The text that makes the USB type C port mandatory on all smartphones sold in the European Union has just been published in the official journal. And with this publication we discover the last details which remained for the time being still a little elusive.
Like the exact deadline before which all smartphone manufacturers, including Apple, will have to offer all their mobiles with a USB-C charging port. In fact, talking about Apple is particularly apt: for the most part, most Android smartphone manufacturers have sworn by the universal port for years already.
Apple has until December 28, 2024 to comply with the law.
Only Apple has clung to its proprietary Lightning port since its launch in 2012. After casting doubt, Apple has confirmed that it will adapt to new European legislation – without saying, however, from which generation of iPhone the USB type C port would replace the Lightning port.
The firm had said in particular that these are “Europeans dictating the agenda for European consumers”while the only information on the calendar available was then the fall 2024 horizon. The firm remains very critical of the measure.
In October 2022, an Apple official said again: “we think it would have been better for the consumer and the environment not to have this kind of mandatory requirements on our products”. According to Apple, because of its market share and the ubiquity of lightning cables in the firm’s ecosystem, the use of these proprietary ports did not really cause a problem.
Which is not necessarily wrong: it is actually not difficult to find in all situations what to charge your iPhone. Conversely, imposing the switch to all USB type C will force users to buy compatible cables, or even chargers, if theirs was not already equipped with a USB-C connector.
It’s official ‼️#CommonCharger published in the 🇪🇺 Official Journal. The rules will enter into force before the end of the year & start to apply before the end of 2024! @alexagiussaliba @EP_SingleMarket
Reminder on what this means ➡️https://t.co/LjzLs56URf https://t.co/Rh8PHTG0KC
— IMCO Committee Press (@EP_SingleMarket) December 8, 2022
So it’s confirmed: Apple has until December 28, 2024 to comply with the law.. In addition to phones, the obligation will apply to other product categories such as tablets, digital cameras, headphones and portable game consoles.
According to the latest rumors, Apple should launch the first iPhone with USB type C port as soon as the next generation. However, it is possible that the port disappears quickly afterwards. Indeed, it is rumored that Apple is also developing an iPhone completely devoid of ports (and which charges wirelessly).
Source: Presse-Citron
I am a journalist with over 6 years of experience working in the news industry. I currently work as an author for Global Happenings, and my coverage focuses on Technology news. I have written for various publications, including Reuters, The New York Times and The Guardian.
