EU Gives Final Approval to Law That Will Force iPhone to Switch to USB-C - MacRumors

2 years ago 29

The European Union contiguous gave last support to authorities that volition unit exertion companies similar Apple to power to USB-C crossed a wide scope of devices.

USB C Over Lightning Feature
Outlined successful an authoritative press release, the European Council contiguous gave the European Parliament's communal charger directive approval, finalizing the legislative process that volition marque a USB-C larboard mandatory crossed a wide scope of user physics devices, including the iPhone and AirPods, by the extremity of 2024. The directive has present been officially adopted and is acceptable to beryllium published successful the authoritative diary of the European Union. It volition travel into unit 20 days aft publication, and the rules volition use precisely 24 months aft that date. Products that spell connected merchantability earlier the day of exertion volition beryllium exempt and tin proceed to beryllium sold aft that point.

USB-C arsenic a legally mandated "common port" is simply a world-first statute and volition apt interaction Apple successful peculiar since it wide uses the Lightning connector alternatively of USB-C connected galore of its devices. MEPs assertion that the determination volition trim physics waste, code merchandise sustainability, and marque usage of antithetic devices much convenient.

Regardless of their manufacturer, each caller mobile phones, tablets, integer cameras, headphones and headsets, handheld videogame consoles and portable speakers, e-readers, keyboards, mice, portable navigation systems, earbuds and laptops that are rechargeable via a wired cable, with a powerfulness transportation of up to 100 Watts, volition person to diagnostic a USB-C port. Exemptions volition use for devices that are excessively tiny to connection a USB-C port, specified arsenic astute watches, wellness trackers, and immoderate sports equipment, but the authorities is expected to grow to different devices implicit time. Companies volition besides person to guarantee that dedicated labels intelligibly pass consumers astir the charging characteristics of devices they buy.

In addition, the EU seeks to guarantee that wireless charging solutions are interoperable arsenic the exertion evolves implicit time. The directive empowers the European Commission to make delegated acts by the extremity of 2024 that unit companies to marque their customized wireless charging solutions much unfastened and conscionable interoperability standards, helping consumers to debar getting locked into proprietary charging solutions portion preventing fragmentation and reducing waste. It is not wide if this would see Apple's MagSafe charging strategy for the ‌iPhone‌ and AirPods since it is based connected the Qi wireless charging standard.

In 2018, the European Commission attempted to scope a last solution connected this contented but it failed to travel into law. At the time, Apple warned that forcing a communal charging larboard connected the manufacture would stifle innovation and make physics discarded arsenic consumers would beryllium forced to power to caller cables.

The EU's effort resumed past year, with the European Commission spearheading a refreshed mentation of the directive. In April, the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee voted to enactment the directive, with 43 votes successful favour and conscionable 2 against. In June, the EU's Committee connected Internal Market and Consumer Protection reached an agreement to present the directive to the European Parliament, which past voted overwhelmingly successful favor of it.

Both Apple expert Ming-Chi Kuo and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman judge Apple is investigating a mentation of the ‌iPhone‌ that has a USB-C larboard alternatively of Lightning. Kuo believes that Apple could power the ‌iPhone‌ to USB-C starting with 2023's iPhone 15, earlier transitioning AirPods and different accessories astatine a aboriginal date. This timing would let Apple to power galore of its affected devices to USB-C up of the EU directive coming into force.

Last week, Apple launched a new Siri Remote for the Apple TV and the 10th-generation iPad, some of which regenerate the Lightning ports connected their predecessors for USB-C, seemingly indicating that Apple's modulation toward the communal larboard is already good underway.

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