Apple has decided to switch from the Lightning charging connector on the iPhone and other devices to USB-C in response to a new rule passed by the European Parliament. Bloomberg’s tech writer Mark Gurman says that the iPhone 15 might ship with a USB Type-C charger as early as 2023, and that the switchover should be complete by 2024.
He then goes on to say that the next models of the standard AirPods, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max would all have USB-C. While the entry-level iPad may get access to a USB Type-C charger by year’s end, it is now unavailable. He believes that within the next year, the new iMac and Mac Pro will be equipped with a USB Type-C charger, which is one of the most important Mac upgrades.
The European Union parliament just passed a new legislation mandating USB-C single chargers for all mobile devices by the end of 2024.
A USB Type-C charger is now standard on almost all Android phones. However, Apple’s iPhones and AirPods continue to be charged through the proprietary lightning connection. Following the verdict, technology giant Apple removed the Lightning connector from its iPhones at least in Europe.
And yet, as Gurnam added, Apple’s time in the USB-C spotlight will be brief. He is certain that Apple’s future lies in wireless technology and that the scrapped AirPower vision will be realised in some form. However, there are no plans for C-type charges for current iPhone 14 users in India.
Apple’s chargers are a major headache. A minimum of three separate chargers are required to power an iPhone, AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and MacBook. This includes a Lightning charger for the iPhone and AirPods, a USB-C charger for the iPad Pro and MacBook, and a MagSafe charger for the Apple Watch.
It is projected that each year, the European Union would save at least 200 million euros and cut electronic waste by more than a thousand tonnes thanks to the regulation. Apple, however, lobbied against and pushed for the change, arguing that strict law requiring just one kind of connection stifles innovation rather than supporting it and would negatively impact customers in Europe and elsewhere.
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