The European Union (EU) announced this week that it will require manufacturers of most consumer electronics to adopt the USB Type-C charging standard by fall 2024.
This unprecedented mandate is expected to affect Apple, whose products, including the popular iPhone series, use the company's proprietary Lightning connector protocol. The move means iPhones and AirPods sold in the EU will have to upgrade to the more popular USB-C cable ports and connectors.
The regulations also require devices to be charged at the same speed and address the "inconvenience faced by consumers who are unable to charge their device because they do not have a compatible charger available."
"Buyers will also be able to choose whether they want to buy new electronic equipment with or without a charger," the European Parliament said in a statement.
The ability for a consumer to buy a device with or without a cable could save users money in the short term, but it could also give Apple the same option: not ship chargers or cables with its devices, according to Ryan Reith, vice president. of mobile device trackers worldwide at research firm IDC
It also doesn't mean that Apple will migrate all of its devices to USB-C worldwide, although some analysts and industry watchers believe that Apple is preparing to do so.
“Apple makes a lot of money on accessories, as do its partners that make Lightning cables,” Reith said. "So I don't think this directive means they're going to migrate their entire wallet to USB-C from the ground up, unless they're forced to."
Jack Gold, principal analyst at J. Gold Associates, said he expects Apple to be slow in introducing USB-C to iPhones and AirPods in the US market.
"It will depend on whether or not he believes that having two connectors is less beneficial from a manufacturing perspective than the increased revenue that maintenance could generate," Gold said. “But eventually, I suspect they will switch all of their products to the USB-C connector, and in my opinion that will be a good thing for consumers.
The directive of the Committee for Consumer Protection and the Internal Market of the European Parliament applies to all "small and medium" portable electronic devices. This includes mobile phones, tablets, e-readers, headphones, digital cameras, headphones and headsets, portable game consoles, and portable speakers that can be recharged via cable.
Laptops will also have to adapt to the requirements within 40 months after they go into effect, the commission said.
“Today we have made the common charger in Europe a reality! Parliament rapporteur Alex Agius Saliba said in a statement. "European consumers have long been frustrated with piling up multiple chargers with every new device. Now they will be able to use one charger for all their portable electronics."
The EU committee also added provisions on wireless charging as "the next evolution in charging technology and improving consumer labeling and information."
Apple did not respond to a request for comment, but the company has already worked on creating USB-C mobile devices, according to Reith.
"Some iPads have supported USB-C for a few years. They didn't need to switch their iPad line to USB-C. They knew it was coming," Reith said.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes Apple's iPhone 15 will include USB-C support when it launches in the second half of 2023. The iPhone 14 lineup, expected in September, will almost certainly continue to use a Lightning connector.
TwitterThe EU directive also aims to bring technological transparency to consumers, who will get clear information about the charging characteristics of new devices, making it easier for them to see if their existing chargers are compatible.
For example, the quality and capacity of USB-C chargers differ greatly depending on the manufacturer. Some aftermarket cable manufacturers, such as those in China, claim to be able to provide users with a USB-C, Micro USB-C, and Lightning cable all in one. Actually, these products do not support fast charging capabilities.
"These Chinese companies are calling these shippers something they're not," Reith said. “A perfect example: go to Amazon and buy one of these chargers for €5 and try plugging one of these into your charger and see how fast it charges.
The new rule will also reduce e-waste, the European Parliament argued, as it will lead to more reuse of chargers for various devices. And it could help consumers save up to €268 million a year on unnecessary charger purchases.
“Discarded and unused chargers are estimated to account for approximately 11,000 e-wastes per year,” the committee said.
USB-C is compatible with USB4, the latest and fastest USB specification, allowing data transfer speeds of up to 40 Gbps. By comparison, Lightning transfers data at USB 2.0 speeds of 480 Mbps. USB-C is compatible with most modern devices, including Android phones, Windows PCs, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X, as well as iPad Pro (XNUMXrd generation and up). later).
The latest version of USB-C offers native power delivery support for 100W/3A and up to 240W/5A; it also supports USB Power Delivery for fast charging. By comparison, Lightning supports 12W/2,4A native power.
Fast charging requires a USB-C to Lightning cable and a 20W or higher power adapter, according to Lifewire.
For the most part, Apple's use of proprietary connectors has been due more to Apple's control devices than a need to be more innovative, according to Gold.
"I'm sure Apple would rather stick with their proprietary connector than standardize on USB-C," he said. "Apple generates a lot of revenue from its Lightning connector devices, as well as third-party license fees. But from a consumer perspective, why do I need a special connector for my iPhone when all the other devices I have can use any device? USB?C connector?
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