Legislators in the EU have a single port to rule them all. The charging port is powered by the universal serial bus.
EU officials decided on Tuesday that all mobile electronic devices sold in the EU must have a charging port by the fall of 2024. Cell phones, tablets, laptops, handheld game consoles, headphones, and cameras are all covered by the mandate. Consumers will be able to buy devices without a charge in the box if they so choose, but also to make it easier for people to wrangle the energy needs of their devices.
Ben Wood says that this is a victory for common sense. Consumers are fed up with having a lot of different things.
It has taken a long time for the tech industry to standardize the main connection interface. The cables are easy to find and use, and they boast faster charging and transfer speeds than competitors.
Apple is going to feel the ruling. The proprietary lighting port is exclusive to Apple devices. Every model of iPhone Apple has released since 2012 comes with a Lightning port.
The most likely course of action for Apple would be to switch all of its devices to the same type of cable. The company hasn't seen this coming. MacBooks and most iPad models use the same type of connection. According to a report last month, Apple has been testing out new phones.
With the EU forcing Apple's hand, there is a chance we will soon see a new version of the phone. A more radical scenario is also possible.
"Then there's the nuclear option for Apple, which would be to kind of pay homage to Jony Ive's obsession with minimalist design and go completely wireless," Wood says.
The entire iPhone lineup supports wireless charging. The company faced a huge backlash when it removed the iPhone's headphone jack, but forged ahead anyways.
Apple didn't reply to the request for comment.
This is not the first time that an EU ruling has led to changes at consumer tech companies. The EU's sweeping online data privacy legislation resulted in a global redesign of the web's user experience. A law passed in France last year requiring device manufacturers to include repairability ratings on their products led to the creation of consumer repair programs for both Apple and SAMSUNG.
The legislators in the EU are able to influence global technology trends. The sheer size of the European Union as a market of 500 million people means that no major consumer electronics company can ignore this.
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