India Could Join EU in Forcing Apple to Adopt USB-C on iPhones

Following the European Union, India might also force Apple to adopt the USB-C port for iPhones, citing concerns about electronic waste. 

India’s secretary for the department of consumer affairs this week called on the tech industry to adopt a uniform charging standard. It comes after the Indian government held a meeting examining whether the country should require a single charging port for consumer devices. 

“During the meeting, a broad consensus emerged among stakeholders on adoption of USB Type-C as a charging port for electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops etc,” the Indian government wrote(Opens in a new window) in a press release. 

The decision could put further pressure on Apple to dump the Lightning port from all iPhones and switch to USB-C. The EU is already requiring smartphones, tablets, and digital cameras to switch to the USB-C before the end of 2024.  

Last month, an Apple executive also confirmed the iPhone will be switching to USB-C because the company has no choice. But it remains unclear if Apple will be rolling out the change globally, or only for iPhones sold in the EU. 

The Indian government didn’t offer a firm timetable on when it’ll mandate USB-C as the common charging standard, only that the policy will be rolled out in phases. But according(Opens in a new window) to The Economic Times, India is considering making the change after the EU begins requiring USB-C for electronic devices in late 2024.

The Economic Times added that Apple also attended the Indian government’s meeting on the uniform charging standard. Surprisingly, Apple didn’t object to the push to adopt the USB-C port.