EU Passes Law to Switch iPhone to USB-C by End of 2024

[ericwn]

Oh great, now I have to throw away all my lightning cables and buy usb-c when I replace my devices.

As opposed to keeping people forced to continue an outdated connector’s lifespan and having to have that more common usb c cable around anyway.

 

[ericwn]

What if Apple come up with even better port than usbC like they did when they came with lightning while the standard was microusb ?!
Jesus Christ these laws begin to put convenience instead of technology improvements
Yes, you can force Apple to ditch the old lightning...but not force it for just usbC. Clear at the top of the EU are not people who understand how tech can move very fast and the laws must adapt to technology and not vice versa

Theoretically a point but given Apple’s stagnation in that space I’m not convinced they had any innovation in the pocket here. And that’s a high bar to beat the convenience factor of having one common cable for charging electronics.

 

[CB1234]

I go car camping occasionally and I take Apple Watch, iPhone, latest iPad mini and latest Beats Studio 3 headphones.
All these items are the latest products of their type. I need a different cable for each.

You would still need 4 cables anyway, unless you plan to take only one USB-C cable and charge all your items, one at a time !!

I would prefer to see Apple using one charging cable for all it's products. This I think is better then having different charging solution from Apple for their own products.

But forcing the entire industry to adopt only one charging cable is not ideal either, at least in my opinion.

 

[tomtad]

You voted these politicians in who made the cost of goods higher through taxes and regulations

And that's questionable at best

 

[slplss]

Well, you tried, Apple. Tried to the very last minute to bank on people and complicate their lives. Thankfully, common sense has won and Apple will have to obey or go bye bye.

 

[IscariotJ]

Bad wording in their statement. This won't solve a certain set of problems: namely, an 18W USB-C charger won't really help you charge a laptop and a 60W-rated cable won't help you charge something that draws 5 amps (and worse, could become a fire hazard)...

was about to say the same, they haven’t said what they actually mean. If they really want to cut down on e-waste, they should mandate a standard for easily differentiating usb-c cables.

 

[JosephAW]

Apple will find a way out of this, now introducing wireless USB C connection.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Wireless charging will also need to be working across different brands so no MagSafe

MagSafe phones also support Qi so that shouldn’t pose a problem… assuming Qi is the standard they allow.

 

[ericwn]

I go car camping occasionally and I take Apple Watch, iPhone, latest iPad mini and latest Beats Studio 3 headphones.
All these items are the latest products of their type. I need a different cable for each.

Well said. We’ll wait for the first person to call this enhancing innovation. Any moment now…

 

[jouster]

I can totally see this happening, Apple using this excuse to push out some nonsense with a new Lightning port rather than adopting the logical standard.

IF they do that, they will be unable to sell it in the EU.

 

[gsmornot]

I’m fine with whatever port they include, I bet I dont plug my phone in more than once or twice a year if that. It’s all magsafe charging. In the car, in the house, in the office. Same with AirPods, they are charged wirelessly. I realize you can charge faster with a cable but I dont need to. iPads yes, they dont have wireless yet but phone, no.

I do have more USB-C devices now than Lightning so I support the change if they make it but suspect they will aim for no port at all instead of a different connector.

 

[MayaUser]

I actually think Apple will react by removing the port altogether and focus improving wireless charging. Does the EU mandate state it has to have a charging port?

No, only IF it has a port or ports , if it has more than one, one of it must be usbC
Apple can go without any port

 

[Eldaerenth Faexidor]

Just go portless. Problem solved. Yeet!

 

[Dark_Omen]

Excellent news. Lets hope Apple go usb-c next year instead of waiting until the last minute.

How much do you want to bet they go port-less.

 

[Dark_Omen]

* I have +10 USB to Lighting cables from having Apple devices for +10 years
* I have zero USB to USB-C cables.

This will just result in more e-waste.

So you’ve never owned any electronic device except an iPhone? 🤨. Even the iPad and Mac has a USB-C port.

 

[bookcase]

Other than Apple products, I won't buy any electronic device without USB-C as a charging option. And since my MacBook Air and iPad mini already have USB-C, it makes sense to follow suit with the phone and AirPods.

 

[Madonepro]

No one seems to have noticed this includes laptops too, from 2026! So will Apple have to ditch the MagSafe it just brought back?

 

[vegetassj4]

Make it white, slap an MFi on there and make the A end C….problem solved
oh….and talk about how revolutionary, innovative, courageous, slimmest and the best ever it is.

 

[ducknalddon]

They're gonna wear out in the next 2 years anyways.

One of them is five years old already. I look after my stuff.

 

[Wanted797]

Terrible news. This will stifle innovation and competition. For example, it will limit the desire to create connectors that are more efficient, faster, cheaper, easier to use than USB-C.

It will also increase costs for everyone because USB-C is significantly more expensive to implement than micro-USB or USB-A for cheap devices.

In addition, now we have to throw away countless e-waste from lightning cables, lightning chargers, and lightning accessories.

Once again, EU government is stepping into things that they shouldn't have. Thanks to them, I've had to click on cookie prompts at least 10,000 times already and I honestly could careless if websites used cookies.

I'm not against Apple using USB-C on all your devices. They're slowly getting there regardless. I'm against this kind of regulation because it will have unintended consequences.

I am all for cheaper devices getting off usb a and micro usb. They’re horrible and annoying that they send me a stupid cable with their cheap item. Send me the item with a C connector and save the money on the e waste cable.

And you don’t have to throw out all your cables. They’re not going to miraculously stop working the moment the law is passed. You will gradually migrate as you update devices as you would have done anyway when apple converted.

 

[arian71]

Corrupted EU , they should force Apple or other phone maker to make phones every 2 years and that yearly iOS and macOS nonsense where the first 6 months is a beta

 

[Wanted797]

Lol apple is going to go portless I bet.

 

[AndiG]

Knowing Apple, they’ll probably come up with some ridiculously stubborn workaround involving dongles.

The act is known as "Anti Apple Act", made for a single purpose: Ensure that Apple plays nice with the other Kids.
Apple has to implement a USB port, there is no workaround, no bypass, nothing.

Additionally Apple uses USB-C on many other devices like Macs and iPods. It makes no sense to introduce incompatibilities, since then Apples own devices will be no longer share the same standard.

I'm happy that the law passed. On the other hand im sad that Apple is that kind of stubborn. All the other companies agreed to the USB-C standard and use it - without force.

 

[currocj]

this is one overbearing government edict I can stand behind!

Bring on the usb-c iPhone!

 

[Sciomar]

Hopefully Apple designs the newer Pro models to be completely port-less and laughs at the EU.