- Written by Chris Vallance and Zoe Kleinman
- technology team
Some Apple devices, such as the iPad Pro and Mac laptops, use USB-C (left) while the iPhone uses Lightning (right)
Apple’s latest iPhones will almost certainly have a USB-C charging point when it’s unveiled on September 12th.
The company’s phones currently use its own Lightning adapter, unlike competitors, including Samsung’s.
EU law requires phone makers to adopt a common charging link by December 2024 to save consumers money and reduce waste.
Most of Apple’s new products, such as the latest iPads, already use USB-C, but the company has gone against the EU rule.
When it was introduced in September 2021, an Apple representative told BBC News: “Strict regulation that only requires one type of connector stifles innovation rather than encourages it, which in turn will hurt consumers in Europe and around the world.”
Lightning to USB-C adapters are already available from other electronics brands including Amazon, and all iPhones since the iPhone 8 launched in 2017 support wireless charging.
With the current iPhone 14 now apparently the last device from Apple to use it exclusively, this could mark the beginning of the end for the Lightning cable – which retails in the Apple Store for £19.
It’s unclear if this will be a global product change, though it’s unlikely the tech giant will make a different version of the phone for the European market alone.
The changes are expected to be made in the new iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro devices, which are scheduled to be unveiled next week at the company’s annual fall event.
according to Bloomberg report News, the benefits of switching for users will include the ability for customers to use a single charger for their iPad, Mac, and iPhone, as well as faster download speeds.
The EU common charger rule covers a range of “small and medium-sized portable electronics”, according to the EU, including:
- mobile phones
- Tablets
- e-readers
- Mice and keyboards
- GPS devices (Global Positioning System).
- Headphones, headphones and earphones
- digital cameras
- Handheld video game consoles
- Portable Speakers.
Any of these devices that charge using a wired cable must have a USB Type-C port, regardless of device manufacturer.
Laptops will also have to abide by the rules, but manufacturers have more time to make changes.
According to the European Union, it will save consumers “up to 250 million euros”. [£213m] One year off unnecessary charger purchases” and 11,000 tons of waste reduced annually.
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