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Huh. Apple seemed to have finally completed their conversion to USB-C. And then they came up with yet another proprietary connector for the battery pack? That's

Huh. Apple seemed to have finally completed their conversion to USB-C. And then they came up with yet another proprietary connector for the battery pack? That's frustrating.

lakpan 3y ago
Look at the bright sight: they could have brought back the 30-pin plug.
riscy 3y ago
It’s a power cable that locks on both ends so it doesn’t come loose and cause the device to shut off. Why does a USB-C plug matter, when no one has a locking USB-C cable anyway?
- AnarchismIsCool 3y ago
  They could have trivially made that connector USBC with the locking tabs such that you could insert a normal USBC cable, just without being able to lock it. Instead they decided to force a new connector on everyone.
  - slipheen 3y ago
    It’s not intended to be a consumer replaceable connector. People opened up the device and figured out that you can get to that cable, but it’s not mentioned anywhere and not designed to be used directly. They’re not trying to force a new connector on anyone - they don’t even sell anything that uses it that part. It’s the way one proprietary part talks to another proprietary part. If you want to charge the system through USB-C, it has a port for that on the battery pack.
    - naraic0o 3y ago
      It designed to be consumer replaceable https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT214013 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT214013
      - slipheen 3y ago
        I think we’re using different definitions of consumer replaceable. That link is for sending it back to Apple for warranty service. My point was that as far as I can tell, they aren’t expecting you to swap battery packs or change anything that uses that cable. They don’t sell extra batteries so it’s not like they’re trying to upsell on a proprietary connector. Anyway, I do agree that it would be better if it used a regular USB connection — and better still if it didn’t need an external battery pack at all.
        rdl 3y ago
        They do sell extra batteries. $199.
        slipheen 3y ago
        Wow, I thought I had read otherwise. I guess I was wrong, thanks.
    - Doxin 3y ago
      > It’s not intended to be a consumer replaceable connector. Isn't this exactly what people are complaining about though? Yes, you can design this to not be consumer replaceable, but would it be that much more effort to just use a more standard connector instead?
  - riscy 3y ago
    The point is that you have to lock in a source of power while in use. There is no battery in the device and you’re meant to move around while using it! The other end is a special plug that locks yet can spin around so you can move the battery pack or with the regular power cable more freely. Plain old USB-C cables are simply not suited for this kind of device. That’s why USB-C is only used to charge the battery. Hopefully you’re not too blinded by political agendas to see the engineering that went into this.
    - s3p 3y ago
      USB cables can supply in excess of 100W of power, and that's just in Apple devices. USB C is not a political issue, much as you may think it is.
aembleton 3y ago
At least you can charge the battery pack with USB c
GeekyBear 3y ago
The battery pack does charge though a USB-C port. However, given that this is a device you use while standing and walking about, it would be dangerous to have it suddenly turn into a high tech blindfold just because you snagged the cable on something.
- Y-bar 3y ago
  There are lockable USB C connectors designed to prevent that from happening: https://www.neutrik.com/en/product/nmc-c-hr https://www.neutrik.com/en/product/nmc-c-hr
  - wtallis 3y ago
    It's hard to tell given the lack of appropriate pictures, but it seems like that "solution" is basically recessing the USB-C port so deeply that only their cable can reach it.
  - GeekyBear 3y ago
    I doubt that using a different proprietary locking connector fixes the "why didn't they use standard USB-C" complaint.
    - voussoir 3y ago
      That one does look like a proprietary design, but USB IF has a locking connector standard too! Makes it look like VGA. https://www.usb.org/sites/default/files/documents/usb_type-c_locking_connector_specification_rev_1_0_20160309_0.pdf https://www.usb.org/sites/default/files/documents/usb_type-c...
      - sgerenser 3y ago
        Looking at that elegant design, I can’t imagine why Apple didn’t use that. /s
        solardev 3y ago

Huh. Apple seemed to have finally completed their conversion to USB-C. And then they came up with yet another proprietary connector for the battery pack? That's frustrating.

lakpan 3y ago

Look at the bright sight: they could have brought back the 30-pin plug.

riscy 3y ago

It’s a power cable that locks on both ends so it doesn’t come loose and cause the device to shut off. Why does a USB-C plug matter, when no one has a locking USB-C cable anyway?

AnarchismIsCool 3y ago
They could have trivially made that connector USBC with the locking tabs such that you could insert a normal USBC cable, just without being able to lock it. Instead they decided to force a new connector on everyone.
- slipheen 3y ago
  It’s not intended to be a consumer replaceable connector. People opened up the device and figured out that you can get to that cable, but it’s not mentioned anywhere and not designed to be used directly. They’re not trying to force a new connector on anyone - they don’t even sell anything that uses it that part. It’s the way one proprietary part talks to another proprietary part. If you want to charge the system through USB-C, it has a port for that on the battery pack.
  - naraic0o 3y ago
    It designed to be consumer replaceable https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT214013 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT214013
    - slipheen 3y ago
      I think we’re using different definitions of consumer replaceable. That link is for sending it back to Apple for warranty service. My point was that as far as I can tell, they aren’t expecting you to swap battery packs or change anything that uses that cable. They don’t sell extra batteries so it’s not like they’re trying to upsell on a proprietary connector. Anyway, I do agree that it would be better if it used a regular USB connection — and better still if it didn’t need an external battery pack at all.
      - rdl 3y ago
        They do sell extra batteries. $199.
        slipheen 3y ago
        Wow, I thought I had read otherwise. I guess I was wrong, thanks.
  - Doxin 3y ago
    > It’s not intended to be a consumer replaceable connector. Isn't this exactly what people are complaining about though? Yes, you can design this to not be consumer replaceable, but would it be that much more effort to just use a more standard connector instead?
- riscy 3y ago
  The point is that you have to lock in a source of power while in use. There is no battery in the device and you’re meant to move around while using it! The other end is a special plug that locks yet can spin around so you can move the battery pack or with the regular power cable more freely. Plain old USB-C cables are simply not suited for this kind of device. That’s why USB-C is only used to charge the battery. Hopefully you’re not too blinded by political agendas to see the engineering that went into this.
  - s3p 3y ago
    USB cables can supply in excess of 100W of power, and that's just in Apple devices. USB C is not a political issue, much as you may think it is.

aembleton 3y ago

At least you can charge the battery pack with USB c

GeekyBear 3y ago

The battery pack does charge though a USB-C port. However, given that this is a device you use while standing and walking about, it would be dangerous to have it suddenly turn into a high tech blindfold just because you snagged the cable on something.

Y-bar 3y ago
There are lockable USB C connectors designed to prevent that from happening: https://www.neutrik.com/en/product/nmc-c-hr https://www.neutrik.com/en/product/nmc-c-hr
- wtallis 3y ago
  It's hard to tell given the lack of appropriate pictures, but it seems like that "solution" is basically recessing the USB-C port so deeply that only their cable can reach it.
- GeekyBear 3y ago
  I doubt that using a different proprietary locking connector fixes the "why didn't they use standard USB-C" complaint.
  - voussoir 3y ago
    That one does look like a proprietary design, but USB IF has a locking connector standard too! Makes it look like VGA. https://www.usb.org/sites/default/files/documents/usb_type-c_locking_connector_specification_rev_1_0_20160309_0.pdf https://www.usb.org/sites/default/files/documents/usb_type-c...
    - sgerenser 3y ago
      Looking at that elegant design, I can’t imagine why Apple didn’t use that. /s
      - solardev 3y ago