The European Union formally adopted the law that forces phone-makers to only launch devices with USB type-C ports from 2024, earlier this week. While this may not be a big change for most Android phone-makers who operate in Europe, it will come as a big blow for US-based Apple. The tech giant must now launch new iPhones with a USB-C port post the end of 2024, something Apple recently confirmed it is working on. While the law only pertains to countries governed by the European Union, the move will force Apple to switch its primary iPhone port for all its markets.
Here’s a quick look at the timeline of the new law being formed, which could very well be a major turning point for the future of smartphones
September 2021: European Commission makes proposal for mandating USB Type-C ports
The origin of the formation of this law began over a year ago in September 2021, when the European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, announced its plans to force brands to work on a common charging/data transfer port standard. The goal was to cut down on e-waste by making sure users wouldn’t be restricted to proprietary ports, should they want to re-use any old charging adapters they already possess.
The Commission also added that the rule would also apply to other devices like tablets, audio accessories, cameras and gaming consoles. Moreover, manufacturers would also be mandated to develop interoperable fast-charging standards.
This was, however, only a proposal at the time, one that still needed to pass the voting stage in the European Parliament first. Should the proposal go through, manufacturers would get a period of 24 months (or two years) to comply with the new rules.
May 2022 : Ming-Chi Kuo reports Apple could launch iPhone 15 with USB-C port
Months after the proposal went public, Apple Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has had a long history of accurate Apple predictions ahead of launch, reported that Apple could bring the USB Type-C port to its iPhone 15 series, which was set to launch in 2023.
At this point, Apple had already switched its range of tablets – the iPad series to USB Type-C. The performance-oriented iPad Pro had adopted USB Type-C years ago in 2018, while the iPad Air and iPad mini would go on to use the universal port in subsequent years. Apple’s iPhone lineup, however, continued to stick with its signature Lightning port, a move that also extended to accessories like the AirPods series.
May 2022: Apple reportedly begins testing iPhones with USB-C ports
Following Kuo’s prediction, a number of other reports also surfaced, suggesting that Apple was already testing iPhones with USB-C ports. As per a report by Bloomberg, insiders with knowledge of the matter claimed Apple was “testing future iPhone models that replace the current Lightning charging port with the more prevalent USB-C connector.”
June 2022: EU agrees to USB-C port proposal
In June earlier this year, the European Union agreed to the proposal by the European Commission to bring all devices to a common USB type-C port standard for both the betterment of the environment as well as ease-of-use for consumers. The rule was set to be applied to “all small and medium-sized portable electronic devices,” but was yet to to be approved by the European Parliament.
October 2022: European Parliament votes in favour of common charging standard
Earlier this month, the European Parliament voted in favour of the rule that forced brands to use a common charging standard – the USB type-C port. This finally meant that it was only a matter of time before the law would be officially kicked in and brands like Apple would only have two choices – either switch to a USB type-C port for its iPhone lineup, or stop selling new iPhones in Europe beyond 2024.
October 2022: EU formally adopts law requiring standard USB Type-C chargers
The law was officially adopted by the European Union. This meant that the 24-month timeline for brands like Apple to switch to a USB type-C port was now live, and such brands would have until the end of 2024 to sell phones without a Type-C Port.
Post the deadline, even previous devices launched with ports like Apple’s Lightning connector, will not be officially allowed to be up for purchase in Europe. This addition also means Apple will have to ideally launch Type-C iPhones well before the deadline.
October 2022: Apple confirms plans for USB Type-C charging on iPhones
A day after Europe formally adopted the new common charging standard law, Apple for the first time officially confirmed that a USB-C powered iPhone is in the works. Apple’s marketing chief Greg Joswiak said that the company will comply with the EU law as it does with other laws, as per a report by Bloomberg, but didn’t specify if the USB-C transition would completely replace Lightning ports.
The road ahead for Apple and future iPhone lineups
Moving forward, Apple is expected to bring the USB-C port to the iPhone 15 series late next year or the iPhone 16 series expected in the fall of 2024. On paper, the company is not required to bring USB-C to any iPhone before the iPhone 17 (2025), which will be Apple’s first smartphone launch post the EU deadline.
However, bringing a USB-C port iPhone only in 2025 puts Apple in another tough spot. Apple is known to sell stocks of older iPhones years after their launch. This is why the brand still officially sells the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 series in many regions including India.
However, if Apple doesn’t switch to a USB-C port before the iPhone 17 (2025), it will only be able to sell the Lightning-powered iPhone 15 for a little over a year, and the iPhone 16 for just a few months before the deadline comes into action. This further solidifies Apple’s need to adopt to Type-C as early as possible.
Should the company bring in the new port with the iPhone 15 series in about a year from now, it will be able to to sell both the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 series in Europe post the deadline.
