Apple executives say they will comply with the EU's "Obligation to adopt USB-C for smartphones" law. Lightning abolished in "iPhone 15 Pro"?
Of the 2023 iPhone 15 (provisional) series, at least the Pro model is certain to abolish the conventional Lightning terminal and adopt a USB-C port.
The reason is that the EU has passed the "Common Charging Equipment Act" that requires the adoption of USB-C for charging terminals of smartphones and accessories sold in member countries by the fall of 2024. That was earlier this month, but the bill has been on the road to enactment for several years, and Apple is likely preparing.
Meanwhile, Apple executives have said that they will "comply with the EU's decision", meaning that future iPhones will eventually transition to USB-C.
Greg Joswiak, Apple's senior vice president of marketing, spoke at the Wall Street Journal event. As soon as Mr. Joswiak made the above statement on the spot.
But Joswiak does not seem happy with the EU's decision. Almost 10 years ago, when the EU was promoting micro-USB connectors ( in 2014, it decided to unify to MicroUSB ), there was a difference of opinion with Apple. The EU's aim was to reduce the burden on users by reducing the number of power adapters, but Apple claims to have tackled the same problem differently.
Specifically, "We adopted a better approach, a power adapter with a detachable cable. There are two types, USB-A and USB-C, so you can choose the cable that suits your device. As a result, more than 1 billion people When people use this (Lightning) connector, they can reuse what they already have (charging adapters), and they don't generate a lot of electronic waste."
In other words, by separating the cable and charging adapter and introducing the Lightning-USB cable and USB-C-Lightning cable, it is possible to use adapters from other companies that have already been distributed, contributing to environmental protection. It seems that.
In any case, it is true that Apple actually made a statement that could be taken as "iPhone's transition to USB-C", and the significance is not small. Joswiak doesn't seem to specify a word about the iPhone, but what does it mean when the 10th generation iPad has almost switched to USB-C, and the MacBook has also migrated a few years ago? (although the 9th generation iPad, which is still in the lineup, is still Lightning).
It seems perfectly normal for Apple to comply with local government decisions. However, when the power adapter was no longer included in the iPhone 12 and later in 2020, the Brazilian government demanded that it be corrected, but the company did not comply and was fined. However, due to the large difference in market size between Brazil and the EU, it may be a gentle follower this time.
We welcome @europarl_en adoption of our proposal for a common charger to reduce electronic waste and the fuzz of having several cables for different devices.
— European Commission 🇪🇺 (@EU_Commission) October 4, 2022
USB Type-C port will be the new standard for portable devices by the end of 2024.#DigitalEU pic.twitter.com/R1gPbIBY4D
However, some believe that Apple's USB-C era will be much shorter than the 30-pin iPad connector and Lightning.
The company's future lies in wireless charging, and if the iPhone becomes portless with no external ports, including the charging terminal, it will be able to escape EU regulations. Even if the iPhone 15 Pro model is equipped with USB-C, it seems possible that it is a temporary stopgap.
Related Articles:
- macOS Ventura Now Available: The New Update That Turns Your iPhone Into a Webcam
- The iPhone 14 Series: A New Bug, it will cause the phone to freeze!
- Apple has started distributing the latest version of iOS 16.0.3.
- Apple's new fall product, iPhone 14 Pro, has a camera and constant display.