←back to thread

Cross-Platform P2P Wi-Fi: How the EU Killed AWDL

(www.ditto.com)
223 points stusmall | 1 comments | 28 Mar 25 13:13 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
Show context
joshstrange ◴[28 Mar 25 15:01 UTC] No.43506331[source]▶
So it's lightning all over again? Lightning was better than micro-usb, then USB-C came out and was even better and people get pissy at Apple for creating something better than the standard (and donating some of that back to the standard).

I know this will not be popular here but I really do not like the EU's most recent round of "no, you have to open up this feature".

replies(7): >>43506363 #>>43506414 #>>43506475 #>>43506639 #>>43506728 #>>43506765 #>>43507121 #
lxgr ◴[28 Mar 25 15:27 UTC] No.43506639[source]▶
I absolutely love it. USB-C is easily among my top 3 changes for the better on iPhones in the last 10 years.

If "Wi-Fi Aware" (almost as ridiculous a name as "Bluetooth Low Energy", but that's a different topic) ends up allowing Android to iOS file transfers without any third-party apps or network connectivity – like feature phones could, 20 years ago – that'll make the top three too.

replies(1): >>43506699 #
joshstrange ◴[28 Mar 25 15:31 UTC] No.43506699[source]▶
Apple was bringing USB-C to their entire line well before the EU "mandated" it. They were one of the first to put it on their laptops.
replies(2): >>43506722 #>>43537689 #
lxgr ◴[28 Mar 25 15:33 UTC] No.43506722[source]▶
Yes, and they even co-developed the standard to my knowledge.

Still they were stubbornly refusing to bring it to their phones, which are their most popular product line by far, until the EU forced their hand.

replies(2): >>43507011 #>>43510320 #
1. ryao ◴[28 Mar 25 22:06 UTC] No.43510320[source]▶
Not quite. Apple could have removed the port entirely as a form of malicious compliance. They would have been in compliance with EU regulations without putting USB-C on their phones.

A second option would have been to make lightning a data only port that would not charge phones.

In either case, the reactions to “in order to comply with EU regulations, wired charging capability has been removed from iPhones sold in the EU” would have been hilarious.