According to Mark Gurman’s latest newsletter Rocheog On, using the USB-C port instead of the Lightning port on the iPhone 15 is “essentially a lockdown.” Multiple reports have suggested that the iPhone 15 will be the model on which Apple implements this feature, a full year before it becomes mandatory for all smartphones sold in the European Union. Gurman’s statement, however, is the most compelling evidence to date.
Apple has always taken a different approach when it comes to iPhone connectors, and it has paid off in the past. Unlike the micro USB standard, which is a one-way plug and a port universally despised for its difficulty of insertion, Apple’s Lightning port can be used in either direction.
But now we have USB-C, which is just as easy to use as Apple’s Lightning port, and we can finally say goodbye to the micro-USB port. Apple’s MacBooks were among the first to feature USB-C ports, and the company has since replaced Lightning with USB-C in the vast majority of its iPad models. For many Apple customers, being able to charge and sync their devices with a single USB-C cable will be a huge time saver.
USB-C will become mandatory for all smartphones sold in the 27 EU member states in 2024, effectively mandating its adoption by Apple for the 2024 iPhone lineup. It is possible that Apple will only implement the USB-C port switch on European iPhone models, but that would add an unnecessary level of complexity, and it is more likely that the company will implement the switch everywhere.
iPhone 15 USB-C port
Although the mandate doesn’t go into effect until the iPhone 16 in 2024, there are rumors that Apple will implement the change a year earlier with the iPhone 15. In May, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that Apple would switch from Lightning to USB-C in the second half of 2023, citing evidence from the company’s supply chain.
Earlier that month, Bloomberg said that Apple is reportedly testing an iPhone design with an internal USB-C port, but that the switch won’t happen until at least 2023. However, the paper’s Mark Gurman elaborates on this in the latest issue of Rocheug On.
Apple has been preparing for this legislation. I think the company will more than beat the deadline with its most visible products. The iPhone 15 is essentially a lock to get USB-C in the fall of 2023, a year ahead of the mandate.
Other options remain
The new law is unambiguous, but there are ways around it. Technically, Apple could meet the mandate to allow iPhones to charge over USB-C by including a USB-C-to-Lightning adapter in the package, but that seems highly unlikely. Some have suggested that by 2024, Apple will move to a completely portable iPhone that can only be charged wirelessly.
Again, this is in keeping with the law, since it only affects devices that can be charged via cable. While most consumers would be content with wireless charging and data transfer, professionals who incorporate iPhones into their processes may require even faster methods.
AirPods, Magic Mouse, Magic Keyboard, Magic Trackpad
While the mandate covers a wide range of other products, we’ve already established that Apple will have to accept USB-C charging for its AirPods, Magic Mouse, Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad.
As Gurman points out, the law only applies to newly manufactured gadgets, so Apple is free to continue selling its current models on Lightning indefinitely. In contrast, the requirement to use USB-C for charging will go into effect as soon as a new model is released. It’s unclear if and when Apple will update its Mac input devices, so a move to USB-C is possible.
