After long campaigns, negotiations and delays, the European Union has finally approved a law through which it could force Apple to adopt the standard USB-C connector port on its iPhone devices by the fall of the year 2024, to the detriment of the current one. Lightning.
The negotiations have reached a provisional agreement on the amendments to the Radio Equipment Directive which will make USB-C the common charging port for all mobile phones in the EU, along with laptops, tabletsdigital cameras, consoles and other electronic devices.
Apple has not yet issued an official statement regarding the news, but the timing of the ruling may play in its favor. Ming-Chi Kuo claimed last month that the company was already planning to switch from Lightning to USB-C, and would do so in 2023.
In other words, the iPhone 14 it could be the last Lightning iPhone. We will leave doubts next September, the date on which Apple will presumably present its new iPhone, although few analysts expect this change in the next iPhones.
Of course, Apple has other alternative options, such as the right to be able to appeal to gain time. Few technology companies have access to such extensive legal, political, and financial resources. However, the EU seems to have made a final decision.
Given that the ruling applies only to the EU, Apple could create two versions of its iPhones starting in 2024, with USB-C models sold in Europe and Lightning in the rest of the world, but this seems unlikely given the logistical burden involved. would impose on the supply chain.
An alternative approach would be to skip the USB-C stage and go directly to a device without a charging connector so that everything is done by wireless charging. For a long time there has been speculation about this option and its advantages to guarantee maximum waterproofing.
However, the wireless charging that Apple advocates with its proprietary MagSafe technology is much slower and less efficient than wireless charging. wired chargingwith the added bonus that many users love having the option to connect wired headphones.
It should be remembered that the company has a long way to go. Your family of devices macbooks Y ipads They already have this type of connector, so they would only have to emulate a technology that is already present in other products.
The step taken now by the European Parliament began back in 2014 when it advocated for a common charger standard that all mobile phones were required to use.
It was followed by a January 2020 resolution calling on the European Commission to adopt such a standard as a matter of urgency to avoid further market fragmentation. legislation approved now It was proposed in September of last year.
