Apple’s iPhone is switching to USB-C Charging Port soon

Apple said that a USB-C charging port iPhone is on the way to comply with a new European Union law, but it doesn’t appear to be too pleased about it.
During an interview with writer Joanna Stern at The Wall Street Journal’s Tech Live conference, Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of global marketing, stated that the company would “clearly” be required “to comply” with the EU rule.
When Stern questioned Joswiak about the arrival of USB-C iPhones, the latter replied, “We have no option.” Suppose iPhones and other Apple goods sold outside the EU also include the USB-C port left unstated by the speaker.

The law mandates that “all mobile phones, tablets and cameras sold in the EU,” must include a USB-C port by autumn 2024.

Joswiak said he “doesn’t mind governments telling us what they want to accomplish,” but that Apple has “pretty smart engineers” to figure out the technical ways to accomplish things.

He cited the US government’s regulation of mobile phones to ensure hearing aid compatibility as one instance where it failed.

We developed a fresh approach to making hearing aids for the iPhone that not only succeeded but became a standard in the industry, according to Joswiak.

Joswiak acknowledged that he understood the EU wants to “achieve a good thing” by reducing e-waste but claimed that Apple and the EU have been “in an argument” for more than ten years about the push to USB-C. He did note that anyone can utilize a cable that is compatible with their smartphone thanks to Apple’s detachable charging cables and USB power adapters.

Apple’s chargers are used by “over a billion people,” according to Joswiak, who added that forcing people to discard their Lightning cables will result in an increase in e-waste. According to the European Parliament, chargers that are discarded or left unused account for 11,000 tons of electronic trash annually. By eliminating the need to purchase various chargers, customers might save up to 250 million euros annually.

We believe that a less prescriptive approach would have been better for the environment and for our customers, according to Joswiak.

Prior to publishing, Insider contacted Apple for comment, but they did not react right away.

With roughly 23% of the smartphone market share in Europe, Apple is one of the major manufacturers of smartphones. The Verge has previously noted that Apple might produce wirelessly charging iPhones, which would offer a workaround to the USB-C requirement. However, it appears that Apple is choosing a port for the time being.