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Top Lightning-Based Apple Products That Must Switch to USB-C by 2025 for EU Sale
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I’m in favor of free enterprise with minimal government intrusion. I’m in favor of companies being allowed to do what they think is best for them and their customers and letting the market decide who’s right. No one is twisting anyone’s arm to purchase any Apple product and if you think Apple is wrong in how they charge their hardware then you have the right to switch to a brand that suits your needs best instead of lobbying the government force something on a company that clearly disagrees with the mandate. We will all eventually pay for this intrusion with less innovation, less motivation to improve hardware unless a company gets permission to do so from the state. Right-to-repair is next on the horizon with the government to mandate how a device is to be manufactured, what screws to be used, what sealing material, how components must be designed to allow easy replacement. I shudder at what that device would look like.
Now, what if the EU decides it would be in the best interests of the population to standardize mobile operating systems and they pick Android as the most broadly popular and versatile? Would there not be many advantages for the unwashed masses? If they switched phone brands they wouldn’t have to buy/download all new apps for example.
If it’s best for the people then why not? Chargers, operating systems, apps, payment systems, etc., no messy competition to regulate, all one big happy, homogenous family, one phone to serve us all.
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It will likely increase the cost of these products as Apple will have to factor in the repair costs of having a more breakable port. 🤷
And I’m starting to have to buy USB-C to USB-C chargers for the first time. Somewhere in the next few years I’ll be dumping all sorts of Lighting cables in the trash due to government-mandated obsolescence. I was hoping to ease into this. Suppose I still can, the cables will just go with the device instead of the next Apple product replacement
Why? No, seriously, why? How would it make your life better?
A physical port is always going to be a bit more efficient for charging when you need a fast charge and, more importantly, it's incredibly useful for transferring data, *especially* when traveling when WiFi might be a problem and BT is too slow.
What if every construction company had their own proprietary ports for general electric power? What if every car company had their own proprietary gas tank socket and you could only use approved gas stations (which is what almost happened with EVs)? Etc
Mandated standards for mature parts of a market, as cell phones now are, are good. They arent completely written in stone, you know, there's nothing stopping a new port being introduced, it'll get introduced the way anything else of its ilk is: a government working group or an industry one will propose a new standard, document it, etc. If USBC starts becoming long in the tooth the tech industry, probably under USB-IF or IEEE, will propose a new port. It's not a huge problem.
- I wonder how many people truly care about the data transfer speeds of Lightning versus USB-C. I certainly don't. I'm sure there are many that do, but I'm doubtful about how big that contingent is. My guess is the average consumer doesn't care. Most data transfer happens wirelessly (downloading apps, streaming media, uploading to iCloud or another cloud service).
- I like the Lightning connector. It fits snug into the socket, it's reversible.
- A big bureaucratic organisation like the European Union imposing this change on Apple and others is not good news. Even if you agree with the change, Apple should be free to use whatever standard it wants, and the free market should be the ones who cast judgement upon their choices, not the EU.
- It is not a good idea to be in a situation where a technology company cannot manifest its innovations as it sees fit, and must now be slowed down to a crawl by endless layers of red tape.
This is being established 4 years too late (3 more to go), and by then there will be a new type of USB, or wireless charging will start taking over. So this is pretty much a waste of time, and Apple knew exactly what they were doing taking their time to keep lighting.
So which standard would Apple use other than USB C, micro usb?
USB C is also reversible and the are no 'innovations' involved in Apple hanging on to its decade old proprietary port for the licensing fees.
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I think you've misunderstood the requirement. No one is forcing you to go and buy new cables. The regulation is for new models moving forward to have a standardised port, and as far as I can see there is no requirement to send your current devices in to have the ports changed to USBC.
It's a silly move from Apple that they are running on two different systems: My iPad and MacBook use USB-C while my iPhone and AirPods use lightning The fact that the iPad uses USB-C shows the argument about benefits of lightning over USBC doesn't hold water
Some times industry needs too pushed to do what's right. Hence legislation for mandatory car airbags in the 90s and the move toward mandatory collision avoidance systems for new cars
You are mistaken No requirements fo USB-C in all devices just a standardised charging port . Your apple watch doesn't need retrofitting!
The fact that the iPad and MacBook line up have moved to USB C is a tacit admission that this is the best I/O for mobile devices.
It's a shame that Apple would have to change its smartphones to comply and hasn't already adopted the best technology available
Apple is clearly moving to USB-C anyway, regardless of what requirements may be coming. This will have zero impact on Apple's plans.
Earlier today, the European Parliament voted in favor of enforcing a standard charger across all smartphones and a wide range of consumer electronic devices by the end of 2024, including new products released by Apple thereafter.
The new rule will directly and most heavily impact Apple, which across a wide range of products, continues to use a decade-old port. Below, we've listed some of the most popular Apple products that currently feature Lightning but will have to adopt USB-C if newer models go on sale in 2025 or later to comply with the new law.
Apple introduced the Lightning port in 2012 as part of the iPhone 5 redesign, promising improved durability and ease of use compared to the 30-pin connector used on previous iPhones. During its announcement in 2012, Phil Schiller called the Lightning port a "modern connector for the next decade."
- iPhone (the first iPhone with a USB-C port is actually rumored to be next year's iPhone 15)
- Entry-level iPad: The only iPad that currently still features a Lightning connector
- AirPods Charging Case: All AirPods cases continue to feature the Lightning port
- Accessories: MagSafe Battery Pack, Magic Keyboard, Magic Trackpad, Magic Mouse, EarPods, and Beats products
While Apple has chosen to bring USB-C to many of its iPad models, it has for the most part stuck with Lightning for its most popular products. Meanwhile, the rest of the industry has overwhelmingly moved to USB-C. A majority of Android flagship smartphones feature USB-C, and the port has become the standard for consumer products for makers and customers alike.
Article Link: Top Lightning-Based Apple Products That Must Switch to USB-C by 2025 for EU Sale
In the interim though, devices made with that new port could not be legally sold in the EU due to this regulation. So, while the rest of the world is using the new device, EU companies wanting to ship products to the EU would have to take on the added expense of adding a superfluous port OR just wait until the regulators approved the port. Which, of course, they would get done VERY VERY quickly.
Folks in the EU already know how to buy from grey market sellers, though, so it’s not like they’ll go entirely without.
I'm sure the intent behind this was well-meaning but I don't trust politicians or political bodies to make determinations about what technology companies should be doing.
A good example: the reason we all get nagged by websites about cookies and privacy nowadays and have to repeatedly dismiss meaningless messages that none of us read is because of well-intentioned legislation. I think political entities need to be hands-off unless there's a clear issue at hand that is hurting consumers.
A good example: the reason we all get nagged by websites about cookies and privacy nowadays and have to repeatedly dismiss meaningless messages that none of us read is because of well-intentioned legislation. I think political entities need to be hands-off unless there's a clear issue at hand that is hurting consumers.
Having everything on USB-C will be convenient but USB-C branding, ports, and cables are all over the place. Good luck figuring out which cable and port supports what features.
I wouldn't call this a government overreach. It's like when the government decided the power standard for the whole country or that cars should drive on a certain side of the road. It's better for the consumer as stops multiple closed systems evolving.
Tengo un mac pro usb c todos los puertos, reloj Lightning usb a, iphone 14 Lightning usb a, ¿cuál es el propósito de obtener varios productos con diferentes puertos? un iphone 14 comprado este año que puede durar años, en unos meses usará otro puerto, si la ley entra en vigor 3 días después del lanzamiento del iphone 15 seguirá con el puerto Lightning, entonces es absurdo lo Apple ha hecho.
No point trying to reason with sheep, so many in here acting like this is a personal insult to Apple.
They don't realise Apple have been insulting them for years with this dinosaur port.
I love that flex. Apple says, “Ummm ok. Well, we’re a trillion dollar company and we don’t need that market tbh. We can afford to go without ya.”Even tho USB C is superior to lightning in every way, as a libertarian, I disagree with the government forcing anyone to do anything. I hope apple just no longer sells their products in Europe for spite