Apple’s new iPhone 15 models will feature USB-C charging ports instead of Lightning, a feature many iPhone users have been dying to get. Apple is transitioning to USB-C because it’ll be forced to do it in the European Union (EU) starting in late 2024. However, Apple will not necessarily admit that it’s moving to USB-C because of regulators’ pressure. Then again, Apple has already defended its proprietary Lightning port as the EU passed legislation to make USB-C the standard charger port for electronic devices, including iPhones.
Strangely enough, the EU is already complaining about the iPhone 15’s USB-C port, even though the device doesn’t even exist. The EU has reacted to rumors detailing Apple’s purported plans to treat Made for iPhone (MFi) chargers differently from non-MFi. And I think the EU is blowing things out of proportion in what might be a case of things being lost in translation.
The EU reaction to iPhone 15 USB-C rumors isn’t warranted
European Commissioner Thierry Breton apparently sent Apple a letter warning the company not to limit the functionality of USB-C cables on future iPhones. The news comes from German paper Die Zeit (via MacRumors).
“Devices that do not meet the requirements for the uniform charger will not be approved on the EU market,” he wrote. The EU also had a meeting with Apple in mid-March on the matter.
Apparently, Breton is reacting to rumors about the iPhone 15, which is troubling. The iPhone 15 hasn’t even been announced, and it won’t be for another four months. It’s one thing for iPhone enthusiasts to discuss rumors and quite another for a regulator to use unconfirmed information to issue complaints.
Not to mention that the EU’s USB-C law has a deadline of December 28th, 2024. Apple could stick with Lightning for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 before having to comply with local laws.
That said, the EU wants to publish a guide to ensure a “uniform interpretation of the legislation.”
iPhone 15 USB-C rumors
The USB-C port on the iPhone 15 will handle any USB-C cable. But a report from Ming-Chi Kuo in mid-March said that Apple expects an uptick in 20W USB-C charger sales this year. The analyst said that Apple might restrict fast-charging support to MFi-certified chargers for the iPhone 15:
I believe Apple will optimize the fast charging performance of MFi-certified chargers for the iPhone 15. Among Apple’s chargers, the 20W USB-C model is the most cost-effective choice for iPhone users, resulting in strong replacement demand for 20W USB-C chargers.
The analyst was specifically talking about the 20W power adapters, not about USB-C cables. If this is what the EU based its warning on, they might be way off.
However, a different insider mentioned iPhone 15 MFi cables a few weeks before Kuo. Still, this is just a rumor:
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