Future iPhones will no longer have a Lightning port. Apple’s senior vice president of marketing confirmed this in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. The group is thus implementing the EU law that will come into force in 2024, which will make USB-C mandatory for new electronic devices.
There has been speculation about this for a long time, but now Apple has confirmed that the Lightning connector will be dropped from all future iPhones in favor of USB-C. At the annual Wall Street Journal’s Tech Live Conference When asked by journalist Joanna Stern about the EU law that will come into force in 2024, which will make USB-C mandatory for new electronic devices, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Marketing Greg Joswiak says: “Of course we have to comply. We have no choice .”
Apple not happy about the forced switch
Apple has already switched part of its product line-up to the USB-C standard, for example MacBooks and iPads. However, the group is not happy about not being able to determine the time for the change to the iPhone itself. “The Europeans dictate the timing for the European customers,” says Joswiak in an interview.
iPhone 15 or iPhone 16 with USB-C?
However, the question remains unanswered as to whether the iPhone 15, which is due to be released in September 2023, will come onto the market with a USB-C instead of a Lightning socket. Since the EU law will come into force in autumn 2024, Apple could only release the iPhone 16 with the mandatory standard in September 2024. The manufacturer could also sell a model with a USB-C port that is exclusive to Europe. Or – another possible alternative – completely do without the charging connection, then iPhones would only be charged wirelessly.
The EU plans that from autumn 2024 all new electronic devices that require a charging connection will be equipped with USB-C. This applies to smartphones, cameras, mobile game consoles, tablets, etc. The aim of the regulation is that consumers only need one compatible charging cable for different devices, thereby reducing the amount of electronic waste and resources can be saved.