Some Apple devices such as the iPad Pro and Mac laptop use a USB Type-C charger (left), while the iPhone requires a Lightning charger (right).
- author, Chris Vallance and Zoe Kleinman
- role, Technical Affairs Team
The market is awaiting the launch of the latest iPhones, which will contain a USB Type-C charger port for the first time, which Apple is expected to announce on September 12.
The company’s phones currently use its own “Lightning” adapter, unlike competitors such as Samsung.
European Union law requires phone manufacturers to adopt a unified charging link by December / September 2024, with the aim of saving consumers money and reducing waste.
Most of Apple’s new products, including the latest iPads, use a Type-C charger, but the company has opposed the EU requirement.
And when it was introduced in September 2021, an Apple representative told .: “Strict regulations that impose only one type of charger stifle innovation rather than encourage it, which harms consumers in Europe and around the world.”
“Lightning” to Type-C charger adapters are available through other electronic device companies such as Amazon, and all of the company’s phones since the iPhone 8, which was launched on the market in 2017, support wireless charging.
And since the current iPhone 14 may be the last Apple device that exclusively uses the “Lightning” charger, this may be the beginning of the end for this charger, which is retailed in the Apple Store for 19 pounds.
It is not yet clear if Apple will apply this change to the product globally, but it is unlikely that the tech giant will manufacture a different version of the phone for the European market alone.
The changes are expected to apply to the new iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro devices, which are scheduled to be unveiled next week at the company’s annual show in the fall.
According to a report by Bloomberg News, the new adapter will allow customers to use a single charger for iPads, Macs, and iPhones, as well as faster download speeds.
Under the rule of the unified charger in the European Union, a group of “small and medium-sized portable electronics”, according to the European Union, including:
- mobile
- Tablets
- electronic reading devices
- Mouse and keyboards
- GPS devices (Global Positioning System).
- Headphones and earphones
- Digital cameras
- Portable video game consoles
- Portable speakers
Each of these devices charged using a wired cable must have a USB Type-C port, regardless of the device manufacturer.
Laptops are also required to abide by the rules, but manufacturers have more time to implement changes.
According to the European Union, it will save consumers “up to 250 million euros.” [أي ما يعادل 213 مليون جنيه إسترليني] annually from unnecessary charger purchases” and will reduce 11,000 tons of waste annually.
