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Comment by scohesc | Hacker News Reader

Apple is right that standardizing to one connector will stifle innovation of new charging connectors - though USB-C is pretty darn good right now and I don't think we'll need something better for a while.

I'm wondering what kind of secret sauce/protocol Apple is going to use in their USB-C plugs and sockets to add proprietary features available to their own cables - maybe allows faster charging and data rates with Apple USB-C cables compared to standard USB 2.0 transfer speeds even if you use a quality non-apple USB cable?

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Apple has had decades to show off this innovation and at the end of it the vast majority of their products also end up using USB-C.

In fact Apple users find themselves in the ridiculous situation where if they travel with a MacBook and a Galaxy they can carry a single charging cable but need 2 different charging cables if traveling with a MacBook and an iPhone instead.

It’s hard to see any evidence of the innovation this would suppress.

USB-C is only the connector. I wonder what the rules say about the protocol used. It is quite possible to use a USB-C connector and use a completely different protocol. They could simply implement the 5v, 500mA capacity of USB 2.0 to be fully compliant with the EU rules, then only implement higher charging speed in their own proprietary Apple USB-C cables.

According to the directive:

"In so far as they are capable of being recharged by means of wired charging at voltages higher than 5 Volts, currents higher than 3 Amperes or powers higher than 15 Watts, the categories or classes of radio equipment referred to in point 1 of this Part shall:

3.1. incorporate the USB Power Delivery, as described in the standard EN IEC 62680-1-2:2021 “Universal serial bus interfaces for data and power – Part 1-2: Common components – USB Power Delivery specification”;

3.2. ensure that any additional charging protocol allows for the full functionality of the USB Power Delivery referred to in point 3.1, irrespective of the charging device used."

This would seem like a mistake on Apple’s part. The iPhone is a premium product. The charging cable is a cheap piece of rubber and copper, and everyone knows it. (Seriously, if you go shopping for a cable, the premium products are not made by Apple. Which is fine for Apple — this is not where they make their money.)

So if Apple actually cripples charging with third party cables, then it seems likely that people will blame the phone, not the cable. “Hey, my friend’s Pixel charges super fast with this 65W fancy charger [0], but my brand new iPhone doesn’t? I guess the Pixel is pretty neat!”

In any case, the whole concern is a bit bizarre. USB-C fast-ish charging can run at, say, 20V 1A, which is faster than USB-A at 5V 3A and quite a bit safer. 20V is not much of a voltage hazard, but 3A produces 9x as much heating as 1A.

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