Some are already talking about an “anti-Apple law”: In the future, cell phones and other devices should only be able to be charged via USB-C, according to the EU. Apple would also be affected and would have to say goodbye to the Lightning connector on iPhones. But the last word has not yet been spoken.
Also with the iPhone: USB-C should become standard
In the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, the EU parliamentarians have agreed on a project that especially Apple shouldn’t like it. According to EU plans, smartphones, smartwatches and other electronic devices with rechargeable batteries can only be charged via the widespread USB-C standard. Apple already uses the port for many iPads and Macs, only for iPhones and the cheapest iPads does the Lightning connector remain.
If there is only a single connection, then resources would be saved and “Thousands of tons of e-waste” saved, says Anna Cavazzini, Chair of the Internal Market Committee (source: Spiegel). There are also financial advantages for consumers, since no additional cables have to be procured.
With the iPhone 14, everything should remain the same, because negotiations between the European Parliament and the EU countries are still pending. Maybe USB-C will then Compulsory in Europe by mid-2024. Only with the iPhone 16 would Apple have to say goodbye to the Lightning connector at the latest.
What exactly does a USB-C port offer?
iPhone: Does Apple only rely on wireless charging?
Apple could forestall the planned EU rule and from the iPhone 16 entirely do without a physical charging port. The smartphone could then only be charged wirelessly. But even here Apple is not allowed to cook its own soup, because the EU has already announced that it will only allow a single standard for wireless charging in the future.