So if I understand this correctly, this system uses a male connector as a power OUTput? Does that mean every charger must be intelligent enough to properly detect shorting if someone touches the lightning tip to a steel table? Is that when the lightning happens? What about the immense market for poorly made non-intelligent third party devices without proper safety circutry.. doesn't an exposed male power output open up a huge danger door?
> The pins on the plug are deactivated until after the plug is fully inserted, when a wake-up signal on one of the pins cues the chip inside the plug. This avoids any shorting hazard while the plug isn’t inside the connector.
I'm guessing that there's a different mechanism for power plugs, since they have to work even if the device is dead. Yes, there's always a market for poorly made third-party devices, but poorly-made devices have always had the potential to be dangerous -- scroll back to the top, and you'll see a dangerous, poorly-made adapter that manages to be dangerous even though the power is always transmitted from female jack to male plug.
Anyone can create a poorly made adapter or a poorly made plug. My question is why would an industry leader put an elementary risk at the forefront of a new technology? The pins should be shielded.
Third party garbage is inevitable, and too often very difficult to tell apart from authentic merchandise. In electrical current even in low amp situations idiot-proof should be the critical part of the design.
A power adapter which can't handle a short is dangerous, period. Handling a short should be a part of the design of the power supply. Break open a low-quality third-party power supply for the last generation of iPhone and you'll see some downright dangerous, possibly lethal stuff. These dangers aren't really even mitigated by putting a shield around the plug.
Notice that on the shoddy power supply, the isolation between mains voltages and the other side is about 1mm. Manufacturing tolerances and component faults could easily bridge that gap and electrify the entire low-voltage side with lethal 240V mains -- shield and all.
Idiot-proofing low-voltage plug design doesn't help, because you've already lost if you let idiots design anything that plugs into the wall. Okay, shorting the plug might blow out your knockoff power supply and possibly start a fire, if the current limiting circuitry fails (which it shouldn't). But that knockoff was going to electrocute you anyway, at least if it lights on fire you still have the chance to run.
