“We are going to have to comply, we have no choice.” It is in these explicit but lukewarm terms that Greg Joswiak, Apple’s chief marketing officer, evoked the new European regulations regarding chargers for electronic devices. With of Wall Street JournalHe returned to the text adopted in October by MEPs, which requires all smartphone manufacturers to adopt a universal charger, in USB-C format.
End of Lightning from 2023?
In fact, only Apple is concerned, all Android mobile manufacturers have already opted for USB-C. For ten years, iPhones have been charging with a proprietary charger, called Lightning. It is used by many iPhone accessory manufacturers who pay Apple a commission for using their technology.
According to European regulations, all new smartphones arriving on the market by the end of 2024 must be compatible with USB-C charging. An obligation that in theory could affect the iPhone 16, announced within two years. In fact, many analysts expect Apple to go with USB-C as early as next year, in late 2023, when it announces its next smartphones. A transition that would not be reserved for European models but for all devices sold worldwide.
Apple has already made this change for all of its tablets. A choice that could be related to the greater efficiency of USB-C in terms of fast charging, an essential point for users, and which could therefore be equally relevant for iPhones. By also modifying the remote control port of its new Apple TV, Apple shows that its accessories should also switch to USB-C in the coming months.
Source: BFM TV
