A quick look through my posts here will let you know that I’m an Apple user. I’ve had an iPhone since the iPhone 5 - though not every iteration - and a MacBook Air since 2012. I also have an iPad and an AppleTV. I love the way Apple devices talk with each other, and the way they are easy to use and safe. Apple is big enough to push some standards into action, like the microSIMs, but it’s also big enough to commit to some fairly obtrusive and annoying standards.
Case in point, I found someone who share my view in this 9to5 Mac’s article.
There’s nothing ultimately wrong with the Lightning cables, except for the fact that they are Apple-exclusive. It’s one of the many examples of Apple’s walled garden, which has its pros and cons. I do believe Apple should retain some control over its devices - it’s the main reason they are generally safer than other systems - but there are many places where Apple would do better if they just opened up. Adopting USB-C for its mobile devices is but one of them.
Apple Watch leads the smartwatch market share by a long margin, and they are iPhone-users exclusive. It makes no sense, from a marketing point of view, to keep it that way. Unless I’m very wrong, there could be several security measures in place that would allow Apple Watches to work with other phones.
And the HomePod. Such a wasted potential. Every review I read can be resumed in two sentences: it has the best sound in the category, but don’t bother buying if you don’t live in the Apple ecosystem. Even if you live in the Apple ecosystem, it’s still a pricey addition for the little extra functionality it adds to your life. If they only allowed Bluetooth connection to whatever source, the HomePods would instantly become more attractive.
We have a thread here in our Community about the lack of reliable third-party USB-C to Lightning cables, and the only reason for this is that Apple delayed the release of the certificates. Meanwhile, Anker has great USB-C cables already - side note: my GoPro’s USB-C cable cabe defective, it would charge the camera but wouldn’t sync with the PC; an Anker USB-C cable did the trick.
I know, nobody likes switching standards. We are still in the middle of the transition from the old USB plug to USB-C. There will be another years until we abandon completely USB-A and MicroUSB plugs. But, from time to time, it’s a necessary evil. What’s unnecessary is one manufacturer, even if it’s one big enough to create demand for its proprietary standard, to stick to it just because. We all frowned upon changing from VHS to DVDs to Blu-Ray, but it was all for the better, right?
It takes time to reach a standard, but shouldn’t manufacturer be thinking about the customers first? I would like to buy smart lightning and have it work with the hub I already have, using the app I already use.
I’m an Apple user, but only because its products check all the boxes I want. I’m by no means an Apple fan - those who won’t admit the flaws. I list pros and cons of both iOS and Android whenever someone asks me about switching phones. I tell people how much I love my AppleTV, and how I can only enjoy it at the level I do because I’m into the Apple ecosystem, and that there are other boxes out there with great features as well. I do believe in peace between users and systems. But I am annoyed by Apple stubbornness to keep its own standards.
Do you have any peeves with standards, of the lack thereof, in your technological life? Which walled gardens you live in? Because, remember, Amazon’s and Google’s, even if broader, are also walled, right?
