News hardware Europe forces Apple to modify its iPhone to be closer to Android smartphones
We have been talking about it for years now, years of debate in the European Parliament, years of pressure from various lobbies. That’s it, an agreement has been reached by the representatives of the 27 EU countries: all smartphones will have to switch to USB-C in 2024. Apple will have to say goodbye to the Lightning port, otherwise, no more marketing here (and the apple obviously can’t afford it). So, what future for the iPhone 14, 15 and 16?
It is now recognized by Europe, no more Lightning ports by 2024 for Apple iPhones
The directive voted by MEPs will have to be applied 2 years after its publication in the European Official Journal. A publication that will normally arrive around October 2022.
Clearly, the iPhone 16 of 2024 will necessarily be an iPhone without a Lightning port.
Here is the tweet from European Commissioner Thierry Breton published this Tuesday, June 7 at 12:14 p.m.:
We have an agreement on the #CommonCharger! More savings for EU consumers and less waste for the planet:
Beyond smartphones, a whole host of tech devices will have to switch to a single charger: reading lights, headphones, mice… Laptops are also affected.even if the latter will be entitled to an additional period for their conversion.
A decision that is already being debated: towards an iPhone 14 or an iPhone 15 completely wireless?
As you have understood, this measure has 3 major interests:
The simplification of people’s lives: a Nintendo Switch charger will be able to charge an iPhone
The savings achieved since we will no longer have a gaggle of different chargers
And obviously the drastic reduction of waste with the end of a form of overconsumption : it is estimated that unused discarded chargers create 11 million tons of waste per year.
Apple is very attached to its Lightning port, it’s a real blow for the Cupertino company which still receives 4 dollars for each purchase of “Made for iPhone” accessories.
More than an economic interest, some Apple fans even speak of the “philosophical” interest of the Lightning port, sometimes using the language of apple lobbyists.
For them, switching to the USB-C port for people who have been used to Lightning for so long would be disastrous on all counts:
The public is seen as too resistant to change, and they would show anger at this drastic change.
The ecological impact would not be so positive since we would end up throwing away the billion Lightning cables in circulation.
European law would stifle innovation and block us with a technology that will one day or another be outdated.
There is a way out: a completely wireless iPhone from 2023 with the iPhone 15 (it is already too late for the iPhone 14).
These arguments are debatable, and we will come back to them very soon. In the meantime, it’s up to you to tell us what you think of all this.
We would love to give thanks to the writer of this post for this incredible content
