Saudi Arabia passes law requiring USB-C charges for smartphones::From 2025, Apple’s iPhone and all Android smartphones sold in Saudi Arabia will have to have a USB-C charging port, with laptops to follow in 2026.
Holy shit… This is the first time I’ve agreed with anything from Saudi Arabia. Who knew basic rights suppressors would be pro consumer lmao.
They are not pro-consumer. They are doing this because EU has done it. On the face of things they look progressive and what not, in reality EU really dictates sane laws.
They are not pro-consumer. They are doing this because EU has done it.
Doing it when another country has already done it is still more pro-consumer than not doing it at all.
I disagree, because change is going to happen regardless what they decided. Had they been first, then we can say they did it to help consumers. This is more PR than anything else. EU is sufficiently big market so they can throw their weight around and force manufacturers to behave. Not sure Saudi Arabia has enough buying power to do that.
There are phones which aren’t sold in the EU which could have other connections. Now they can’t be sold in Saudi Arabia as well. It’s probably not a large number, but even if it’s 1,000 less phones that use a non-USB-C connection, that’s still 1,000 phones.
Don’t get me wrong, I agree Saudi Arabia is doing this for their external image, but you can’t deny it has some consumer benefit for their citizens, however small.
They’re just following in the EU’s steps in a self-aggrandising move. Everyone knows apple won’t bother with splitting the iphone line and will go with USB-C soon.
Nothing about Saudi Arabia is pro-consumer.
And if you don’t use USB-C they’ll behead you.
Finally, the punishment fits the crime /s
OK. Now copy all other EU laws.
Yes and then they should jail those who violate basic human rights.
One can dream.
While I agree with the point of these laws, to get everyone on a standard, it’s going to suck when the next, better standard comes along and the are all these laws preventing phones from adopting it
The EU has appointed a committee to reconsider the standards every couple of years and the law allows changing the standard if they decide to. I’m not sure how Saoudi Arabia will deal with this.
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EU attempted to get smartphone manufacturers to agree on a standard so that law wouldn’t be necessary to avoid this scenario. Guess which company didn’t want to play with the others?
Guess which company is now forced to do it in second revision of the same law or is going to get forbidden from selling their devices in EU. Being an asshole strongarming your way around works for certain countries on this planet that have legalized bribing and call it lobbying. EU doesn’t give a shit.
One of the largest Tech companies in the world, is it Orange?
And they didn’t want to do it likely because of the previous comment - what don’t you understand?
The original proposal was that companies agree by themselves a common standard to use so that legislation wouldn’t be needed. They had their chance to go on without legally forced change but they didn’t want to.
Additionally EU has given Apple multiple warnings about not to hinder USB-C functionality like fast charging so that it would only work with their own chargers and cables.
So, they agree to a common standard AFTER Apple has switched to Lightning. These ideas sound so great if you ignore timelines and what really happened when.
The world had subtlety agreed on a different standard (mico usb) when apple decided to do decide to switch to a proprietary one (lightning)
Granted, micro Usb is shit, but switching to a proprietary standard is worse as you force everyone to have something different.
Were lightning not proprietary, I could definitely see it overcomming micro usb everywhere
Oh for sure. If lightning had been opened up to everyone I think we’d all be using it now
This thing has been brewing since 2009 and Apple has been a part of it since beginning but as it was voluntary we’ve all seen what happened.
I mean, my comment is something to consider, but it’s definitely not why Apple doesn’t want it lol
it’s going to suck when the next, better standard comes along and the are all these laws preventing phones from adopting it
this argument keeps being trotted out.
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Standards can change.
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The USB-C protocol allows for future improvements. The spec allows for charging at capacities far higher than exist today, and the connection type so far supports USB3.0, 3.1, 3.2, USB4 and even the unfortunately-named USB4v2.0. The USB-C connection type will still be around for USB5.3v2max SuperSpeed or whatever it’s called in 2030.
Governments move really, really slow. How long has USB-C been out? Many years it seems and now it’s being mandated? In my view USB-C is old tech. I like it, don’t get me wrong, but it’s old old.
If you go to any government organization except maybe parts of the military, you’ll find that their tech is outdated and running legacy shit because they have to go through piles of paperwork to change anything.
In my view USB-C is old tech. I like it, don’t get me wrong, but it’s old old.
As long as it works for the next few decades, this isn’t anything to worry about.
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A step in the right direction, good job
IMO other countries shouldn’t adopt laws like this, the EU and maybe the US should be the only ones, since new standards will take longer to get adopted if every country with this kinda law has to allow it instead of just one or two.
I think all smartphone companies should pull out of Saudi Arabia until it has better human rights policies.
I’m in the minority here, but I don’t think any governments should be regulating the choice of cable in smartphones. I think it’s a convenience that they can dangle in front of people so they can say they are pro-consumer, while ignoring the working conditions of those who manufacture it, the taxes paid by corporations who make the phones, the lobbying done against right-to-repair laws, and the monopolistic tendencies displayed by these companies.
The governments have a real responsibility to hold these companies responsible for a lot of things, but I don’t think the choice of one small piece of the technology pie should be one of them.
I disagree. Standardization is one of the great benefits of international cooperation, and governments should hopefully continue to push towards it. It forces companies to work together rather than try to sabotage each other, which benefits the consumer.
I also don’t know about this SA law, but the EU one is about way more than just smartphones, it mandates a standardized charging connector for all kinds of electronic appliances. You’re underestimating the impact this will have on the market and our e-waste.
If the companies won’t do it on their own, they have to be forced. Apple didn’t want to play, hence the law.
