How Will Apple Respond to the EU’s USB-C Ruling?
In an effort to reduce e-waste, the European Union finally reached an agreement to make USB-C the standard charging port for mobile phones, tablets, and cameras across Europe by 2024. Although most devices we use, especially smartphones, already feature a USB-C port, one company that has been stubborn to make the transition is Apple.
Since 2012, Apple’s iPhones have used the Lightning port for charging and data transfer. But does this new rule mean that Apple will finally switch to USB-C for its next iPhone? Or will the innovative company take a unique approach to circumvent the law?
Apple’s Stance on EU’s USB-C Ruling
Apple is usually very secretive when it comes to its future plans and doesn’t respond to media speculation. However, this time around, the Cupertino-based company issued a statement toBBC News:
We remain concerned that strict regulation mandating just one type of connector stifles innovation rather than encouraging it, which in turn will harm consumers in Europe and around the world.
While we agree with Apple that such a strict regulation would hold back innovation rather than encourage it, we can’t overlook that the company has kept the Lightning connector for a decade while Android devices have moved on to USB Type-C.
Besides the official statement, Apple hasn’t shared any details on what it intends to do for the ports on future iPhones, so we can only speculate for the time being.
Considering how old the technology is, we wouldn’t be surprised if Apple was already planning to kill the Lightning port. However, this rule means the company cannot use a new proprietary port for its future iPhones. So, let’s look at what Apple can do in the coming years.
Apple Has Plenty of Time to Respond
Remember that the new rule only applies to devices sold after fall 2024. So, Apple has plenty of time to respond to the changes in Europe. So, don’t expectthe iPhone 14to pack a USB-C port when it launches later this year. In fact, even the iPhone 15 could launch with a Lightning port in 2023, and the European Union wouldn’t bat an eye.
Despite being stubborn with the Lightning port on the iPhones, Apple gradually brought USB Type-C to almost all the iPad models over the past few years. So, the company could easily do the same for its iPhone lineup in 2023 or 2024, which would be the practical choice. But what if Apple has other plans?
Apple has been fiddling with itsMagSafe charging technologysince the iPhone 12. Although it’s faster than conventional wireless charging, it’s still not nearly as fast as wired charging. However, if Apple could improve the technology in the next year or two and bring it on par with wired charging, there’s a decent chance that the company ditches the port altogether for the iPhone 16.
To be more realistic, we don’t think Apple would release a USB-C iPhone specifically for Europe when the time comes, as that could cause an uproar in the community. So far, Apple hasn’t launched a regional variant with significant hardware changes since the original iPhone. Therefore, if the company plans to keep a charging port by 2024, it’s safe to expect USB-C to be a feature globally.
Apple Is Likely Unfazed by Europe’s New Rules
We don’t think the executives at Apple are panicking over these new changes coming to Europe in 2024. Considering the company has more than two years to implement changes to its iPhone lineup at the time of writing, everything seems to be going as planned at the Apple headquarters.
The death of the Lightning port has been a long time coming, especially with the technology being a decade old at this point. If anything, these new rules would hasten up the transition to USB Type-C or portless iPhones, but regardless, we’re excited to see what Apple has in store for the future.
The EU has chosen the USB Type-C interface as the future of charging. Is Apple being punished unfairly, or is time for them to make the switch?
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