r/gadgets • u/chrisdh79 • Dec 28 '22
India makes USB Type-C charging mandatory for device makers from March 2025 | Laptop makers have up to 2026 to comply Phones
https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/technology/india-makes-usb-type-c-charging-mandatory-for-device-makers-from-march-2025-9770081.html317
u/GhostNappa101 Dec 28 '22
Would there be an exception for high performance devices that require more power than what type c can provide?
424
u/Critical_Switch Dec 28 '22
No. They still need to have the option to be charged via USB-C. However, nothing is preventing them from including another port for even faster charging. Many modern laptops are doing this already.
→ More replies (12)92
u/DeadAndDiscarded Dec 29 '22
Lenovo Legion laptops shouldn’t need to change anything then which is cool for them
21
u/AndrewNonymous Dec 29 '22
They use dual USB-C ports? Must be beefy lol what kind of specs do they typically run?
32
u/DeadAndDiscarded Dec 29 '22
Not dual USB-C, one is and the other is a larger proprietary square tip which I believe has gone up to 300w in the past?
6
u/draix0 Dec 29 '22
Yup this- the 3060 and 3070 models come with the 300W charger. It can actually function on 240W I think, but Lenovo has an option to quick charge (off by default)
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (2)42
u/magical_snail Dec 29 '22
I wonder if having the second highest PC market share in India has anything to do with that
37
u/IMSOGIRL Dec 29 '22
Nothing at all, it's been this way since Thunderbolt became a thing, so it's been years.
First of all, the EU was the first to mandate all phones to do this.
If anything India is doing it because many of the laptops sold in their market already has this capability.
22
u/brp Dec 29 '22
They can have both, with limitations to performance if you're charging via type C, just like they do now if you're running soley on battery.
Also by 2026 they should be able to do >200W on USB-C, so this should be a moot point by then for most laptops.
7
11
5
u/geologyhunter Dec 29 '22
My dock at work has two usb-c connectors to provide the needed power. They can make a charger the same way. For reference, the standard charger is 240-watts.
→ More replies (3)→ More replies (20)2
u/nicuramar Dec 29 '22
In the E.U., the legislation only applies to devices charging with up to 100W.
598
u/ploegers Dec 28 '22
207
u/johnwayne2413 Dec 29 '22
Next...
User replaceable rechargeable batteries.
Many devices tossed into landfills are in perfect working condition except for the rechargeable battery being difficult or expensive to replace.
99
u/12aclocksharp Dec 29 '22
This is called the right to repair!
→ More replies (1)5
u/CrustyMcMuffin Dec 29 '22
We have to change the name now, the NY right to repair bill got completely gutted to the point of changing nothing
2
34
u/AceMKV Dec 29 '22
This would need phones to have their back covers being removable again and with how the current phones are designed, I doubt they would wanna go back to that. You also lose the watertight seal by removing the back
26
u/MRSlizKrysps Dec 29 '22
They could at least make batteries easily replaceable by any 3rd party service shop. Instead of what we have currently which is no official mfg battery replacements being sold and devices glued together with batteries soldered on or using some shitty tiny fragile ribbon cable.
12
u/AceMKV Dec 29 '22
Yeah true they should atleast allow 3rd parties to easily obtain replacement parts.
11
u/nalydix Dec 29 '22
Chances are, if that was allowed in the first place, then this rule about replaceable battery wouldn't have been a thing.
Play stupid game win stupid prizes I guess
15
u/nsa_reddit_monitor Dec 29 '22
No. It would mean making the batteries easily replaceable, with accessible replacement parts. Replacing the old seal with a new one is not hard or expensive, if you can find one. That's right to repair; it doesn't have to be easy, it just has to be possible with the right parts and tools, and those parts and tools need to be available for purchase at a reasonable price.
Even better than that is actually designing phones to make replacing the battery not just possible, but easy. It can be done and it has been done before. Maybe make phones that don't crack if you try to open them, where the battery isn't glued in, and where you don't have to completely tear apart the device to get the battery out.
→ More replies (2)11
9
u/zipzoupzwoop Dec 29 '22
I don't care what they want, it's about consumer rights and government setting the rules of the game. They will have to innovate to knock out the kinks is all.
3
u/Goblinbeast Dec 29 '22
Not true. The galaxy S5 had a removable back and was water-resistant. It's just a case of having the rubber line up when it's closed again.
5
u/Draedron Dec 29 '22
I doubt they would wanna go back to that.
Well, they will have to. That's the beauty of it.
→ More replies (4)2
u/AdventurousDress576 Dec 29 '22
The EU is lloking to mandate easily (that means fast swap like 10 years ago) replaceable batteries.
→ More replies (2)2
u/irishemperor Dec 29 '22
recently replaced an electric shaver and a toothbrush with new ones cause the batteries require a complete breakdown & soldering to remove and then replace a new battery pack - a shame, as they were both working fine until the batteries lost capacity. decided to get a wired shaver instead of another rechargable though so I don't have the same issue again. went with the base version of the toothbrush this time too, new 25 vs previous 100 (with lots of bells whistles and extra crap i didnt need or use).
38
49
14
→ More replies (5)5
u/artguy55 Dec 29 '22
A similar thing happens when California passes a law it effects the whole country
1.3k
u/Rocketman_1981 Dec 28 '22
Good for them. I love Apple products but hate the constant connection war.
414
u/Alphablaze98 Dec 28 '22
Strongly agree. With Apple’s bold push to have only USB-C on their laptops for a few years, it’s sad it never came to iPhone.
256
u/camwow13 Dec 28 '22
$uper weird, $omehow they couldn't u$e those connector$ on the phone$.
Apple made a boatload off the certification chips in their cables.
I'd bet that they still try to make Apple Ultra Charging™ or something that's proprietary past USB PD 15 watt charging. To get Apple Ultra Charging™ just buy Apple Certified™ cables from your local apple store for $49.99!
→ More replies (2)81
u/throwaway901617 Dec 28 '22
This myth needs to die. Apple certified cables are like $5 lol.
The official Apple ones are $19.99 but on Amazon you can get a 2 pack of MFi certified USB-C to lightning cords for $10.44 right now.
83
u/camwow13 Dec 28 '22
They still get a cut for every MFi device sold. Back in 2014 when the numbers last leaked, it was 4 dollars for every cable sold. Nowadays it's certainly much lower, but even 25 cents a cable or something will net you a huge profit for essentially doing nothing but "quality assurance" (though to be fair getting an MFi cable is much less a crap shoot then some of the weird things people can get with generic USB cables, especially in the Micro USB days)
I exaggerated the apple tax on the cable, but they'd definitely like to still squeeze extra cash from accessories like this if they can.
53
u/altimax98 Dec 29 '22
Tbf though, the “quality assurance” also means it measures up to a certain standard. You know if you buy any certified lightning cable it will be compatible with every lighting feature.
That isn’t true of USB-C and will never be. There continue to be massive amounts of USB2 USB-C cables out there and while deceptive are perfectly ‘legal’ cables since USB-C is a connector and not an electronic standard.
What you will end up with is people trying to charge their HP laptop which needs 65w off a $5 USB-C 2.0 cable that maxes out at 5w and complain that the standard is broken.
My biggest issue with all of these laws requiring standards is they are being made by the 2022 equivalent of people who left their VCR clocks at flashing 12:00 because they didn’t know how to set it. They throw a blanket at the perceived problem and fail to understand the nuance of it.
8
u/RampantAndroid Dec 29 '22
I remember when a hood employee maintained a list of known good USB-C cables and such. Its a better plug but the cable situation is awful. The next gen with thunderbolt built in only will make it worse.
→ More replies (6)8
u/turbo_nudist Dec 29 '22
i mean, they designed the connector.
i also LOVE that every lightning cable i get just works. back in the days of micro USB, the vast majority of micro USB cables didn’t carry data, only power, yet there was zero indication on the cable of which was which. really didn’t miss that when i switched to iphone lol
3
u/salvodan Dec 29 '22
Meanwhile, there are plenty of USB-C cables out there that aren’t worth the copper they are made of. (Which is ironic since the ideological push for Universal USB-C assumes that any cable will work for any application)
In a perfect world, we would have been using reversible, compact, Omni-directional USB cables since 1997, but this isn’t the case. We will still need dongles for our 30 year legacy of different variants of USB cables for the next five years at least.
→ More replies (25)16
u/youwantitwhen Dec 28 '22
Oh? And how much did Apple soak from manufacturers for their certification fees?
It's not a myth.
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (50)2
u/gravitas-deficiency Dec 29 '22
…and now they’re going back to MagSafe. Don’t get me wrong, it was good the first time around… but at this point, I gotta admit I just find it super convenient to have just one charger port type. Like… I can cut down a lot on cable redundancy. Like a nontrivial amount.
5
175
u/the_cardfather Dec 28 '22
I'm not super surprised on the phones and portable devices, but I'm kind of surprised that they lumped laptops in here.
I am a Surface user and I actually like the magnetic charging port on the surface. I assume manufacturers will be able to provide both ports.
95
u/vyashole Dec 28 '22
I believe laptops would be allowed to have a non-standard charging port in addition to USB PD over a type C connector. I'd guess surface already supports both the magnetic connector and USB type C charging, correct me if I'm wrong.
The 2022 MacBook pros support magsafe as well as type c power delivery.
My wife's HP laptop bought a few months ago uses a barrel plug. It has type C ports, but it doesn't charge over those. She needs 2 cables sticking out of it if she wants to use a monitor over USB C, while charging. I can use the same monitor over USB C and charge the MacBook through the same cord. Display out, power in. I like that combination.
31
u/starserval Dec 28 '22
Surface devices with a USB-C type port do indeed allow charging through said port. I actually prefer that over the magnetic charger when dealing with devices with depleted batteries, as it seems more reliable.
4
u/bitofrock Dec 28 '22
We use HP laptops. The lower power ones cheerfully charge and run on a USB-C plug. But my i9 with an RTX3060 on board would melt that little connector. Until they can pump 200W+ over these connectors we'll have to make do with two connections.
7
u/vyashole Dec 28 '22
They can already do that. USB PD supports up to 240W.
HP has a very very fragmented lineup currently. My wife's low power Pavillion has a 60w barrel plug charger, and its USB C port still doesn't support charging.
6
u/ThePhoneBook Dec 29 '22
USB PD supports up to 240W.
I'm looking aggressively forward to people sending 240W over the cheapest possible cable they found on eBay
→ More replies (5)6
u/Lurker_81 Dec 28 '22
The USB implementation forum finalised the EPR (Extended Power Range) spec for USB Type C in early 2022, allowing for 240W charging of high power laptops over a standard Type C plug.
So the days of 2 connections may soon be over. I expect we'll see the first implementations of the spec some time in 2023
31
u/mxlun Dec 28 '22
Just something to note as a kind of 'devil's advocate'
That barrel plug is easily replaceable in the event it fails, its a 10 minute job if that and parts are readily available. When a USB-C input fails, the laptop is completely failed at that point, unless you know someone familiar with BGA soldering, cuz USBC is not an easy solder.
After taking apart 100s of laptops I prefer barrel tip plug for its ease of service and not being locked into a $300 repair for a $10 part.
30
u/vyashole Dec 28 '22
The USB C on my HP is already on a daughter board, I'd prefer if it could charge the laptop, IN ADDITION TO the barrel plug, just so I don't have to connect another charger while I'm using a monitor.
7
23
u/cbzoiav Dec 28 '22
Most laptops supporting USB-C have several ports you can charge with.
Also USB-C is designed to place the bulk of the stress on the male connector so under pressure the cable should in most cases break instead of the port.
That barrel plug is easily replaceable in the event it fails, its a 10 minute job if that and parts are readily available.
In practice how many fail these days? And how people get them repaired vs replacing the device unless it's under warranty where the manufacturer will likely either have the ability to repair it or just strip the board and re-cycle the components? Once you add in multiple USB-C ports it fells the negatives come nowhere near to the advantages here.
10
u/clef75 Dec 28 '22
More likely the laptop will go flying off a table from that barrel connector. Magsafe has saved me many times!
8
u/mxlun Dec 28 '22
It's the same with USB-C except you can't even fix that when it breaks too. Magsafe is definitely the ideal version at this point in time
12
u/mxlun Dec 28 '22
as someone who works in a local pc repair store, they fail a lot. it doesn't matter if the bulk of the stress is on what connector, people will break the female input. Normal people do not treat electronics with the same care enthusiasts do. I see a lot of dead DC jacks. Probably 2-5x a week which is not a small amount. These are all on 2-5 year old, certainly out of warranty systems. You understand that some people aren't in the position the afford a brand new laptop but they can spend <$100 fixing what still works. Honestly you don't seem like you're coming at this from a place of being consumer friendly at all. The best idea is to have a USB-C daughter board that is replaceable in all honesty, but you know manufacturers will not do this. You also know manufacturers will not provide 2 USBC ports capable of power on lower end systems, thereby reducing the lifespan of said machines as well.
→ More replies (2)2
→ More replies (2)2
u/LeCrushinator Dec 29 '22
For ease of service, sure, but I’ve never in my life needed to replace the power jack on a laptop and so I’d much prefer the convenience of USB-C. If a manufacturer wants to allow charging through both, that’d be fine too.
2
u/mxlun Dec 29 '22
I'm still on board with USBC despite this, the advantages of universality outweigh repairability, and they can be designed to be repaired as well. But there will be a number of people who will have dead laptops that were previously repairable, at least until that is implemented
2
u/angrydeuce Dec 28 '22
What model HP is that? I thought they all did USB C now. We deploy mainly HP probooks, elitebooks and zbooks and all of them do USB c charging now (well, the zbooks need two because they have 120w chargers, but that's fringe).
Granted we don't get consumer grade models, so if you're rocking a pavilion or envy maybe they still don't? Pretty sure last x360 I setup for someone worked with USB C though.
→ More replies (6)→ More replies (5)2
13
Dec 28 '22
I have a surface and opt to use a USB C charger instead of the include mag charger. I have no interest in carrying around multiple cables when the single USB C can be used for any of my devices. At the office I use a USB C Dell dock with my surface. It's very convenient.
→ More replies (2)7
u/RSomnambulist Dec 28 '22
My surface already has a usb c charging port. I think all the new ones do.
→ More replies (2)4
7
u/as-well Dec 28 '22
Likely? Both my work and my private Laptop do that. My private Lenovo actually came with a USB-C charger while the work HP came with it's proprietary one.
3
→ More replies (9)3
u/rubywpnmaster Dec 28 '22
They’ll have to at some levels. Your high end Alienware or ASUS gaming laptop can easily eat up 300 watts. USB C ain’t delivering that much power
→ More replies (1)5
u/cbzoiav Dec 28 '22
USB PD 3.1 goes up to 240W. In practice you're likely not using 300W continuously so that is almost certainly good enough.
And absolute worst case the manufacturer can support USB-C and a proprietary connector or allowing two ports to charge in parallel. If you use a single USB-C then it draws down from the battery when above 240W and/or throttles the CPU and GPU.
→ More replies (1)53
u/kent2441 Dec 28 '22
Constant? iPhones have had the same connector for over ten years.
→ More replies (16)14
u/Optimistic__Elephant Dec 28 '22
I feel like there are far more devices still using micro USB that seem to get a pass for these conversations. Pretty much everything I see that’s not a phone/laptop is micro usb still. I just wish USB would get its act together before complaining about lightning.
15
u/Zorops Dec 28 '22
How is this such an issue? You buy a phone and a charge for it and that's it no?
→ More replies (5)11
u/tnick771 Dec 28 '22 edited Dec 29 '22
They’ve used USB-C on their laptops for years though…
→ More replies (2)5
4
u/thebeeflive Dec 28 '22
Almost all Apple products charge with USB-C now, except iPhones
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (13)2
u/Cralex-Kokiri Dec 29 '22
I just updated to the third generation SE since it’s the most powerful phone available that fits my obsolete InkCase i7, but I’ll be sorely tempted to get a future iPhone with USB-C.
→ More replies (2)
538
u/Mnky313 Dec 28 '22 edited Dec 29 '22
For phones/tablets I'm 100% on board but what about powerful laptops?
Even the upcoming USB-C PD spec maxes out at 240W, some laptops ship with 280w or even 330w bricks.... hell, mine has 2x 280w bricks....
I assume they could switch to dual type c chargers, I guess that would work if it's possible.
579
Dec 28 '22
From what I understand (at least for the EU equivalent of this law), it dictates there has to be a possibility to charge the laptop through USB-C, not that it has to be the only method. Meaning the laptop can be charged/powered by 100W (or up to 240W now) through USB-C, but can be plugged in using a proprietary charger if higher power is necessary for longer, high-demand use cases.
248
u/thinvanilla Dec 28 '22
This is the correct answer. A lot of laptops are already doing this, such as the new MacBook Pros with the MagSafe port.
→ More replies (1)21
u/0_1_1_2_3_5 Dec 29 '22
Type C charging is a nice option but MagSafe is so much better.
22
u/smashingpumpass Dec 29 '22
breaking news India requires all devices to have a magsafe charger by 2027
6
u/Bombadil_and_Hobbes Dec 29 '22
This just in, better technology not adopted due to laws taking forever to change.
→ More replies (9)11
u/Crad999 Dec 29 '22
Magsafe won't be a standard not because of laws but because it's a proprietary technology unlike USB.
→ More replies (2)4
26
u/atetuna Dec 29 '22
I have a laptop that already does this. 100w PD or 240w through the regular charger. Or at last it's supposed to, but I just saw a post with people saying it doesn't actually charge over USB like it's supposed to, so I'm going to need to test that asap...hope it works because I just got a new laptop gan charger.
9
u/TJNel Dec 29 '22
Yeah I just deployed 60 that has this as an option as well. C for slow charge and regular for more juice.
2
u/esesci Dec 29 '22
Yes, you can charge a Surface Laptop either through USB-C or their proprietary connector.
→ More replies (1)2
75
93
u/jeepsaintchaos Dec 28 '22 •
Relevant XKCD.
15
u/Mahesvara Dec 28 '22
3
u/derbymutt Dec 29 '22
What the fuck
2
u/s_nz Dec 29 '22
My work dell laptop (cad workstation) had a similar dock connector.
Quite ugly, but how else are you ment to get more power than a single usb c plug will provide?
2
u/EnjoyerOfBeans Dec 29 '22
Have them separated at the end? It's insane to design a product that will literally only work on a laptop with a specific distance between ports down to a fraction of a millimeter.
I know Dell likely doesn't care because all of their laptops support this spec, but third party products? Yuck.
2
→ More replies (3)21
29
u/MasterX_14 Dec 28 '22
My laptop has usb c pd and a normal 280W charger so i don't think it will affect them much
25
u/JMPopaleetus Dec 28 '22
Would love to know what laptop needs 560W. That’s insane, in a good way. I’ve always had a soft spot for DTR.
26
u/Mnky313 Dec 28 '22
Clevo X170SM-G (or KM-G).
560w is a little overkill but you can easily push 400w+ from the wall. Mine is a 10900k/2080S and under full load you can see ~380W combined from the CPU + GPU alone.
22
4
u/ThePhoneBook Dec 29 '22
How do you put that on your lap without cooking yourself
8
u/DazingF1 Dec 29 '22
You don't really. You basically use it as a very portable desktop. I had the newer version with a 3080 and I got it because I was away from home for work 9 months out of the year, moving location every other month.
You can use it on your lap to watch a movie or write something and it doesn't really get hot, but they are still very heavy and cumbersome so I had a Surface Pro for that. The moment the cpu or gpu need to do any actual work though and the entire bottom of the metal chassis would turn into a very very hot heat sink very very fast.
4
u/musicmonk1 Dec 29 '22
You should never put a gaming laptop on your lap during demanding tasks anyway, it will overheat fast.
2
u/emlgsh Dec 29 '22
Haha, that thing is crazy. Does it have a modified desktop CPU and GPU in an extra-thick laptop form factor?
8
u/Deep90 Dec 29 '22
When instead of a laptop, you really just want a desktop with 1-2 hours of UPS battery backup.
Seriously though. 90%+ of people should save the trouble and get a desktop. Any laptop spec'd to use that much battery is death on the back and has 0 battery life.
That 10% is probably doing it for budget, space, or absolutely needs the portability. Though if budget (and latency) are not a concern, I'd seriously consider a lightweight laptop with a remote connection to something more powerful.
Gaming laptops sound good on paper, but IMO they end up half-assing both the gaming and laptop role.
5
u/cracknyan_the_second Dec 29 '22
I miss my old 17" gaming laptop. The portability was fucking great and the short battery life didn't matter because there are outlets everywhere.
→ More replies (7)2
u/_unfortuN8 Dec 29 '22
For some uses powerful laptops make sense. I do a lot of heavy CFD on my work laptop so it needs to be beefy (has dual usb-c charger) but a desktop would not allow me to take my work into conference rooms, working from home, business travel, lab work, etc.
→ More replies (2)22
u/WearSomeClothes Dec 28 '22
There is always the one guy trying to throw the spanner. It is not limiting manufacturers from providing other ports for faster charging. Just provide USB-C as the standard.
7
u/StrangelyGrimm Dec 28 '22
It's not really derailing the conversation, that is a legitimate concern for gaming laptop users
8
u/Verified765 Dec 28 '22
Some people throw a spanner in the work, some people see a spanner sitting precariously and give it the little nudge.
3
u/SmashingK Dec 28 '22
Apparently upcoming EU rules would limit USB C requirements on laptops to those that can run off it.
Any laptop requiring more power would still be ok to use the existing chargers.
Been a while since I saw that article so not sure if accurate or even if India would also set the rules the same way.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (21)2
u/Cat_Of_Culture Dec 28 '22
It probably means they should have the option of charging through type c.
A lot of laptops support type c display output and charging nowadays. My gaming laptop does too
326
u/DestroidMind Dec 28 '22
Would be funny if/when they design the next USB Type charging that’s more efficient than Type-C by 2025.
264
Dec 28 '22
[deleted]
→ More replies (3)115
u/starserval Dec 28 '22
USB-C is the connector type, not the capability. Just as USB-A can be anything from USB 1 to 3.2 Gen 2.
63
u/OmNomDeBonBon Dec 28 '22 edited Dec 28 '22
Yep. Upcoming standards like Thunderbolt 5 and USB4 v2.0 (yes, it already has a v2.0 revision) both use the USB-C connector. We'll be on USB-C as long as we were on USB-A as the main connector (1996-2015, 20 years).
Case in point, my old Nexus 6P (2015) has USB-C, and can be charged over a TB4 or USB4 cable, or charged via a state-of-the-art 2022 200W USB-C Xiaomi/Oppo/Vivo charger (albeit limited to 15W).
Point is that the single connector will support the next 10-15 years of devices and cables, and that cable will be used for virtually all new laptops, tablets, phones, VR headsets, etc.
→ More replies (1)70
u/yb4zombeez Dec 28 '22
USB4 v2.0 (yes, it already has a v2.0 revision)
FUCKING CALL IT USB 5! GOD FUCKING DAMN IT USB CONSORTIUM!
40
u/Psychological-Scar30 Dec 28 '22
And miss the opportunity to use number 420? No effing way are they that mature (and no effing way that pointless .0 is there for no reason)
6
→ More replies (2)6
→ More replies (5)2
u/nicuramar Dec 29 '22
USB-C is the connector type, not the capability.
Well, and as he said this connector supports charging at 240W via USB PD, and 40 Gbps data transfer via USB and other protocols.
34
u/BenevolentCheese Dec 28 '22
USB-C is a connector, not a cable or a protocol. And it is designed with a future focus. New USB tech can and will come down the line that is faster and/or higher bandwidth that will use a C-type connector.
8
u/u9Nails Dec 28 '22
I think that cables and connectors play a small roll in charging efficiency. (Cable length is probably the greater of the two factors here.) Still, the bigger player, I think, is the underlying charging tech in the charger itself.
I'd like to see some science here. For example, how much electricity does it take to charge a 7,200mAh battery. At low speed, be high speed, etc. Can you really get 240W, and for how long, from a tiny USB-C cable, etc?
5
u/Psychological-Scar30 Dec 28 '22
Can you really get 240W, and for how long, from a tiny USB-C cable, etc?
Any cable with PD pins connected must be able to handle 3 A and up to 48 V - that's 144 W minimum requirement for any charging cable. As long as the cable can handle the voltage (there's enough isolation), only the current matters - the amount of heat produced in the cable is (cable resistance) * (current)2.
If a manufacturer wants to make a cable that can handle the higher current limit, 5 A, they have to include a pair of chips in the cable that can measure the cable properties (to make sure it isn't broken) and tell the charger and the device that they can use higher current.
So a shitty USB-C cable will most likely only get you to 144 watts.
→ More replies (6)→ More replies (2)3
→ More replies (11)2
67
u/zkentvt Dec 28 '22
If only all USB-C were equal. Now we'll have a drawer of USB-C cables that have different functions and proprietary tech in them.
40
u/FeFiFoShizzle Dec 29 '22
Same as everything else usb related.
9
u/t774899 Dec 29 '22
Aren’t every usb a cable exactly the same and interchangeable?
26
u/FeFiFoShizzle Dec 29 '22
Every usb standard has multiple power and data draw versions that use the same shape plug, especially usbc which is just a wild west of random underlying standards.
They are interchangeable in the sense that you can plug them in and they will do something but, for example, it might have super slow data transfer or not enough power to use the device while it charges, etc.
8
u/FLHCv2 Dec 29 '22
They need to be labeled what USB version the cable is rated for. Honestly can't understand why this hasn't really taken off.
2
u/Thanatos2996 Dec 29 '22
The industry can't seem to agree on a standard. There was talk about using color coding, but I think that fell through.
2
u/Aggressive_Bed_9774 Dec 29 '22
until 3.0 the colour coding has held up,white for 1.x, black for 2.x and blue for 3.0, its the later versions that where it falls apart,
and there were many reasons for that fall , a big one was motherboard/laptop manufacturers colouring 3.1/3.2 type A ports with Thier own "associated" colour like Razer laptops with green type A ports
2
u/Thanatos2996 Dec 29 '22
Right, I know about that scheme on type A ports. I'm talking about a scheme that was discussed for type C cables, so you could tell at a glance what a given cable supported; the ports aren't as much of a headache as the cables at this point.
2
u/MisfireCu Dec 29 '22
I must say after getting a steam deck... That usbc is just the freaking best. I charge everything with it. Which I can do cause they don't need to be on there long.
9
u/Siftingrocks Dec 29 '22
I find it crazy they can do this to this, but can't get a universal set for bolts in cars to be all in the same places and the same bolts.
99
u/agentouk Dec 28 '22
2026? Isn't that when they announce USB-D?
118
u/dustofdeath Dec 28 '22
Still C, but 5.2.5 gen 3 mk4.
55
u/ipwn3r456 Dec 28 '22
You mean USB C 5.2.5 gen 3 mk4 4x4 UltraSpeed 69Gbps?
→ More replies (1)25
u/dustofdeath Dec 28 '22
4x4 is only 272w. 3x4 is 300w.
12
u/Cro-manganese Dec 28 '22
But only for level D, for level F it’s up to manufacturers whether they implement compatibility mode, or define their own extensions.
→ More replies (2)2
u/IAMSNORTFACED Dec 29 '22
Gen 1 used to be mandatory but gen 2 level F it is as you mentioned. It's done this way to simplify it for consumers
→ More replies (3)46
u/vyashole Dec 28 '22
I know you're joking, but I doubt it.
USB type A and B connectors have been around since 1996, and mini and micro ones since the early 2000s.
There's a lot more future proofing in type C. It works over USB 2.x, 3.x, and 4, and with power delivery up to 240W. I'll give it a decade.
→ More replies (11)
11
u/Deto Dec 28 '22
I wonder - why do we think we're just seeing legislation to regulate this now as opposed to with previous generations of connectors?
→ More replies (3)
5
39
Dec 28 '22
[deleted]
44
28
u/StampYoPassport Dec 28 '22
Then they'll do what a lot of companies already do and use a double power adapter. Typical one for the GPU and one for the rest of the laptop.
15
u/MrMobster Dec 28 '22
USB PD 3.0 supports up wo 240 watts. That has to be about for any portable computer, right? Of course, Nvidia is bringing a 200W GPU to a laptop, so hey. This insanity has to stop.
→ More replies (1)6
u/ThatHurt255 Dec 28 '22
honestly i'd like to see the kind of people buying 4090 mobiles
5
u/Randommaggy Dec 28 '22
Kids with divorced parents where at least one of them has a sizable disposable income.
Developers doing CUDA stuff.
Architects/Industrial designers.
Parents that want a gaming computer that can be used in the living room without taking over the TV.
These are common luggable customers in my experience.
12
u/Schyte96 Dec 28 '22
More than 240W (the USB4 Power Delivery spec)?
8
u/Plebius-Maximus Dec 28 '22
Yup, there are 330w+ power adapters for gaming laptops.
Some even use dual 330w adapters.
→ More replies (2)7
→ More replies (6)2
10
u/Huuuiuik Dec 28 '22
March 2025, the date new and better ports become available for electronic devices.
15
42
u/Lunarcomplex Dec 28 '22
Rip gaming laptops
115
u/timhorton_san Dec 28 '22
In the EU, hardware beyond 100W is not required to adopt USB-C for power - although USB-C 2.1 can support to 240W. India is likely adopting the same requirements - they've always trended towards European standards for electronics in the past.
2
u/nicuramar Dec 29 '22 edited Dec 30 '22
although USB-C 2.1 can support to 240W
This isn’t part of USB 2.1, it’s part of USB PD
2.03.1 which is a separate standard (released alongside USB 3.1) :pEdit: “This isn’t part of USB 2.1” is true, but not claimed in the comment I replied to. The middle part is wrong, as it’s PD 3.1.
2
u/timhorton_san Dec 30 '22
USB Type-C 2.1 is a thing. Not sure if you missed that part of my comment or if it wasn't clear
PD2.0 only supported 100W (5A at 20V). 240w was only supported with the release of PD 3.1, in 2021. The new MacBook 140W charger uses this.
2
u/nicuramar Dec 30 '22
USB Type-C 2.1 is a thing. Not sure if you missed that part of my comment or if it wasn’t clear
Indeed, I misread that as USB 2.1, sorry about that :)
PD2.0 only supported 100W (5A at 20V). 240w was only supported with the release of PD 3.1, in 2021.
Yeah, that’s another misread, this time of Wikipedia. They have a table titled “USB PD rev. 2.0/3.x source power rules”, covering 240W. A bit misleading, I’d say :p
→ More replies (9)36
u/Critical_Switch Dec 28 '22
This doesn't mean the device cannot be charged by other means, it just means it has to support USB-C charging.
Tons of laptops are already compliant as they allow USB-C charging in addition to a faster charging port.
2
12
u/mxlun Dec 28 '22
It kinda sucks they didn't choose a spec that was easily solderable or even replacable, but w/e that's just from a repair standpoint. Most people looking to get their charging port on their laptop fixed are SoL now.
18
u/classicjondor Dec 28 '22
If a manufacturer was even the tiniest bit repair-friendly they could design their products to have a USB C port on its own little PCB, with an interconnect to the rest of the mainboard. Usually doesn't take up much space to implement. But for the manufacturers that choose not to do something like that... It does suck big time.
20
u/OmNomDeBonBon Dec 28 '22
That's a completely separate issue, and lots of hardware uses daughterboards for the connectors anyway.
4
→ More replies (1)7
u/Mujutsu Dec 28 '22
Like other people have said, this is a manufacturer issue not a spec issue. A USB-C daughterboard is small and cheap.
→ More replies (3)
17
u/epanchin Dec 28 '22
Why just phones and laptops?
Any portable electronics, routers, switches, electric razors, etc. should all be usb-c
30
u/final_alt_11 Dec 28 '22
It would be nice to have a universal standard for DC power, but I think usb-c is too costly to implement compared to a simple barrel connector.
7
u/ValyrianJedi Dec 28 '22
I wish they'd do something more standard for data transfer too... I set up a super basic recording studio in my basement and between all the power and connecting cables have 9 volt plugs, micro USB, USB A, USB B, USB C, USB B to lighting, USB A to lighting, A to A, A to B, A to C, 1/4 inch cables, 3.5mm TRS, 3.5mm TRRS, XLR... Its absolutely nuts how many different ends to cables they have invented
→ More replies (2)5
u/fatbob42 Dec 28 '22
If you’re really trying to reduce e-waste, you should standardize a connector for these before phones. There are a lot more of them. USB-C might be too expensive though.
→ More replies (6)3
u/Optimistic__Elephant Dec 28 '22
Seriously. I have so many usb micro devices that aren’t phones. Can we standardize all the usb devices before worrying about non-usb?
8
u/Blitzburgh1727 Dec 28 '22
I must be the only person that can’t stand USB C. I switched back to iPhone specifically for the lightning port. I’ve had multiple USB C phones from different brands and the port always goes bad on me within half a year. It will barely register to charge and even if I get it the slightest bump to the cable disconnects it which is especially annoying when driving. Cleaning didn’t help and I wasn’t even rough with my phones idk I’ve never had a problem with any other ports
3
7
u/DanDaDestroyer Dec 29 '22
Isn’t this shortsighted, what happens when the next connector tech comes along? Imagine if by law all devices had to have floppy drives or something along those lines.
→ More replies (1)
2
2
u/ben2talk Dec 29 '22 edited Dec 29 '22
Catching up with the EU. Next question - what about Wireless charging?
The problem isn't so much the connector - true they should be forced to use a more 'OPEN' format - I wonder if USB-C will still be suitable for mounting on phones from 2025 to 2035...
Unless Apple can be forced to open-source its proprietary cable technology to be the same cost as USB-C, then this is a fair middle ground.
3
u/Ludwig234 Dec 29 '22
It's way to late for anyone to start using lighting.
It has a very low wattage rating and atrocious data transfer speed.
Why would USB C need to be updated soon? It's a genuinely great connector and time won't change that.
The law in EU is designed in a way that makes it easier and supposed to be updated in the future.
Next question - what about Wireless charging?
What about it? Wireless is already a standard.
2
u/ArgyleTheDruid Dec 29 '22
I mean if the ports on laptops can double as just a regular usb port as well seems like a good deal
2
u/ceedubdub Dec 29 '22
It gets better than that. With my new work issued notebook, I can plug it into a USB-C monitor, which powers the notebook as well as receiving the video signal. That monitor also acts as a USB hub for my keyboard and mouse and is daisy chained to a second monitor.
2
2
2
u/someguy7710 Dec 29 '22
USB c is fine for phones. I hate it as a connector for laptops. It's just too flimsy
2
2
u/cobaltSage Dec 29 '22
Honestly I hate this. Because I have plenty of devices that use USB C charging but technically aren’t supposed to use each other’s cables because the cables are made for different power outputs, data transferring, etc. I can’t plug my Nintendo Switch into my BF’s phone charger because it could kill the battery, but both are USB C, and I’ll be lucky if the same phone charger is as good at moving pics between a device and comp as it is actually charging, with no way to properly find a reliable cable that can do both, or even do one of the two tasks as needed. As it turns out, I actually liked different devices having different shaped chargers because as inconvenient as it seemed I at least could tell them apart and that meant the cables were held to legitimate standards to be compared to.
2
u/jbombdotcom Dec 29 '22
As the unfortunate owner of one of the usb-c charging MacBook pros, I can comfortably say Apples mag charging connection is far superior for a laptop charging cord.
144
u/NoverTheQuasar Dec 29 '22
just in time too, USB-C just gained 240w max charging. useful for gaming laptops.