Europe and single charger: for Apple, it's no

And yet, the aim of the European Commission, with thisidea of ​​unique charging connectors for smartphones, is good to reduce waste. Indeed, according to Brussels, as it stands, with different charging ports among the largest smartphone sellers in the world, Lighting for Apple, USB-C for the majority of its competitors now, the ecology is taking a hit.

The typical example to illustrate this argument of waste is that of a family where some members have a smartphone with a USB-C connection, while others have an iPhone with a Lightning connection. So, instead of being able to use one and the same charger, they are forced to get a second one, or at least consider using another cable, or even an adapter.

This idea of ​​unique connectivity for smartphones is not new. It was already proposed around ten years ago,as stated there, before Apple implemented Lightning on its iOS devices.

Tim Cook: no to single connectivity

Moreas reported by the Financial Times newspaper, Apple maintains that removing Lightning connectivity, as proposed by the EU, would lead to several undesirable consequences.

On the one hand, several million users would find themselves very bored with their home equipped with numerous Lightning chargers. The problem is not only practical, but it would also be, according to the Californian firm, ecological. Because what would become of all these Lightning cables and chargers? They would end up in the trash, which in itself would be a monumental electronic waste. Nothing ecological, in short.

On the other hand, for Tim Cook's company, moving to a single connection would slow down innovation in the field. Europe already has its answer to this. She says she is ready to welcome any new charging solution if it is adopted by everyone. But it is true that this need for all manufacturers to agree on a new technology could slow down developments in this area.

Apple and a two-speed ecology

Even if we can imagine that Apple has little interest in removing Lightning from its iPhones to replace it with USB-C (selling its chargers and Lightning cables at a high price), its ecological argument seems surprising. Because, even if it is one of the greenest companies in the world, on certain points, notably that of the use of renewable energy, it is not the best placed on many other points affecting to recycling.

Many of its devices have their components welded or glued, which constitutes, here, a real ecological disaster. Let us cite for example the case of AirPods. These include a non-removable battery. Apple completely replaces each headset with a new one in the event of battery problems or simply in the event of longer sufficient battery life (a problem that could occur after only 18 months of use).

And then what can we say about the abandonment of the headphone jack with the iPhone 7, which prompted many users to purchase adapters as well as new wireless or Lightning headsets? And what about the arrival of Lightning headphones on the market, including those delivered with the iPhone and iPad, which have in no way improved the situation for families with smartphones from different manufacturers?

So seeing Apple mention ecology to protect its Lightning socket could constitute a big communication error. This thus points out that Tim Cook would use ecology to arrange the affairs of his company, above all.

Is the single connection already there?

However, we can note that in reality, there would be a solution on which all manufacturers have already agreed: wireless charging. This is in fact universal, thanks to the Qi standard. Recent iPhones (8/XS/XR/XS Max/11/11 Pro/11 Pro Max models) can benefit from it, as can a large number of competing Android smartphones currently available on the market.

Thus, a Qi charger can charge both a Samsung, Huawei, or Xiaomi smartphone and an Apple smartphone. It can also charge other compatible devices, such as certain wireless headphones, including AirPods.

Perhaps in the future it will be necessary to rely on this technology having already shown its advantages, to make it the universal charging connection of tomorrow? A step that Apple would be ready to take,if these recent rumors are to be believed.

Editor-in-chief for iPhon.fr. Pierre is like Indiana Jones, looking for the lost iOS trick. Also a long-time Mac user, Apple devices hold no secrets for him. Contact: pierre[a]iphon.fr.