Hollis Johnson/Business Insider
The Lightning port on Apple's iPhone 11
- The EU is pushing for the adoption of a common charging cable that would work across all types of smartphones, a measure that would likely require Apple to switch from its proprietary Lightning charging method to USB-C.
- Apple has pushed back against such regulation, saying that it would stifle innovation and pose an inconvenience to consumers.
- There are several reasons why Apple isn't likely to ditch the more than 7-years-old Lightning cable unless it has to.
- For example, doing so would cause a headache for iPhone accessory makers. It's also uncharacteristic for Apple to adopt a technology just because the rest of the industry is - without making some improvements or changes to it.
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Apple is facing pressure to ditch the Lightning port on its iPhones as the European Union pushes for smartphone makers to adopt a universal charging standard that works across all devices. Such a move would signal the first major update to the technology Apple uses for powering its line of smartphones since it introduced Lightning in 2012.
The European Union is pressing for binding measures that would require chargers to accommodate all types of mobile devices, with the goal being to reduce electronic waste and make the lives of consumers easier. That would probably mean Apple would be required to ditch the Lightning port in favor of USB-C if such regulation ever passes.
Back in 2018, companies including Apple, Samsung, Google, and others signed a voluntary EU agreement to introduce smartphone models to the European market that are chargeable through a USB-C cable or accessory. Cables that terminate in USB-C on one side and have a vendor specific connector on the other - like Apple's USB-C to Lightning cables - were acceptable under this agreement.
But now, Maroš Šefčovič, vice president of Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight for European Commission, is saying those measures didn't go far enough. While he didn't mention Apple by name during his opening statements before the European Parliament on January 13, he did cite the proprietary solutions proposed by the industry as a reason for the 2018 plan falling short.
Apple has since responded to the EU's proposal in a statement saying that the proposed regulation would stifle innovation and harm consumers.
Aside from the EU's concerns, there has been plenty of speculation that Apple may be preparing to switch from Lightning to USB C. For example, a Bloomberg report from last year said that Apple had tested a version of its 2019 iPhones with USB C, which suggested that it may eventually ditch the Lightning port.
But there are several reasons why it probably won't anytime soon.
