law really is a backward initiative. What if USB-C ports will be obsolete in the (near) future, as something much better will be invented? Will the EU issue a new law then? Really? We have no bigger problems to resolve?
Be nice to get rid of another oddball connector. Besides, the lightning is slow for data transfer. At least with USB C you can get some decent speed. Should have dumped lightning years back.
What a stupid waste of time for government. Having many different types of charges on cell phones is annoying, but it’s such a small dumb thing. Instead of working important problems, government is using its immense power to solve a tiny annoyance.
Did you miss WEEE and RoHS? They represented massive change in industry and had an impact worldwide.
This proposal is part of a suite of proposals. You should be looking at it from a wider perspective.
Europe (EU) is behind tech wise on the desktop and in mobile, Apple may need to design one iPhone for the USA, Japan and the rest or the world and one for Europe the (EU), easy done now that Intel is history. And same also applies to the AppStore. The tech Balkans is coming.
The more road blocks the EU comes up with the further behind they will get.
How can harmonisation be a roadblock?
How can interoperability be a roadblock?
How can standardisation be a roadblock?
I'm not sure how the EU can be behind techwise on the desktop and mobile when there is actually more choice for those elements within the EU than the US.
I hope you realize that some pretty important components in iPhones and Macs are from EU companies. Not to mention manufacturing elements from the likes of ASML.
What a stupid waste of time for government. Having many different types of charges on cell phones is annoying, but it’s such a small dumb thing. Instead of working important problems, government is using its immense power to solve a tiny annoyance.
Did you miss WEEE and RoHS? They represented massive change in industry and had an impact worldwide.
This proposal is part of a suite of proposals. You should be looking at it from a wider perspective.
Europe (EU) is behind tech wise on the desktop and in mobile, Apple may need to design one iPhone for the USA, Japan and the rest or the world and one for Europe the (EU), easy done now that Intel is history. And same also applies to the AppStore. The tech Balkans is coming.
The more road blocks the EU comes up with the further behind they will get.
How can harmonisation be a roadblock?
How can interoperability be a roadblock?
How can standardisation be a roadblock?
I'm not sure how the EU can be behind techwise on the desktop and mobile when there is actually more choice for those elements within the EU than the US.
I hope you realize that some pretty important components in iPhones and Macs are from EU companies. Not to mention manufacturing elements from the likes of ASML.
The EU expects Apple (Gatekeeper their words) to give everything away for free to benefit the lackluster tech companies based in the EU, whether it’s a plug, iMessage or the AppStore, let the Irish two-step go EU you lost.
Comments
that tells me all I need to know about the effectiveness of government.
In other news, society is crumbling and the earth is on fire.
Europe (EU) is behind tech wise on the desktop and in mobile, Apple may need to design one iPhone for the USA, Japan and the rest or the world and one for Europe the (EU), easy done now that Intel is history. And same also applies to the AppStore. The tech Balkans is coming.
The more road blocks the EU comes up with the further behind they will get.
In time they the EU will get a different iPhone than the rest of the world, one that is less than, Apple’s market percent is above 50% for the first time and rising in the USA, heading to 60%. The sun is setting on Samsung and Android in the USA a smartphone choice for most.
Apple makes the best OS/Hardware combo in tech world, the upper 15% worldwide won’t buy anything else no matter how much they cry. See any of the upper division products worldwide.
How can interoperability be a roadblock?
How can standardisation be a roadblock?
I'm not sure how the EU can be behind techwise on the desktop and mobile when there is actually more choice for those elements within the EU than the US.
I hope you realize that some pretty important components in iPhones and Macs are from EU companies. Not to mention manufacturing elements from the likes of ASML.
The unaffordability problem for many will only get bigger, three to five cars every five house's, apartment complexes with 50% more cars than parking spaces, and of course more homeless.
How do EV’s work with more people without a garage?
"Will the proposal be an obstacle to innovation?
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/QANDA_21_4614
That said, we do need USB-C on the iPhone if for no other reason than speedier ProRes (and possibly 8K) data transfers and charging versatility - iPhone desperately needs faster I/O and not everyone has a Wifi 6/6e router. Wired connections are always faster with less latency and greater dependability than wireless anyhow.
Apple's just being stubborn and is trying to save features for future iPhone models - instead they could bless future models with USB 4/Thunderbolt 4.
Another example of this would be that the US requires all autos sold, bought and driven in the US, to meet emission standards. But the US are not Nazis about it and dictate how the auto manufactures design their autos to meet emission standards. So long as they don't cheat like what Volkswagen did. The catalytic converter is what most auto manufacturers must use now of days to meet emission standards (and not only in the US) but that can change if something better comes along. (Hopefully something less expensive and not worth stealing.) But the catalytic converter is not the same for every auto. It is not a standard. Auto manufactures design their own converters, for their own autos. The catalytic converter on a Mercedes might not work on a Honda and probably won't even fit.
With safety standards on autos, there are direct proof that they work and solve a problem. As "ugly" as the 5MPH rated bumper looks on the 1980's US Mercedes 560SL. There is no solid proof that standardizing all mobile devices to use a USB C port for charging, will reduce e-waste. For sure not in the short term and probably also not in the long term.
As for the dual round headlights, Mercedes in the 80's, did not have to design it that way in the US. They could have used the rectangular headlights that were on their European model. But it still had to be a seal beam. (Which I think they still were.) Here's a interesting article about the history of round seal beam headlights in the US. It was first required in order to standardize the headlights on US autos. But later in early 1980's, they were no longer required and US cars came with rectangular headlights, if the auto maker wanted to design their autos that way. This is an example of a "standard" that was later tossed out due to the problem it was originally written to solve, no longer being a problem. But it was no longer a problem because of innovation in the auto industry, not because US cars were required to use round seal beam headlamps for forty years.
https://www.carid.com/articles/brief-history-of-sealed-beam-headlights-in-us.html
Round or rectangular, might be just a matter of taste.
https://jalopnik.com/car-writers-were-once-big-mad-about-rectangular-headlig-1846642207
33% revenue from the EU? Not even close. Maybe about 8 years ago. China is about 20%. Japan is about 9%. It's about 38% for both N & S America. The EU is somewhere in the lower 20%. And even lower when you exclude the UK now. Apple do not breakdown Europe by countries. They only state that all of "Europe" accounts for about 24% of their revenue. The EU is about 27 countries, out of 40 countries in "Europe". But even 20% is a lot of revenue money-wise and hard for Apple to give up.
Here's are relatively resent numbers. (be sure to click on "more", to get the full article.)
https://businessquant.com/apple-revenue-by-region
Doesn't really make much difference either way, I'm sure you get spheric's point.
Taking it from the start for a family of 4 with no mobile devices. Husband buys a mobile phone and going to need a USB -C charger. Wife gets a mobile phone is also going to need her own USB-C charger. If both have the same schedule, you can't charge two mobile devices overnight, with one charger, at the same time. Older kid gets a mobile device will also need a charger. As when the younger kid gets a tablet. All for the same reason, most charging of mobile devices are done overnight. 4 devices in this family will going to need 4 chargers.
Husband then gets a laptop. That's going to most likely require another charger, even if there's already 4 USB C chargers in the household. For most, when using a laptop at home, it's nearly always plugged in, so to not drain the battery and it would be a hassle to unplug the charger you're using on the bedroom nightstand to charge your phone overnight and plug it in where your using your laptop and then back to the bedroom again, every time you use your laptop. Or bothering anyone else for their charger. That's 5 mobile devices and 5 chargers. Not including the extra ones at work or school locker, cars and to have an extra one at home, just in case.
A year later, the husband changes to wireless charging and buy a wireless charger. Does he throw away the charger for his phone? No, he keeps it because he can still use it or his other family members can or a friend can still use it. It doesn't become E-Watse as long as there's a use for it and is kept in a drawer and out of landfill.
Right now, there is still use for every older USB, USB Mini, USB Micro and Apple lightning charger. There are still hundreds of millions of devices that can still use those chargers. There is absolutely no need to toss them into landfill just because you got a new mobile device with a different charging port and no longer have any use for it. Who doesn't know someone with an iPhone or Samsung phone, that can use an extra charger? At my local Goodwill and Salvation Army, they have a bin full of old chargers and ac/dc power supplies. You know what I don't usually find in the dozens of changers in the bin? Any flavor of USB chargers and chargers with lightening. That's because those are still useful and people don't usually toss them out as E-waste. What I usually see in there are power bricks for old video cameras, digital cameras, even old Nokia and Motorola phones, cable TV boxes, routers, modems, external HD cases, radios, clocks, iPod speaker docks, powered computer speakers and lots of old PC laptops chargers. But not the MagSafe ones for older Apple MacBooks, unless they' have a damage cable. MagSafe chargers are still is use because there are still a lot older MacBooks still in use and there's this .......
https://9to5mac.com/2019/06/01/usb-c-magsafe-adapter-anywatt-macbook/
That can be had for about $15 on eBay. No need to toss those old Apple MacBook MagSafe bricks when one can still use them for USC C charging.
So long as Apple continue to use their lightning connector and support older devices, it keeps the older chargers from becoming E-Waste. How many lightening chargers are going to prematurely end up as E-Waste, when Apple is forced to convert to USB-C? The truth is that eventually, all mobile device chargers will end up as E-Waste, regardless of the connector and consumers will always own more chargers than the mobile devices they're use for. Even if they all use the same connector. The E-Waste problem isn't added to so much by phone makers using different charging ports but by people that think a charger is E-Waste once they think it's useless, just because it charges their new iPhone too slowly or won't charge their iPad. Instead of considering that their charger might still be useful to tens of millions of others still using Apple older devices. Apple iPhone 7 is still fully supported and is still one of the most popular iPhone in use and it came with a 5W lightening charger. No excuse for anyone to turn one of those chargers into E-waste.
Now Apple obsolete 30 pin connector is a different story. But IIRC, Apple iPods and iPhones that used the 30 pin connector came with a USB charger and a USB to 30 pin cable. Not a charger with a built in 30 pin cable. So the USB charger itself is still useful when using a different USB adapter cable. I still have a couple those chargers with the firewire port, instead of the USB port. It's over 20 years old and still not E-waste, as I own a couple of the first 5GB iPod with the rotating wheel, instead of the touch pad. The very first iPod used firewire for charging and data. The second and third generation used firewire to 30 pin. The 4th and on used USB and 30 pin. The iPod Classic 6th generation was the last device to use the 30 pin in 2009 and discontinued in 2012. The 30 pin had over a 10 year run. Lightening is on its 10th year.
This will never be like how one can own 1 charger for 3 cordless power tools and 6 batteries for them. It's one thing to come up with a plan that truly eliminate E-waste and another to come up with a plan like this. Which is nothing more than ........ rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
,
I
https://www.indiatoday.in/technology/news/story/apple-iphone-14-pro-series-may-bring-faster-data-transfer-speeds-but-do-not-expect-usb-c-port-1939544-2022-04-20
Apple has never revealed the true specs for lightning. It just maxes at USB 2 data transfer speed now. That doesn't mean that USB 2 is the max lightning is capable of.
The real benefit of USB C over lightning is its charging capability. But with wireless charging getting more popular, having a USB C port for charging might be a moot point.
Rumors have it that Apple wants to or will introduce a portless iPhone within the next several years. So Apple have no desire to redesign their iPhone with a USB C port, just to have it for a couple of years, before they go portless. Maybe Apple is working on a faster transfer speed that don't rely on WiFi or a port, but uses the internal magnetic charger and a cable.
https://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2017/03/apple-invents-a-wireless-charging-system-that-puts-equal-emphasis-on-wireless-data-transfers.html