Welcome to our weekly collection of all the Apple news you’ve missed this week, in a simple bite-sized roundup. We call it Apple Breakfast because we think it goes great with a cup of coffee or tea in the morning, but it’s also great if you want to read it over lunch or dinner.
Lightning welcomes the end
The end really seems to be near Apple’s Lightning port. Earlier this month, the EU approved a rule to make USB-C a common charging port for all mobile phones. Now. U.S. lawmakers have given their full support to the move. The UK government has said it will not follow the same strategy, but you cannot make one phone call for the British and another for everyone else. Without legal or political miracles, Apple will have to switch, most likely starting with the iPhone 15 in 2023.
In fact, it’s not that difficult a requirement, as Apple has already gone halfway through the conversion: based on its Mac and almost all of its iPads USB-C, the last hold-out is expected to flip later this year. The iPhone will be the last part of the puzzle, though the biggest and most valuable part.
There are plenty of advantages if the industry can be integrated around a single charging standard. This is understandable for consumers, who can easily reuse a charger from an older device and not have to worry about packing a compatible charger. This is understandable for the environment because e-waste should be reduced. And it is understandable even for politicians, who can deal harshly with corporate giants and stick to the little guy.
But the way this argument is presented will lead us to assume that someone must be paying the price for these benefits. Clearly we would expect the loser to be Apple, which controls devices from the accessory market by specifying devices with an proprietary charging standard and locks in between profits and customers. But is it really a zero-sum game?
Accessories are certainly a lucrative side business that Apple would be reluctant to endanger, but as far as lock-in concerns are concerned, it should be kept in mind that standardization means customers can also leave your competitors and come to you. There are more and more Android users than iPhone users in the world, and while Apple prides itself on its customer loyalty and user experience, one would think that the company would lick its lips at the prospect of simple platform switching.
More broadly, Apple follows a guiding principle of simplicity and makes a lot of money by making buying decisions as simple as possible. A world where every mobile phone (and tablet, laptop and e-reader) uses the same charging port where technological innovators feel more comfortable shopping. This is good news for every manufacturer, but especially for Apple, which offers the most new-friendly devices and software platforms.
No, the key to the ointment is this: the law moves slowly, and it’s hard to trust political parties to keep up with the pace of technological innovation. Advertisers have been lobbying for a common charging standard since 2014, and this ruling will not take effect until 2024. When USB-C gets old, will it take another decade to agree on the next standard? We do not expect.
Trend: The best news of the week
Apple’s Upcoming updates You should be careful about buying your next device.
Dan Moren explains how your various Apple devices are evolving Same as before.
WWDC was greatWithout staff, we didn’t get it. In fact, it has given us a lot of reason to be angry with Apple.
13-inch M2 MacBook Pro (and Not a big reason)
When The new chip is not the best: Jason Cross compares M2 to M1 Pro, Max and Ultra.
Apple has a hidden Classic Mac OS Easter Eggs In Ventura. It’s Claras the Dogcow!
Why 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro In fact, it is understood theoretically.
A UK lawsuit seeks to get cash IPhone ‘Batterygate’ flap.
Call rumors
Apple’s rumor is that the 15-inch MacBook may have an M2 Pro chip, as more details from Apple have come out The next laptop generation.
Requirements of macOS Ventura Indications of an upcoming 12-inch MacBook update – or do they?
Adobe can bring a free version of Photoshop to your Mac. Free web version Various features are missing But the key features are accessible.
Podcast of the week
In episode 797 of the MacWorld podcast, we talk about the things that Apple didn’t highlight at WWDC: Apple TV, HomePod, Apple Arcade, and more.
You can watch each episode of Macworld Podcast on Spotify, SoundCloud, Podcast App or our own site.
Software updates, bugs and other issues
iOS 15.6 Beta 3 Now available. The third beta of MacOS Monterey 12.5.
Is struggling Find special types of files Across your Mac? Glenn Fleishman is here to help.
Is your Mac pointer mysteriously disappearing? It could be Universal control.
And with that, we’re done for this week. If you want to get regular roundups, sign up for our newsletters You can follow us On Twitter For breaking news. See you next Saturday, enjoy your weekend and stay in Apple.