The EU recently passed new legislation that will make it a requirement that most personal electronics such as computers, cellphones and headsets to switch to a USB-C charging port for power and data transfer. Apple for the first time, has confirmed that it will have to comply with this new regulation. Despite the fact that the company still whole heartedly disagrees with the basis of the new common charger regulations.
An iPhone with USB-C Charging Port is coming to iPhone 15
The announcement came from Apple executive Greg Joswiak, who is the company’s senior VP of Worldwide Marketing. Joswiak and fellow Apple senior vice president Craig Federighi are being interviewed by Joanna Stern at a Wall Street Journal event. Stern kicked off the interview with a direct question about the USB-C vs Lightning debate.
Joswiak told Stern that USB-C and Lightning are the world’s two most popular port connecting cables, with over 1 billion people using a Lightning cable of some sort. According to Joswiak, Apple’s belief is that the company struck a balance by using a type of cable that you can disconnect from the power brick, meaning one side can have Lightning and the other can have whichever sort of connector is most convenient for the user, such as USB-C or USB-A.
Does Apple Agree With Lawmakers?
Joswiak insisted that the EU lawmakers and Apple have “been in a disagreement” about the idea of a common charger regulation being forced. He noted that despite the fact that the EU has good intentions, it’s a weird thing to try and regulate. In particular, he points out that the EU lawmakers once tried to standardize the now outdated micro-USB connector technology.
Ultimately, Joswiak said that Apple will have “no choice” but to comply. He stopped short of reporting that Apple will switch the iPhone to USB-C, but short of a tricky workaround, that’s the only real solution here. “For most iPhone customers, it’s about charging,” Joswiak said.
Sources including Bloomberg and Ming-Chi Kuo have indicated that Apple is planning to make the jump to USB-C with the iPhone 15 coming next year.
