What the EU’s new USB-C rules mean for the iPhone

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

European Union lawmakers agreed this week on new proposals to force manufacturers of everything from phones and headphones to digital cameras and tablets to use the same universal charging port. The plan is for the new rules to come into effect in the fall of 2024, after which devices that charge using a wired cable will need to use a built-inUSB-C port.

This legislation is likely to have a big impact on Apple's phone. The rest of the phone industry has begun to converge around a single, standardized wired charging port, but Apple has remained steadfast in its use of Lightning. Legislation from the EU could force it to continue.

The European Council and European Parliament will have to approve the EU's rules before they become official. The summer recess is over on September 1st. The fall 2024 compliance date comes from when it will enter into force 20 days later. The kind of high-wattage USB-C chargers used by laptops are less common than phone ones. They will have 40 months instead of the usual 18.

If Apple wants the phone to have a physical charging port after fall 2024, the EU wants it to use the universal serial bus. It can't just offer an external device. The most recent public drafts of the proposed legislation specify that theusb type-c connector used for charging needs to remain accessible and operational at all times The EU's rules are designed to reduce e-waste, with a universal charging standard that will hopefully mean more chargers can be used instead of ending up in landfills. The EU estimates that the rules could cut down on 11,000 metric tons of e-waste annually and save customers over 250 million dollars.

We have a deal on the common charger!



This means more savings for EU consumers and less waste for the planet:



mobile phones, tablets, cameras… will all use USB type C

harmonised fast-charging technology

unbundling of sale of chargers #SingleMarket #DigitalEU pic.twitter.com/qw2cJV4RY0

— European Commission (@EU_Commission) June 7, 2022

The new flagship iPhones tend to be announced in September each year, which means Apple will have the new range of phones ready to go as the legislation comes into force. There shouldn't be products on the market that aren't compliant with the directive. It would have to modify or pull older models from the market if Apple wanted to make the changes sooner. Apple sells older models at a lower price for a long time.

The change could be made next year. Apple could be ready to make the switch as early as 2023 according to a report last month. Mark Gurman corroborates the report and said that Apple was already testing the phone with the accessory. The reports suggest that we might see an apple device with a port for theusb-c next year.

The EU can't force Apple to change. The European Union has rules for the single market. Almost 25% of Apple's net sales came from Europe over the course of the year, and the best-selling product was the iPhone. Apple can't abandon the market over this legislation. Given Apple's focus on supply chain efficiency that sees it selling a narrow selection of very similar devices around the world, that approach seems unlikely.

A spokesman for Apple wouldn't answer questions about how the company will comply with the legislation.

It is possible for Apple to avoid having to ship the ports on its phones by using wireless charging. The current EU legislation only deals with wired charging, so if a phone were to only charge using a wireless method, it could avoid the EU's charging harmonize rules.

Portless phones don't really exist outside of the realm of a couple of concept phones and publicity stunts It is significant because of the rumors that Apple is considering going down that route. Since the introduction of the MagSafe wireless charging standard, rumors have been flying. The decision to stick with wired charging could explain why Apple doesn't seem to be interested in building a MagSafe accessory network.

The EU tried to standardize around theusb-c According to feedback submitted to the European Commission last year, the regulation could slow down the introduction of beneficial innovations in charging standards. The new rules could cause an increase in e-waste by triggering the disposal of existing cables and accessories. It has something to say. A lot of charging hardware will become redundant as an estimated 1 billion iPhones are used around the world. Customers will need new accessories to replace their old ones.

Image: The Verge

Chaim wrote last year that Apple's concerns could have as much to do with Apple's bottom line as it does with innovation. Any accessory manufacturer that wants to support Lightning has to go through Apple's MFi program, which allows Apple to get a cut of the lucrative accessory market.

Despite its opposition to putting a port on its phones, Apple has been one of the biggest supporters of the technology. In 2015, the company released a MacBook with just a single port on the side of the keyboard. Apple forced the much-mocked "dongle life" onto users around the world when it embraced theusb-c technology. The iPad Air and the iPad Pro are two of the more recent versions of the iPad that come with theusb-c port.

Although devices covered under the EU's rules need to be able to charge overusb-c, they don't have to use it as their only charging method. MacBooks that charge over MagSafe, the laptop version that is, are free to do so as long as theirusb-c ports can also charge them That is already the case with the newest MacBooks.

If the legislation comes into force in its current form, Apple will have to change the design of its products in the EU. According to a press release from the European Council, headphones, earbuds, wireless mice, and wireless keyboards would all need to use the same type of cable for wired charging. That covers all of the devices that use Lightning.

The EU wants to standardize fast charging across phones where Apple lags behind its competitors, as well as asking manufacturers to use the physicalUSB-C port. The iPhone 13 Pro Max has a 30 watt charge, while the S22 has a 45 watt charge. The EU wants to standardize wireless charging.

There is still a long way to go before the EU's legislation passes into law. The European Parliament and European Council need to vote on it. The Digital Markets Act requires Apple to allow third-party app stores on the iPhone, but the organization is forcing big changes at Apple. If the company wants to continue benefiting from one of its largest markets, it's going to have to play ball.