11 mo. ago • 98%

Apple isn't happy about India's demand to upgrade older iPhones with USB-C

appleinsider.com Apple wants India to exempt older iPhone models from single-charger rules

Apple has urged the Indian IT ministry to make changes to its single charger rules, as adding USB-C to older iPhone models will make it hard for Apple to meet production targets for India's manufacturing and export laws.

Apple isn't happy about India's demand to upgrade older iPhones with USB-C::Apple has urged the Indian IT ministry to make changes to its single charger rules, as adding USB-C to older iPhone models will make it hard for Apple to meet production targets for India's manufacturing and export laws.

69 comments

India gave Apple 2.5 years notice. And that doesn’t count the time the legislation was being proposed.

IMHO, it’s totally reasonable to say that newly purchased phones should support USB C, even if the phone’s architecture wasn’t introduced this year.

130
- That sounds very reasonable, I thought they wanted them to retrofit them on phones that were already sold!
  
  37
  
  Yeah I thought the same, that would be wild.
  
  But for models that are actively being produced, it's fair game.
  
  5
- And on top of that, the tech they're being asked to use is literally a decade old next year.
  
  14
  
  And apple themselves have been using the tech for over 8 years in other devices of their's.
  
  10
- We all know that the way Apple will do this is to just not sell any version of the iPhone other than the USB-C version. They're not going to add USB-C to old models.
  
  5
  
  They might. They either need to make newer models cheaper (not going to happen) so they are at a reasonable price point for the Indian market. Or take a cost hit in manufacturing and still sell the old models.
  
  They are not going to devalue their new shit, that's the dumbest thing ever. It would be like a luxury brand slashing their prices on purses, rather than make a small change to their off brand purses to capture the cheaper market. By lowering the price you essentially stop being a luxury.
  
  They could just leave the market entirely, they only have like less than 4 percent market share. Although I guess 4% of a billion is still almost 33% of 50% of 250 million... so nothing to sneeze at (Jesus India is more populated then I remembered)
  
  4
In this case, I would say – fck Apple. Indians demand is solid. Apples shitty policy of random plugs and industry incompatible chargers shouldn't have been born ever and definetly it shouldn't continue. Usually I'm against regulation by goverment, but in this case it is realy for the benefit of users and enviroment.

113
- It's also not like this snuck up on them. Governments around the world warned them very clearly that they had to get onto a standard. Apple dragged their feet the entire time, fighting it at every opportunity, until it went into law.
  
  I don't know what India's law says, but I suspect it boils down to "All phones sold as new after XXXX date must have a USB-C charger". Apple has the choice to modify the older/cheaper designs, or to stop selling them in that market.
  
  80
  
  Permanently Deleted
  
  10
- I'm not sure why you're generally against governmental regulation, typical regulations are written in blood.
  
  I would argue the government seldom goes far enough
  
  40
  
  Ever wonder why there's no more reasonable sized pick up trucks in America? CAFE regulations incentivize auto makers to manufacture ginormous trucks. I am pro-regulation in most cases but there are some real stinkers out there.
  
  16
  
  It depends on the regulation. Take zoning for example, you definitely don't want a bunch of kids or elderly people living next to dangerous factories, but the laws usually go too far and prevent corner stores in residential areas, or demand way too much parking. Regulation can be good or bad.
  
  16
  
  My mind goes to net neutrality laws debacle for instance. Yes regulation is important to keep companies in check but they can be abused when applied against the consumer.
  
  9
  
  And then it goes too far on other things, like the Kind Online Safety Act, while not doing basic things to make the lives of their citizens much better, like UBI, or more controls of companies to stop monopolistic behaviour. Basically: more regulation of companies, less regulation of individuals. Although some things still need to be regulated of course for individuals, like enforcement of software licenses.
  
  6
- The answer will be that Apple won’t sell iPhones without USB-C in India at all. Have fun waiting for like, 3 years to buy a relatively inexpensive iOS device.
  
  5
  
  There's enough supply of inexpensive Android phones that support standard chargers. It's not a problem for consumers if they can't buy older models of iPhones, there are tons of other smartphones.
  
  It definitely hurts Apple to loose out in a market as big as India's. But that's their fault. They had enough time.
  
  15
  
  If this were a small country, yes that is what would happen. In the second most populous country, I suspect that's too huge of a market to just accept as a loss.
  
  Once a customer leaves the apple ecosystem they're unlikely to return to it. So they would lose those customers forever.
  
  14
  
  It's a huge market even with a smaller target of people.
  
  7
  
  Why so? They have moved to USB C already.
  
  3
  
  For a market as big as India, with it's up and coming middle class, Mr. Tim Apple would fuck a pig (with consent) on Live TV if it was what it took to keep selling there.
  
  3
IMO it's a bit unreasonable to demand them go changing the design of older models aswell. I'm happy that they were forced to switch to USB-C on future models, but I'm with Apple on this one.

49
- Well, that's not exactly the demand. The demand is simply that if they wish to sell a product in the country, it meets their regulatory specifications by June 2025. Apple doesn't have to upgrade their older models, they could also simply stop selling them.
  
  But if they wish to sell a product, it must meet the manufacturing requirements of the region in which they wish to sell. Hardly a big deal if you ask me.
  
  67
  
  How many do they really sell in India though? It doesn't matter how old and crappy your iPhone is, there's a cheaper Android phone. Android is like 95% of phones out there.
  
  -1
- Why is it unreasonable?
  
  This isnt demanding apple to retrofit usb-c to old phones. This is telling them to stop producing new phones with lightning, and instead use USB-C.
  
  This is highly relevant for India as it's a price conscious market, and Apple sells a lot more older models than elsewhere, specifically Europe who passed a similar law but on new models only.
  
  And if a student figured out how to add a fully functional usb-c port to an iPhone X, I'm sure apple can figure it out for an iPhone 14.
  
  15
- I don't think its unreasonable. Apple can afford it and it's better for customers.
  
  Win-win unless you're an Apple investor (which you're not.)
  
  10
  
  Apple just wouldn't do it, it makes no sense. They are just pissed because cheaper, older models sell in India and that would leave only the newer models.
  
  2
- why? they have more than enough money to do so.
  
  9
  
  Exactly. They can do whatever they want. Force them to either stop doing business or fix their shit now. And don't get started insulting the mushrooms or cows because even they know better than to feed on them.
  
  4
- Yeah, it is a first time for me, but I also agree with Apple. Eew, now I have to take a shower
  
  1
- Oh my God bro get off Steve Jobs' massive cock
  
  -2
The only people who should care about apple's "happiness" are those who are invested in it.

"Happiness" for a for-profit corporation just means how much they're maximizing profit.

37
Anything that makes Apple unhappy makes me happy.

36
- Yeah. Could you imagine if this was the norm everywhere?
  
  Crazy how people are always cool with lowering their standards but never cool with raising them.
  
  4
  
  Because companies like Apple tell them what standards to have.
  
  4
Boo fucking hoo

32
I'm usually happy about the things that Apple is unhappy about. And I'm all in so there's no anti-Apple bias.

They want their products to bind but not protect you, I demand they protect but do not bind me. And I'm not one to compromise

26
- I just don't buy apple.
  
  14
  
  That's a hard pass for me, change will happen over time. Not getting into a platform squabble here 🙅‍♀️
  
  -8
- If I'm understanding what you wrote, I think you actually are bound to Apple. Most people in the Apple ecosystem aren't going to leave it, because there's too much inertia to overcome to leave it.
  
  7
  
  What I mean is I configure everything so it works for me and everything is portable/exportable and contingencies are in place so if they ever start screwing around again to an extent I can't tolerate or mitigate, then at least my data isn't hostage in the process while I reassess.
  
  I don't allow any of their defaults to stand before I start breaking in whatever product/service.
  
  NO
  
  iCloud Photos/Notes/Backup/Calendar/Reminders/Contacts/anything not e2ee in relation to iCloud
  
  Keychain
  
  most stock apps
  
  No storing recovery codes with Apple
  
  sign-in/HideMyEmailwith Apple
  
  PrivateRelay
  
  iCloud CAPCHA thingie
  
  Definitely no iMessage
  
  FaceTime
  
  Avoid Safari except for authenticated things (bank etc)
  
  1
India joins the party 🥳

25
C'mon, they made so much money with their proprietary shit, they could eat their hat on this one (well barely the border of it)

19
- What kind of hat is apple eating?
  
  3
  
  iHat I guess
  
  12
  
  Happle
  
  Hattle
  
  A hat made of apple
  
  3
Apple told the regulators that implementing the changes would mean it won't be able to "meet the PLI targets," minutes from the meeting state. PLI, India's Production-Linked Incentive scheme, is a major project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, providing manufacturers with financial incentives for investments and incremental annual phone sales.

The use of USB-C in the iPhone 15 means Apple meets the criteria for the rules with its current-gen hardware. However, the bulk of its sales in India are based around older iPhone generations.

Apple says it can comply with a timeline for compliance by June 2025 if existing models are exempted from the rules. Otherwise, it would need another 18 months beyond 2024 if there isn't an exemption.

12
- I guess fuck apple. They knew legislation and they had 2.5 years. If they can't meet its their problem, pay fines or make usb-c iPhone.
  
  6
- Wow, you get a kickback for ripping people off more.
  
  I have no hope for modern governments.
  
  1
Oh no, not their production targets! Allow me to play this song on the world's tiniest violin.

12
Fuck Apple.

11
Apple sold comply. Needing 2 years is BS. If they are producing say that iPhone 11 in India, just solder in a usb c port instead of lighting. How hard can it be? They are the same size.

1
- The pcb footprint isn't the same. Changing the port isn't as simple as just soldering this one instead of that one. The pins are in a different order. Changing the port requires redesigning the PCB that the port attaches to. In a larger device, maybe you could create some kind of internal adapter that can solder to the lightning footprint but provide a usb-c port, but there's just not enough room in a modern phone.
  
  Plus, even though the USB portion of the circuitry may be the same, the port does more than just provide a usb interface. There's also headphone functionality and other things on there that have to be adapted too, or the phone will have less functionality than it did and people with bitch that apple broke their headphones when they changed the port over.
  
  15
  
  Surely it can't be that hard to re-engineer? Can't they take the port from the existing 15 and adapt it to the older models they are still building new? Even if it took 1 month to adapt, surely that would be enough time?
  
  1
- Like literally very hard on that scale.
  
  14
Then apple shouldn't be an anti-consumer piece of shit

-1

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