First USB-C iPhone | Hacker News Reader

First USB-C iPhone

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The micro-soldering and what I assume must be custom (or very small batch) cabling is very impressive, but beyond that: Apple has embedded verification in their hardware from the batteries to (if I understand correctly) the screen itself. The fact that this is even possible without big warning signs throughout the OS is what I'm weirded out by.

I legitimately wish I could just be amazed at the soldering, machining, and dedication. But having to include "Bypassed un-disable-able [0] hardware verification on your own device" makes it all seem a touch more dystopian.

[0] Note that HW verification could (and in some cases does) serve the user. But being unable to bypass it on one's own device doesn't quite sit well with me.

You know that tiny micro usb to lightning adapters are available in stores, right?

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/images/images2000x2000/apple_md...

Why would it be hard to adapt this into usb-c to lightning conversion?

usb-c to lightning adapters are against the spec. I've still tried cheapest one off fleabay and it didn't work at all.

Against what spec? There are adapters that come with the ‘made for iPhone’ logo.

People have always been able to connect an iPhone to arbitrary devices through a cable, the security is that it only speaks certain protocols and prompts the user if something more than charging or headphone out is requested.

The trouble is providing a way to bypass security by the user that can tell a user apart from someone who shouldn't be allowed in. Somehow they've bypassed it without such a mechanism. Putting a way in on purpose opens any security on that pathway to implementation exploits.

We should inform Apple that we won’t buy any more iPhones until they provide USB-C charging for it.

Who is we?

Interesting. I could have sworn that Strange Parts already did this months ago, but I was apparently thinking of a video where he discussed the project and basically said he didn't feel like doing it[1]. Anyway, congrats on successfully going through "three months of agony"!

[1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZZIKbidMI0

He did add a headphone jack to an iPhone 7 tho: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utfbE3_uAMA

Wow, this will make Apple’s argument against EU, asking to do this since a few years ago, much harder to sustain :) Amazing work!

Do you think Apple would argue that they can’t put USB-C on a phone? Or have they already? I haven’t seen it and it wouldn’t make much sense.

The only consumer oriented argument, which IMO isn’t bad, is that a lot of people have Lightning peripherals for their phones that they’d have to replace. It’s really the only explanation that can explain why they’d change to USB-C on iPads but not iPhones. With laptops and iPads using adapters with most peripherals you’d use there is not a problem. People don’t tend to use something like a FLIR camera with iPad, and such a camera would be extremely flimsy to use on an iPhone with a USB-C to Lightning adapter.

I’m not arguing that Apple shouldn’t switch to USB-C, but I think this is a decent argument why delaying it has been good for a certain subset of customers.

I think they were hoping that they could go all-wireless for consumer iPhone and USB-C on Pro iPhones. They didn’t want to switch before that because they don’t want to send the signal that peripheral makers can rely on USB-C for all iPhones. But wireless charging tech hasn’t progressed as fast they hoped.

The other argument against the EU directive isn't about now, it's about what happens in 5, 10 years, when our technology has progressed, but the directive still specifies USB-C.

Do any EU laws/directives have sunset clauses? I don't know if that's a thing in this context.

They've made it clear that they are happy to update you the latest standards when the standards move on.

This wasn’t a problem when they standardized on micro USB and USB-C came along

From https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/QANDA_...

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.

If you offer this for 40 bucks I might do it. Fuck that stupid port.

I Think is Good Option For Fast Charging and many more.

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