India May Force Apple to Adopt USB-C on iPhone After EU Passes Similar Law

[MacRumors]

India is making progress on a government proposal that would enforce a standard charger, USB-C, across all smartphones, tablets, and laptops, following in the footsteps of the EU, which just recently passed a similar law.

In a government press release, India's Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution secretary, Rohit Kumar Singh, said different government and private agencies held a meeting and a "broad consensus emerged among stakeholders on adoption of USB Type – C as a charging port for electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc." The press release added: "Further, it was deliberated that a different charging port may be adopted for feature phones."

India's consideration of mandating a common charger across consumer devices was previously reported on in August, however, it seems the government is moving forward with its proposal after initially saying it would explore the possibility of such a law.

If India does move forward with the proposed plan, it will follow in the European Union's footsteps, which recently passed a law that mandates USB-C across a wide range of consumer electronic devices by 2024. Apple's vice president of worldwide marketing, Greg Joswiak, said in a recent event that Apple would have to comply with the EU's new law, indirectly confirming the iPhone will adopt USB-C in the near future.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes all iPhone 15 models will ditch the Lightning port in favor of USB-C, but only the higher-end models of the 2023 iPhone lineup will benefit from faster transfer speeds.

Article Link: India May Force Apple to Adopt USB-C on iPhone After EU Passes Similar Law

 

[madmin]

Hey India make them have USB3.0 speeds too

 

[ApostolisApo]

Sad news for any fanboy out there who was adamant that Apple would not be forced to change their god-made plan and would release an EU-only USB-C iPhone

 

[WiiDSmoker]

Having to create laws like this lies solely on the fact that Tim Cook is nothing but a penny pincher. Apple touts themselves as being leagues beyond other manufacturers and yet they still want to utilize an input output slot from 10 years ago.

 

[bLackjackj]

Someone didn't get the memo, Lol..they are 2 years behind.

Clearly this is intended for India manufactured and India sold hardware. Why is this an Apple story, when all Apple global hardware is already going USB-C.

Waste of money on a 1st world issue.

 

[bLackjackj]

Sad news for any fanboy out there who was adamant that Apple would not be forced to change their god-made plan and would release an EU-only USB-C iPhone

There will be no EU only Apple hardware. Who would be rediculous enough to think that,..do you know how much that would blow out manufacturing cost?

 

[BvizioN]

Apple can do better. Thunderbolt.

 

[Bustycat]

So India is as anti-environmental protection as EU.

 

[munpip214]

Just in time for USB-C.b3 Ultra 40G Max. They changed the style back because people kept asking which direction to put in a USB-C cable. So now it’s non-reversible like the USB-A cable.

 

[DrPlokta]

Such a law would have no effect on Apple, because all their chargers are already USB-C (or wireless). To have any effect, the law would have to specify the allowable connectors on the cable from the charger to the device, not the connectors on the charger.

 

[smoothride]

Boy oh boy, Here we goooo!

Apple pull out from India?

 

[wanha]

Sad news for any fanboy out there who was adamant that Apple would not be forced to change their god-made plan and would release an EU-only USB-C iPhone

You sound like happy person

 

[WiiDSmoker]

Such a law would have no effect on Apple, because all their chargers are already USB-C (or wireless). To have any effect, the law would have to specify the allowable connectors on the cable from the charger to the device, not the connectors on the charger.

Nobody trusts Apple to do the right thing. Without the EU, Apple would never give up lightning and control.

 

[Oscar_440]

Hey India make them have USB3.0 speeds too

At least… 3.0

 

[Pilot Jones]

Boy oh boy, Here we goooo!

Apple pull out from India?

You can't really pull out of a market if you've barely broken into it in the first place 😆

 

[cyanite]

Sad news for any fanboy out there who was adamant that Apple would not be forced to change their god-made plan and would release an EU-only USB-C iPhone

Having an opinion on what Apple might do doesn’t mean you’re a fan boy.

So India is as anti-environmental protection as EU.

The EU legislation is done in part to reduce electronic waste, achieved by unbundling the charger and possibly the cable from new devices.

 

[laptech]

Unfortunately there is a lot of e-waste and if manufacturers of electronic equipment were forced to recycle their old unwanted and faulty products then I have no doubt they would been able to keep the design of their products the way they wanted them too. The fact is once the product leaves their manufacturing plant they no longer take recycling responsibility for it. It was only a question of time before governments stepped in force manufacturers to do the right thing.

Environmental issues have been of big concern to many countries around the world and companies such as Apple could have played it's part but they refused to do so and now the issue has been forced upon them.

 

[Shirasaki]

View attachment 2114303

View attachment 2114304

You can't really pull out of a market if you've barely broken into it in the first place 😆

On the plus side, pulling out of India market Would not be as painful as pulling out of Chinese market would. So not that bad actually.

 

[Gudi]

There will be no EU only Apple hardware.

There already is. The regulatory environment and available antenna bands have always been different. It never was the same iPhone in North America and Europe.

iPhone 12 and 12 Pro Models in Europe Have Regulatory Symbols Engraved on Side​

 

[DFZD]

The exchange rates are so bad I’m still using iPhone 12.

 

[Gudi]

The EU legislation is done in part to reduce electronic waste, achieved by unbundling the charger and possibly the cable from new devices.

Selling phones without chargers was Apple's idea and it creates way more packaging waste and e-waste as well. If you keep using the charger from your old phone for your new phone, nobody else can use your old phone unless he buys a new charger.

 

[Pilot Jones]

On the plus side, pulling out of India market Would not be as painful as pulling out of Chinese market would. So not that bad actually.

That's a fair point.

Although I know that Tim Apple would let hell freeze over before missing out on a market that is on track to exceed China's population in 2023. He's definitely going to keep at it and not pull out over some inane issue like being forced to switch Lightning to USB-C. For the opportunity that India represents, that's just basic cost of business.

 

[bLackjackj]

There already is. The regulatory environment and available antenna bands have always been different. It never was the same iPhone in North America and Europe.

An antenna band isn't a major hardware cost in manufacture, nor does it require any additional machine tooling . Do you even know the industry?

 

[Gudi]

An antenna band isn't a major hardware cost in manufacture, nor does it require any additional machine tooling . Do you even know the industry?

It requires a different chip running on other frequencies, which means a special motherboard and another antenna layout. iPhones sold in the US even have a visible cutout for mmWave 5G, which is not present on EU iPhones. I guess drilling that hole also required some "additional machine tooling".

iPhone 13 mmWave 5G support limited to US models

 

[Reason077]

There will be no EU only Apple hardware. Who would be rediculous enough to think that,..do you know how much that would blow out manufacturing cost?

There has always been different iPhone models for the US, EU/global, and China markets. Sometimes with small differences (different baseband radio chips), sometimes with bigger ones (SIM card tray or not).

That said, I agree, it’s hard to imagine Apple shipping phones with different plugs in different markets.