Report: Apple to Stop Selling iPhone 14 and iPhone SE in EU This Month

[MacRumors]

Apple plans to stop selling the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, and third-generation iPhone SE in European Union countries later this month, to comply with a regulation that will soon require newly-sold smartphones with wired charging to be equipped with a USB-C port in those countries, according to French blog iGeneration. All three of these iPhone models are still equipped with a Lightning port for wired charging.

In a paywalled report today, the website said the iPhone models will no longer be sold through Apple's online store and retail stores in the European Union as of December 28, which is when the regulation goes into force. Apple may begin phasing out the iPhones even earlier in Switzerland, which has a close relationship with the European Union market. There, the report states that the devices will be removed from Apple's online store as of December 20.

Apple Authorized Resellers in the European Union will be able to continue selling these iPhones until their remaining inventory is depleted, the report added.

Apple plans to stop selling some other Lightning-based products in the European Union as well, including its extended Magic Keyboard without Touch ID, according to the report. That keyboard is still equipped with a Lightning port for charging.

There are 27 countries in the European Union, including Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden. While the United Kingdom left the European Union in 2020, the report said Apple will stop selling the devices in Northern Ireland, which continues to follow many of the European Union's trade laws.

As far as the source of this information, the report said Apple shared these details with its relevant internal teams. Apple did not respond to our requests for comment, but we will update this story if the company confirms or denies the report.

According to a guide published by the European Union in 2022, the USB-C port regulation will apply to any individual iPhone that is placed on the market after the regulation goes into force, even if they are models that launched beforehand, like the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, and the current iPhone SE. At a minimum, that means Apple would not be able to sell any iPhones with a Lightning port manufactured after December 28.

The relevant passage from the guide:

Even though a product model or type has been supplied before new Union harmonization legislation laying down new mandatory requirements entered into force, individual units of the same model or type, which are placed on the market after the new requirements have become applicable, must comply with these new requirements.

While the European Union has suggested that the regulation does not prevent existing stock from being sold, which explains why Apple Authorized Resellers would be able to sell through their remaining inventory, it is not entirely clear to us how the regulation applies to any iPhones that Apple may have already stockpiled in factories. In any case, the report said that Apple's decision is to stop selling the devices soon.

Apple is expected to announce a fourth-generation iPhone SE with a USB-C port in March, so the device would quickly return to the European Union. Meanwhile, the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus likely would have been discontinued in September, so sales of those devices would be ending in the European Union around nine months early.

Article Link: Report: Apple to Stop Selling iPhone 14 and iPhone SE in EU This Month

 

[saltukkos]

I understand the frustration, but without this law, Apple would still be making current gen iPhones with a lightning port.

 

[Pedde]

Since you first write about countries of the European Union and then, in the same paragraph, about Switzerland…


Switzerland is NOT part of the European Union. This can easily be misunderstood.

 

[Kraszim]

Goodbye lightning. You were a great connector in dark times of micro usb.

 

[ApostolisApo]

Thank-U E-U

 

[jz0309]

Got to comply with regulations…

 

[webkit]

Both of these phones were likely only going to be around for a few more months anyway.

 

[Joe Rossignol]

Since you first write about countries of the European Union and then, in the same paragraph, about Switzerland…


Switzerland is NOT part of the European Union. This can easily be misunderstood.

I've tweaked the wording to clarify this. Thanks!

 

[CalMin]

With the marketing push for Apple Intelligence it's probably best that phones not capable of it are removed from the market. It would suck for someone to buy a new iPhone, get it home and then realize it can't do the stuff they see in the ads.

 

[BigBlur]

I thought people were saying that the USB-C mandate only applied to new devices, and that existing devices on the market weren't affected and could continue to be sold. Was that not the case, or is this Apple's way of saying F-U by not offering lower-cost options anymore...especially considering they're still sold everywhere else?

 

[Tagbert]

I understand the frustration, but without this law, Apple would still be making current gen iPhones with a lightning port.

Unlikely. They have been switching their devices to USB-C for a few years now.

 

[iPhoneFan5349]

I thought people were saying that the USB-C mandate only applied to new devices, and that existing devices on the market weren't affected and could continue to be sold. Was that not the case, or is this Apple's way of saying F-U and don't want to offer a lower-cost options anymore...especially considering they're still sold everywhere else.

Existing devices mean devices already produced, not designed. So you could sell the iPhone 14s you already have in your stock, but if you want to produce more then you have to comply with the new regulations.

 

[iZac]

I always believed this to be the case, good to see my reading on the ruling was right.

More interesting would be to see what happens to the sales breakdown in EU compared to the US after March. With the iPhone 14 hole in the product line, will move people to the SE4 or the 15?

But you know what, maybe Apple will just dump their existing EU iPhone 14 / SE3 stock into the refurb store I mean then it's not new product, it's used.

 

[surferfb]

I understand the frustration, but without this law, Apple would still be making current gen iPhones with a lightning port.

That's unfounded speculation. Everything points that Apple was already moving towards USB-C, at most this moved it up a year. And now we're stuck with USB-C forever because no one has any incentive to develop a better port.

EU idiocy strikes again! They don't know better than product designers and shouldn't get involved. We're lucky they didn't succeed when they tried this with Micro USB a few years back.

 

[unex]

Apple's business sense would be to launch se4 right after se3 is stopped to offer something in the lower segment as well.

 

[John_Blackthorne]

People in the EU should be celebrating! You guys brought Apple to its knees! You got Fortnite! You got side loaded apps and you even got the connector you wanted!

Who cares about lower cost phones affordable to less fortunate folks?

Those people don't matter, right?

 

[John_Blackthorne]

I understand the frustration, but without this law, Apple would still be making current gen iPhones with a lightning port.

The copium strikes. This is what you wanted. Heavy handed regulation. Well, you got it!

The EU always knows best, right?

 

[John_Blackthorne]

That's unfounded speculation. Everything points that Apple was already moving towards USB-C, at most this moved it up a year. And now we're stuck with USB-C forever because no one has any incentive to develop a better port.

EU idiocy strikes again! They don't know better than product designers and shouldn't get involved. We're lucky they didn't succeed when they tried this with Micro USB-C a few years back.

Yep!

The heavy handed, "We know better than you!" was silly.

We'll see what other Apple products the EU borks.

And then we'll watch those people come to MacRumors, huff the copium and tell everyone all is good "because USB C and Fortnite!"

 

[Wowfunhappy]

I didn't realize this law applied to existing models. That seems pretty dumb. It would have been easy to say, you can continue to sell an existing hardware configuration as long as you make no other changes.

 

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

Unlikely. They have been switching their devices to USB-C for a few years now.

Is what someone would say they doesn’t know how many iPhones, and thereby MFi-verified Lightning accessories Apple has sold every year.

Apple wasn’t just earning extortionate profit margins from selling the same USB 2.0 ports year after year after year. They were earning billions in royalties from all the third parties that had to pay Apple to get MFi certification.

-No business in their right mind would add a cost and lower their profit margins if consumers aren’t boycotting them and there are no laws prohibiting from doing what earns them the most.

Regardless of the exact reasons why, consumers weren’t buying any less iPhones because of the outdated and proprietary ports.

Who cares about more advanced tech if adopting it means you lose out on MFi royalties and have to spend more on components?

Hardly anything can earn a business as much as selling something that’s both high in demand and completely proprietary to their products.

Apple loved Lighting and would have never parted with it.

Anyone who says Apple would have adopted USB-C without getting forced by the EU doesn’t understand business or why anyone makes consumer electronics to begin with.

Under capitalism, you don’t get rewarded for making the best. You get rewarded for earning the highest possible amount in relation to your costs, the amount you’ve invested.

If no consumers or laws are objecting to your outdated, proprietary products, then you’d obviously be an absolute fool to change anything as that would mean lower profit margins for every product sold.

 

[jforsander]

My theory is that Apple intends to discontinue the iPhone 14 series worldwide when they launch the iPhone SE 4 next year. Based on all the rumors, the new SE would be equal or better than the iPhone 14 in every meaningful way except not having a second ultrawide camera.

Like, who in their right mind would spend $599 for the iPhone 14 with Lightning and the A15 chip (no Apple Intelligence) when they could get the iPhone SE 4 for $499 with USB-C and the A18 chip, which supports Apple Intelligence? More likely is that the iPhone SE 4 replaces the iPhone 14 at the $599 price point.

There’s still a question of who’s buying the iPhone 15 for $699 when the iPhone SE 4 is available for $599. But at least you can justify the 15 because it has USB-C, likely the same 48 megapixel main sensor as the SE 4, an additional ultrawide sensor, and the Dynamic Island (SE 4 will have a notch).

 

[one more]

With the iPhone 14 hole in the product line, will move people to the SE4 or the 15?

It depends on people’s priorities - iPhone SE 2025 perks are the rumoured 8GB of RAM and Apple Intelligence support (not yet available in the EU), whereas iPhone 15 has two cameras and a Dynamic Island vs SE’s notch.

 

[vtrautia]

Massive thank you to EU forcing Apple to adopt USB-C in phones.

 

[CapitalIdea]

I understand the frustration, but without this law, Apple would still be making current gen iPhones with a lightning port.

No, they wouldn’t. They had already transitioned most of their products to USB-C by the time the law even was written.

 

[one more]

People in the EU should be celebrating! You guys brought Apple to its knees! You got Fortnite! You got side loaded apps and you even got the connector you wanted!

Who cares about lower cost phones affordable to less fortunate folks?

Those people don't matter, right?

It will be just a three months low-cost limbo before SE 2025 arrives. In the meantime people will still be able to get those older models from carrier and third-party retailer shops.