Comment Re:Oh, I totally agree... (Score 3, Insightful) 791
- A future-proof data signal (e.g. Thunderbolt, which can carry a signal fast enough that it won't be obsolete within a couple of years of release), that doesn't need to be supported by endpoints but can be detected and used if it is.
- A widely-supported legacy signal (e.g. USB) so that it works everywhere
- A lightweight mechanism for negotiating power demands and capabilities between supply and device.
- A physically sturdy connector, with a reference design of a socket that will stand at least 1,000 insertions and ideally 10,000 in normal use.
- A connector that either has an orientation so obvious that no one could possibly plug it in the wrong way, or one that works in either orientation.
- Any patents that cover the design must be licensed royalty free, so third parties can interface with it cheaply and easily.
Neither microUSB nor Lightning meets these requirements. If Nokia wants to fix this, they should get together an industry group to design and agree to use such a connector. Don't complain at Apple, design a better connector than the Apple one, get everyone except Apple behind it, and market the hell out of it. Make every non-Apple phone have a big sticker on it saying that it supports the standard connector and list the features that make it better than the Apple one.