Apple may have to use USB-C for iPhones when the new law is passed in May

In the latest development of the European Union's goal of making USB-C the standard charger for mobile devices, yesterday (Wednesday, April 21), the Consumer and Market Protection Commission Internally approved the opinion on the revised Radio Equipment Directive with 43 votes in favor, 2 votes against.

Specifically, the new draft goes to ensure that consumers do not need to have a charger and charging cable every time they buy a device, can use the same set of charging cables for small and medium electronic devices such as mobile phones. , tablets, laptops and even digital cameras, portable speakers, game consoles, etc. of any manufacturer. While small devices like smartwatches, fitness and sports trackers won't need to apply.

This amendment is part of the EU's efforts to reduce e-waste and complexity for consumers of electronics on the European market.

Previously, the revised Radio Equipment Directive was initially proposed in January 2020, however, to become law, this draft needs to be approved by the European Parliament. Since it was passed, electronics manufacturers will have 24 months to comply with the new rule.

With the above approved amendments, it is expected that the Consumer Protection and Internal Market Committee will go to a vote in the European Parliament in May. If the bill is passed, it will be implemented at the national level for EU members.

Right now, public opinion is turning to Apple because it has always been loyal to a separate charging standard on iPhone devices., Lightning port. After many drafts and agreements, so far, even though the Type C port has been applied to iPads or MacBooks, Apple is still determined to maintain Lightning for iPhones. The company has argued that being forced to use the same charging standard harms economy and innovation, creating a huge amount of waste as users are forced to switch to new charging cables. In addition, it is certain that the huge ecosystem of Lightning accessories will also be affected.

However, the law is still the law, if the efforts of the European Commission in recent years are approved, Apple will also have to suffer, it will be forced to play by the rules, according to the rules on the EU field. When USB-C becomes a legally enforced charging standard by the European Union, future iPhones will have to switch from Lightning to USB-C like any other company, at least to be sold in Europe.

In the immediate future, the upcoming iPhone 14 series will still use the Lightning port as before. According to leaked information from Leaker LeaksApplePro , iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max will be equipped with Lightning port with USB 3.0 connection standard like on iPad Pro, for 10 times faster speed than the old 2.0 standard.

In addition, MEPs suggest that future products will have to have labels and information about charging options, as well as whether the device comes with a charger, to confuse purchasing decisions. At the same time, MEPs also proposed that the European Commission introduce a similar standard for wireless charging by 2026 to avoid fragmentation in the market. This will likely also affect Apple's MagSafe charging standard.