January 1, 2025, is the date for mobile phones and other small electronic devices. Saudi Arabia announced a law to standardize charging ports for all...
There is a second stage, starting from April 1, 2026, which will apply to laptops and portable computers.
I hate this type of legislation. Almost zero USB chargers can power a laptop. But politicians don’t know that. So this won’t reduce the number of chargers. Unless they’re requiring all charges support the full PD spec?
Leave standards to experts.
Edited: Yes i fucking know many laptops use USB-C power now. You’re not smart in telling me this. I mean that most USB chargers are cheap crap that can’t put out enough power to run a laptop. Not all USB is the same.
That’s what everybody did at first. It gave us a different connector for each device. After a few decades, there are still competing standards. Either the experts are incompetent, or the business environment they’re in doesn’t incentivize single standards.
Or, and go with me here, it’s a non-issue? Like it’s fine to have multiple standards for different uses?
All they did was standardize the shape of the connector. Not the voltage, power output, etc. So you’ll still have multiple competing standards and it will be a bit more confusing as “not all USB chargers will be able to power your laptop.”
When I’m travelling, I can bring one single charger to charge my laptop, my phone, my tablet, my wireless earbuds, my flashlight, my powerbank, my e-Reader and my bike pump.
In your world I would have to bring eight different chargers. That’s a pretty big issue to me.
Yes, there are USB-C chargers that are made for smaller devices and can’t charge a notebook. So what? The alternative would be going back to proprietary chargers that can only charge one specific model.
I have a 100W USB-C-charger in my car, I have one by my bed, one on my couch, one at my desk and one powerbank that can charge my notebook anywhere I go.
Going back to proprietary chargers would mean if my notebook breaks, I can throw all these chargers in the trash and buy a new set. How would that make anything better?
The alternative would be going back to proprietary chargers that can only charge one specific model.
I realize you’re exaggerating but all you’re doing is standardizing on size and shape of the connector. Not the power standards it supports. If your laptop needs 240W PD 3.0 and your car supports 100W QC3 you’re still out of business. If your laptop uses QC3 but needs 12v and the adapter only supports 9v you’re still out of business.
USB is not a standard. It is a collection of standards.
I have never had a 65W+ USB charger that had trouble charging any of my USB-C devices, including my notebook. Yes, USB has different standards, but most chargers support several different ones. Especially with third-party chargers, people want them to work with their device no matter what it is and USB makes it easy for manufacturers to offer that.
It’s all part of the USB standard, there can be different “levels” of chargers. If I’m just travelling with my phone, I don’t want to have to bring a 240W charger. It would be way too expensive and also too big/heavy. The good thing is, if you have to bring a big charger anyway, you can also use it to charge your phone or your headphones. That’s what the standard is all about.
I hate this type of legislation. Almost zero USB chargers can power a laptop. But politicians don’t know that. So this won’t reduce the number of chargers. Unless they’re requiring all charges support the full PD spec?
Leave standards to experts.
Edited: Yes i fucking know many laptops use USB-C power now. You’re not smart in telling me this. I mean that most USB chargers are cheap crap that can’t put out enough power to run a laptop. Not all USB is the same.
That’s what everybody did at first. It gave us a different connector for each device. After a few decades, there are still competing standards. Either the experts are incompetent, or the business environment they’re in doesn’t incentivize single standards.
Or, and go with me here, it’s a non-issue? Like it’s fine to have multiple standards for different uses?
All they did was standardize the shape of the connector. Not the voltage, power output, etc. So you’ll still have multiple competing standards and it will be a bit more confusing as “not all USB chargers will be able to power your laptop.”
When I’m travelling, I can bring one single charger to charge my laptop, my phone, my tablet, my wireless earbuds, my flashlight, my powerbank, my e-Reader and my bike pump.
In your world I would have to bring eight different chargers. That’s a pretty big issue to me.
Yes, there are USB-C chargers that are made for smaller devices and can’t charge a notebook. So what? The alternative would be going back to proprietary chargers that can only charge one specific model.
I have a 100W USB-C-charger in my car, I have one by my bed, one on my couch, one at my desk and one powerbank that can charge my notebook anywhere I go.
Going back to proprietary chargers would mean if my notebook breaks, I can throw all these chargers in the trash and buy a new set. How would that make anything better?
I realize you’re exaggerating but all you’re doing is standardizing on size and shape of the connector. Not the power standards it supports. If your laptop needs 240W PD 3.0 and your car supports 100W QC3 you’re still out of business. If your laptop uses QC3 but needs 12v and the adapter only supports 9v you’re still out of business.
USB is not a standard. It is a collection of standards.
I have never had a 65W+ USB charger that had trouble charging any of my USB-C devices, including my notebook. Yes, USB has different standards, but most chargers support several different ones. Especially with third-party chargers, people want them to work with their device no matter what it is and USB makes it easy for manufacturers to offer that.
What do you mean? My M1 MacBook charges just fine on USB-C. Do you mean that 1A USB chargers can’t do the job? Cause they can’t
yes - this is exactly what I mean. They’ve legislated the interface but not the standard.
It’s all part of the USB standard, there can be different “levels” of chargers. If I’m just travelling with my phone, I don’t want to have to bring a 240W charger. It would be way too expensive and also too big/heavy. The good thing is, if you have to bring a big charger anyway, you can also use it to charge your phone or your headphones. That’s what the standard is all about.