The clock is ticking for Apple’s lighting cable: USB-C is mandatory from December 28, 2024

The uniform charging cable for electronic devices in the EU has been given a fixed date. As of December 28, 2024, all new mobile electronic devices coming out on the market must be equipped with a USB-C socket when charging via cable. The European Union has now officially fixed this this week with the publication of a binding directive.

Previously, the EU had only spoken of implementing the USB-C regulation passed by the EU Parliament at the beginning of October by the end of 2024, without naming an exact date. The decision itself will be official on December 27th, 2022, but the manufacturers have until December 27th, 2024 to implement it. New cell phones only have to use USB-C as a charging socket the following day.

This initially applies to smartphones, tablets, portable loudspeakers, digital cameras, headphones, headsets, mobile game consoles, e-readers, keyboards, computer mice, portable navigation systems and the charging boxes for in-ear headphones. From April 2026, USB-C connections will also be mandatory for notebooks. However, devices that only charge wirelessly can do without USB-C.

According to the EU, the uniform charging cable should reduce electrical waste, among other things. According to the EU Commission, charging cables generate around 11,000 tons of electronic waste every year, of which the USB-C regulation could save almost 1000 tons. In addition, the uniform charging cable should prevent the fragmentation of the market.

Almost all major manufacturers have been selling their devices with USB-C connectors for years. Apple is the big exception: iPhones are still equipped with the proprietary Lightning connector. Apple has described the EU’s push as anti-innovation, but will have to comply with the EU decision. At the end of October, an Apple executive said they had “no choice” but to follow the EU’s USB-C decree.

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The deadline for USB-C at the end of December leaves manufacturers like Apple with autumn and the Christmas business of 2024 for their own solutions. Apple usually releases a new generation of iPhones in September every year.


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