- EU lawmakers have announced that all mobiles, tablets, and cameras must use USB Type-C connectors.
- Apple is testing a USB Type-C port for iPhones.
- Apple believes that ‘the proposal could hurt innovation and create a mountain of electronic waste.’
Apple will have to switch to a USB Type-C port for its upcoming iPhone by 2024, as EU countries and their lawmakers announced(via) on Tuesday that all mobiles, tablets, and cameras must use the same connector — USB Type-C. European regulations have proposed to make USB Type-C the standard port for all devices last year, and a recent report also suggests that Apple is testing a USB Type-C port for iPhones. Laptops will have to comply with the legislation within 40 months of it entering into force.
While the majority of Android phones ship with a USB Type-C port these days, Apple might stick with its traditional lighting port for its iPhone 14-series. However, as per a report, the Cupertino giant might adopt Type-C for the iPhone 15-series that will debut in 2023.
Type-C port for Apple iPhone
A study from 2019 has revealed that 50 percent of chargers sold in 2018 were USB micro-B connectors, 29 percent USB Type-C connectors, and 21 percent lighting connectors. Following this, users of Android and iPhone have a complaint about the inconvenience of having different charges for their gears.
Commenting on this, EU industry chief Thierry Breton stated, “The deal we struck this morning will bring around EUR 250 million (Approx. Rs 2,075 crores) of savings to consumers. It will also allow new technologies such as wireless charging to emerge and to mature without letting innovation to become source of market fragmentation and consumer inconvenience.”
Following this, the European Parliament passed a statement that by 2024, USB Type-C will be the standard charging solution for all phones, tablets, and cameras in the EU. Further, lawmaker Alex Agius Saliba, who steered the debate in the EU Parliament, said they were “proud” that laptops, e-readers, earbuds, keyboards, and computer mice, among other portable devices, were also on the list.
Apple didn’t immediately respond to the request but earlier warned that ‘the proposal could hurt the innovation and create a mountain of electronic waste.’
