Apple products will adopt USB-C charging in compliance with EU law

Apple has fought to keep its propriety Lightning port on most devices, but with new EU laws in effect, it will be forced to support USB-C charging.

Image via Wachiwit/Getty Images
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While many electronic gadgets and portable are moving towards USB-C connections for charging and plug-and-play functionalities, Apple has stubbornly kept its proprietary Lightning charger ports on most devices. That will be changing soon, however. The European Union has passed legislation that requires all electronic devices to adopt USB-C ports by 2024. With the law decided, Apple will have no choice but to comply and bring USB-C ports to its product line in the years ahead.

Apple responded to the decision following various legislative bodies in the European Union voting to go forward with the law regarding uniform ports on mobile devices and electronic gadgets, as reported by CNBC. Under the new law, all mobile phones, tablets, and cameras sold in countries under the EU must have a USB-C charging port by the end of 2024.

Obviously we’ll have to comply,” Apple senior vice president of worldwide marketing Greg Joswiak said during a recent Wall Street Journal Tech Live conference.

European Union members voting
The vote by the European Union to make ports on portable electric devices uniform to the USB-C charger puts Apple in a corner if it hopes to keep selling iPhones and iPads in EU countries.
Source: Christian CREUTZ/European Union

It’s worth noting that Apple had already seemingly started to adopt USB-C ports into its products with the iPad Air in 2020. However, with this new legislation, analysts have suggested that Apple may begin adopting USB-C into its iPhone products as early as the 2023 model. It could further be prioritized if similar legislation goes through in the United States, as previously suggested by Senator Elizabeth Warren back in July 2022.

Such being the case, it seems the pressure on Apple from various legal bodies has finally demanded that the company move to USB-C ports on some of its most important products. Stay tuned for these major changes as Apple rolls out its next generation of products throughout 2023.

Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.

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