Innovation or e-waste? Apple rumored to ditch headphone jack

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by BretSingleton

Apple gone environmentally friendly lol. How come that happen.

To increase the profit margin another 20% by calling the devices eco-friendly?

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

To increase the profit margin another 20% by calling the devices eco-friendly?

[MikeB1972]

Originally Posted by BretSingleton

Apple gone environmentally friendly lol. How come that happen.

I thought wireless charging was less efficient than cable charging, add in the additional power requirement for bluetooth headsets then wouldn't this make it less environmentally friendly?

[ApK]

Originally Posted by MikeB1972

I thought wireless charging was less efficient than cable charging, add in the additional power requirement for bluetooth headsets then wouldn't this make it less environmentally friendly?

Plus the impact of many people retiring old plastic accessories and buying new ones, hence the title of the thread, I take it.

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by ApK

Plus the impact of many people retiring old plastic accessories and buying new ones, hence the title of the thread, I take it.

Yup.

Apple has its die-hard fanatic fanbase.
Hence the posters insisting that because a competent technician with the right tools could install a new battery it's the same as if it came with a replaceable battery.

Which is exactly the same a saying a poor handling but fast commuter car is really a sports car because a good mechanic could install better brakes and steering.

Apple is what it is. Pretty looking disposable stuff.

[Conan46]

It is interesting that many of the cheap phones have both replaceable batteries and have sdcards making them more usable and longer lasting. If only it was easy to root and upgrade their operating systems there would be little reason to always be buying new, higher priced phones.

[Solitaire1]

Originally Posted by Phogg

Yup.

Apple has its die-hard fanatic fanbase.
Hence the posters insisting that because a competent technician with the right tools could install a new battery it's the same as if it came with a replaceable battery.

Which is exactly the same a saying a poor handling but fast commuter car is really a sports car because a good mechanic could install better brakes and steering.

Apple is what it is. Pretty looking disposable stuff.

That's always been an issue for me when it comes to non-user-replaceable batteries: Why can't devices be designed to use already-existing standard batteries? I would gladly take a larger device (and would actually welcome it since many devices are too small to fit comfortably in my hand) if it used two/four rechargeable AA/AAA batteries that you can buy for around $20(US) and last about 2 years of regular use. The batteries wear out and the user: Removes four screws from the back, removes the cover, replaces the batteries, replaces the cover, screws it back in place, initial charges it, and then continues to use the device for a few more years (ditto with the flash memory since my understanding is that flash memory eventually wears out too).

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by Solitaire1

That's always been an issue for me when it comes to non-user-replaceable batteries: Why can't devices be designed to use already-existing standard batteries? I would gladly take a larger device (and would actually welcome it since many devices are too small to fit comfortably in my hand) if it used two/four rechargeable AA/AAA batteries that you can buy for around $20(US) and last about 2 years of regular use.

For many devices, AA batteries don't provide enough power to provide a sufficiently long runtime. For example, one device I have here has a Li-ion battery, 1850 mAh battery at 7.4 volts, which is 13.69 Watts of power. A typical set of 4x AA rechargeable batteries provides 4x 2400 mAh at 1.2V, which is 11.52 Watts. (There are batteries that are more powerful, like 2600 mAh, or if you want to spend a lot, >= 2800 mAh.)

OK, it is close, but the Li-Ion battery is *much* smaller and thinner. The Li-ion is about 30% of the size of those 4 batteries.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

For many devices, AA batteries don't provide enough power to provide a sufficiently long runtime. For example, one device I have here has a Li-ion battery, 1850 mAh battery at 7.4 volts, which is 13.69 Watts of power. A typical set of 4x AA rechargeable batteries provides 4x 2400 mAh at 1.2V, which is 11.52 Watts. (There are batteries that are more powerful, like 2600 mAh, or if you want to spend a lot, >= 2800 mAh.)

I don't think your power calculations are right. You treated milliamp hours as if they were milliamps.

I don't know for sure, but I don't think the mAh rating of AAs changes how much current they can deliver at one time, and I suspect many Li-ion batteries deliver current that would make most AA chemistries burst into flames (figuratively if not literally) if they tried to keep up.

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by ApK

I don't think your power calculations are right. You treated milliamp hours as if they were milliamps.

AFAIK, I could be wrong, but this calculator provides the same values.

For example, reset the calculator, and provide only Volts and Amps. If I put in 7.4V and 1.85A, then I get 13.69W as a result. Thus, a 1.85A, 7.4V battery would be able to deliver 13.69W of power for one hour. At least, as far as I understand it. (I'm not a physics major...)

If someone is convinced I'm wrong and explains/proves why, I stand corrected

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

AFAIK, I could be wrong, but this calculator provides the same values.

For example, reset the calculator, and provide only Volts and Amps. If I put in 7.4V and 1.85A, then I get 13.69W as a result. Thus, a 1.85A, 7.4V battery would be able to deliver 13.69W of power for one hour. At least, as far as I understand it. (I'm not a physics major...)

If someone is convinced I'm wrong and explains/proves why, I stand corrected

It does indeed mean it can deliver the equivalent of 13.69W for one hour, but, for example, if the AAs can only delivery .5 amps without overheating then it would have to deliver that equivlency by delivering less wattage over more time, which may or may not be enough power to power whatever device the equivelent Li-ion battery may have been powering. Perhaps it used a Li-ion bat with the exact same mAh and voltage as the AAs but needed 2 amps, lasting for half an hour.....THAT's why the AAs may not deliver enough power, not just because of the mAh and voltage ratings.

(I'm making up the numbers, I have no idea how much current a typical AA can deliver, just saying not all battery types are equal. Also note that AA represents a size, not a chemistry or other power requirements. Someone could make a Li-ion AA, or AAA or AAAA I suppose.)

On the other hand, I agree that more standardization among battery sizes (and screws, and connectors) would make for a better world.

Or else, it would be neat if the standard was to to tell the on-demand battery manufacturing machine what power requirements, dimentions and connector type you needed, and it just made you a battery, like making a cookie out of dough.....

ApK

[Shane R]

Originally Posted by Phogg

Yup.

Apple has its die-hard fanatic fanbase.
Hence the posters insisting that because a competent technician with the right tools could install a new battery it's the same as if it came with a replaceable battery.

Which is exactly the same a saying a poor handling but fast commuter car is really a sports car because a good mechanic could install better brakes and steering.

Absolutely, 100% totally different things.

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by Shane R

Absolutely, 100% totally different things.

Nope. Same principle, accurately applied.

For a car buyer who isn't a mechanic with a shop and tools, the clunky handling fast commuter car isn't going to be hugging the turns on the track.

For a phone buyer who isn't skilled as a technician and doesn't have the tools anyway an iPhone is toxic landfill when the battery won't hold a charge anymore.

iPhones and iPads aren't green. And even though I got ticketed drag racing a Chevette with a racing front end and a small block V8, Chevettes are not sports cars.

The efforts of skilled workers investing time and material on a one off change do not change the nature of the basic product.

Not even if you clap your hands and believe really really hard.

[Greg Anos]

It's called "Planned Obsolescence".

The complete opposite of "green"...

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by Phogg

Nope. Same principle, accurately applied.

For a car buyer who isn't a mechanic with a shop and tools, the clunky handling fast commuter car isn't going to be hugging the turns on the track.

For a phone buyer who isn't skilled as a technician and doesn't have the tools anyway an iPhone is toxic landfill when the battery won't hold a charge anymore.

iPhones and iPads aren't green. And even though I got ticketed drag racing a Chevette with a racing front end and a small block V8, Chevettes are not sports cars.

The efforts of skilled workers investing time and material on a one off change do not change the nature of the basic product.

Not even if you clap your hands and believe really really hard.

There's one difference: whenever your car is broken down and you don't have the skills/tools to do it yourself, you can go to any generic garage, or even ask a friend who has the skills/tools to fix it for you.

Whenver your battery on your very expensive Iphone is dead, you cannot ask a generic phone fixer with the right skills/tools or that friend with the same, to fix it for you.