Seems like a waste of time to me. Even before the EU regs came in it seems to me that the vast majority of devices were fast defacto-standardizing on USB-C.
It’s even more silly when you consider that there are, in fact, different USB-C cables – not every USB-C cable can handle charging your laptop at full speed or carrying 4K video but there’s often nothing on them to allow you to tell the difference.
While the way USB-C works means you _shouldn’t_ end up causing a fire by trying to charge a laptop with an under-spec’d cable, it’s still annoying to only be able to tell how well it’s going to work once you’ve plugged it in.
wkavinsky on
Bit late, the EU already solved this one for the world
Emotional_Menu_6837 on
Quick force Apple back onto lightning…
I mean honestly this is the epitome of the Brexit dividend, coming to things late and having no choice but doing what the EU already did. Would be much more interesting if they tried to force micro-usb or something and watch how we suddenly have issues getting some phones as no one is going to adapt just for the uk.
Grayson81 on
The new rules have been really good so far.
It’s a hell of a lot more convenient to now have the exact same charger for my phone, my laptop, my headphones, my powerbank and so much more.
That said, I wonder if there will be a downside further into the future? If something better than USB-C comes along, how long will it take to change the existing rules?
DWOL82 on
Total waste, the move to USB-C was bad enough. We are going to end up with thousands of waste lightning cables at work soon. We were happy with lightning for our iPads and iPhones, it was slimmer and we had loads of them. Now we have a mix and it’s annoying.
and as others have said, how do you now make progress into something better than USB-C if all cables have to be the same?
grapplinggigahertz on
>The UK government is considering whether to require all new electronic devices to use the same type of charging cable
Are they? Are they really that stupid? Do they really think that any manufacturer is going to make a product with a UK designated charge port?
Their only option is to either say – ‘*there is no law, do as you want*’ or follow the EU mandate and implement a UK law for USB C charging.
And frankly the same is true for virtually every other decision – put into UK law what the EU has decided, or hope that is what the manufacturers send anyway.
luxway on
“Uk to follow the EU’s lead in sensible policy, reminding us yet again that brexit was a dumb idea”
miemcc on
It’s a bit of a non-story. The Office for Product Safety and Standards was always going to get around to it, and finally started the process. As other posters have said, manufacturers were never going to make UK specific versions of their devices. It’s not just phones. It will be all sorts of devices.
Individual_Net4063 on
Stop telling us (via companies) how to live. If people want universal charging cables, they will demand universal charging cables.
[deleted] on
[deleted]
Careful-Swimmer-2658 on
Of course we are. 🙄
We’re going to have a “sovereignty cable” that’s incompatible with both the EU and the USA.
We’ll do whatever the EU decides after spending millions on an enquiry and pretending it’s our own decision
Mr_Rockmore on
UK is a little fish trying to pretend it still belongs in the big tank
HaydnH on
Wait, being able to use any charging cable was a Brexit benefit according to Jacob Rees Mogg! (someone who obviously never worked in an office a day in his life back in the days when people we’re walking around asking for a Nokia/Sanmsung/Sony phone charger) [https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/what-a-plug-rees-mogg-mocked-for-saying-phone-chargers-are-a-brexit-benefit-327284/](https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/what-a-plug-rees-mogg-mocked-for-saying-phone-chargers-are-a-brexit-benefit-327284/)
NeverGonnaGiveMewUp on
Watch the UK insist on it being something that isn’t reversible just for shits and giggles quoting some nonsense about back in the day.
NaheemSays on
The best bit about brexit is the UK no longer gets a chance to sabotage sensible rules in the EU.
Then a few years later it can also adopt them without the same level of manufactured outcry.
I suspect if the UK had remained in the EU this change would not have occurred (and neithe would the EU DMA have teeth).
markhewitt1978 on
Look forward to see how USB-C can handle 150kW for charging my car /s
Kitchen-Tension791 on
There should be a rule to include charging blocks in the actual device boxes ,
It will cut down on waste they say
I say it’s just a way to make an extra ten pounds per person when you inevitably need one.
DickMille on
Should properly troll with the legislation and demand all devices use a kettle lead for charging
18 Comments
Seems like a waste of time to me. Even before the EU regs came in it seems to me that the vast majority of devices were fast defacto-standardizing on USB-C.
It’s even more silly when you consider that there are, in fact, different USB-C cables – not every USB-C cable can handle charging your laptop at full speed or carrying 4K video but there’s often nothing on them to allow you to tell the difference.
While the way USB-C works means you _shouldn’t_ end up causing a fire by trying to charge a laptop with an under-spec’d cable, it’s still annoying to only be able to tell how well it’s going to work once you’ve plugged it in.
Bit late, the EU already solved this one for the world
Quick force Apple back onto lightning…
I mean honestly this is the epitome of the Brexit dividend, coming to things late and having no choice but doing what the EU already did. Would be much more interesting if they tried to force micro-usb or something and watch how we suddenly have issues getting some phones as no one is going to adapt just for the uk.
The new rules have been really good so far.
It’s a hell of a lot more convenient to now have the exact same charger for my phone, my laptop, my headphones, my powerbank and so much more.
That said, I wonder if there will be a downside further into the future? If something better than USB-C comes along, how long will it take to change the existing rules?
Total waste, the move to USB-C was bad enough. We are going to end up with thousands of waste lightning cables at work soon. We were happy with lightning for our iPads and iPhones, it was slimmer and we had loads of them. Now we have a mix and it’s annoying.
and as others have said, how do you now make progress into something better than USB-C if all cables have to be the same?
>The UK government is considering whether to require all new electronic devices to use the same type of charging cable
Are they? Are they really that stupid? Do they really think that any manufacturer is going to make a product with a UK designated charge port?
Their only option is to either say – ‘*there is no law, do as you want*’ or follow the EU mandate and implement a UK law for USB C charging.
And frankly the same is true for virtually every other decision – put into UK law what the EU has decided, or hope that is what the manufacturers send anyway.
“Uk to follow the EU’s lead in sensible policy, reminding us yet again that brexit was a dumb idea”
It’s a bit of a non-story. The Office for Product Safety and Standards was always going to get around to it, and finally started the process. As other posters have said, manufacturers were never going to make UK specific versions of their devices. It’s not just phones. It will be all sorts of devices.
Stop telling us (via companies) how to live. If people want universal charging cables, they will demand universal charging cables.
[deleted]
Of course we are. 🙄
We’re going to have a “sovereignty cable” that’s incompatible with both the EU and the USA.
We’ll do whatever the EU decides after spending millions on an enquiry and pretending it’s our own decision
UK is a little fish trying to pretend it still belongs in the big tank
Wait, being able to use any charging cable was a Brexit benefit according to Jacob Rees Mogg! (someone who obviously never worked in an office a day in his life back in the days when people we’re walking around asking for a Nokia/Sanmsung/Sony phone charger) [https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/what-a-plug-rees-mogg-mocked-for-saying-phone-chargers-are-a-brexit-benefit-327284/](https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/what-a-plug-rees-mogg-mocked-for-saying-phone-chargers-are-a-brexit-benefit-327284/)
Watch the UK insist on it being something that isn’t reversible just for shits and giggles quoting some nonsense about back in the day.
The best bit about brexit is the UK no longer gets a chance to sabotage sensible rules in the EU.
Then a few years later it can also adopt them without the same level of manufactured outcry.
I suspect if the UK had remained in the EU this change would not have occurred (and neithe would the EU DMA have teeth).
Look forward to see how USB-C can handle 150kW for charging my car /s
There should be a rule to include charging blocks in the actual device boxes ,
It will cut down on waste they say
I say it’s just a way to make an extra ten pounds per person when you inevitably need one.
Should properly troll with the legislation and demand all devices use a kettle lead for charging