The European Parliament passed a bill on October 4th requiring all charging ports for portable innovative equipment such as cell phones to be the same.
On the same day, the European Parliament approved a bill to standardize the charging interface of portable smart gadgets, with 602 votes in favor, 13 votes opposed, and 8 abstentions. According to the bill, by the end of 2024, all new portable smart gadgets, such as cell phones, tablets, digital cameras, and mobile navigation systems, must use the USB Type-C charging interface. From 2026, USB Type-C will also become the standard interface for laptop chargers.
Apple Will Be Forced to Switch to USB-C for the iPhone by 2024 Thanks to New EU Law
The European Union has passed a law to switch iPhone models to USB-C by the end of 2024. The new law, passed unanimously by the European Parliament, is designed to reduce electronic waste and improve charging standards across the EU.
USB-C is a smaller and more versatile connector than the current Lightning connector used on iPhones. The change will mean that all new iPhone models sold in the EU will come with a USB-C charger and cable instead of the Lightning charger and cable currently included in the box.
The switch to USB-C is also likely to boost sales of accessories compatible with the new standard and support for fast charging. Apple is expected to continue to sell Lightning-compatible accessories alongside its USB-C products.
Statement of
Alex Saliba, MEP: Today, we are replacing these chargers with this one (showing a type C connector). The simplest solution is usually the best and most helpful. This simple method would minimize electrical waste by thousands of tons each year and make it easier to reuse obsolete devices.
Margaret Vestager, the EU’s competition commissioner, stated that the new law could save at least 200 million euros, or around 1.4 billion yuan, every year by preventing the accumulation of outdated fees. According to Reuters, Apple is likely one of the most affected corporations. The new standards will force it to transition from the current Lightning port to the USB Type-C interface, which many competitors already use. However, according to the study, the new EU standards may be beneficial to Apple because they may encourage people to purchase new Apple goods that employ the USB Type-C interface.
The European Union began pressing for universal charging connectors for portable smart gadgets many years ago. On the other hand, Apple rejected it because it would stifle innovation.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman have said that Apple is testing an iPhone with a USB-C port instead of a Lightning port. Kuo says that Apple might switch to USB-C, starting with the iPhone 15 in 2023. AirPods and other accessories might make the switch at a later date. When this change happened, Apple would have time to make a lot of its affected devices work with USB-C before the EU directive took effect.
