EU sets deadline to include USB C port in iPhones and all smartphones

There is bad news for Apple since the European Union (EU) has set a deadline to include the USB Type-C port in all smartphones, including iPhones. Under the latest EU directive, all smartphones, including iPhones sold in its member states, must have a common USB Type-C charger starting December 28, 2024.

In June this year, EU lawmakers agreed to legislation requiring all smartphones, cameras, tablets sold in the EU to come with a standard USB Type-C port. The new EU directive merely hints that iPhone models, the iPhone 16 series, due to be released in 2024, should switch to the USB Type-C port from the Lightning cable. iPhones launching in 2023, most likely called the iPhone 15, are unlikely to move to the Type-C charger.

In particular, the directive won't affect Android phone makers much, as most Android devices sold these days offer USB Type-C. While those that still have micro USB are in the process of switching to USB Type-C entirely. Type C

Apple currently uses the Lightning charging port for its iPhones, and with the EU being an important market for the company, it will eventually have to agree to the directive. Speaking at The Wall Street Journal's Tech Live conference in October, Greg Joswiak, Apple's Senior VP of Worldwide Marketing, said Apple will "obviously" have to "comply" with the rule. "We don't have a choice," Joswiak said when asked if Apple will switch to the USB Type-C port under the EU directive.

The Indian government is also checking out for opportunities to accommodate a common charger policy for all smartphones, tablets and laptops. The move aims at reducing the amount of e-waste India generates year after year. According to a report by ASSOCHAM-EY of Electronic Waste Management in India, we generated 5 million tons of e-waste, leaving India just behind China and the United States.