According to a new rule proposed by EU officials, Apple, and other smartphone makers will be compelled to adopt USB-C as part of a single charging standard for mobile devices across the European Union by the fall of 2024.
The legislation aims to reduce e-waste and “cable clutter,” according to Margrethe Vestager, Vice President of the European Commission. “Mobile phones, tablets, e-readers, earbuds, digital cameras, headphones and headsets, handheld videogame consoles, and portable speakers that are rechargeable through a wired cable will have to be equipped with a USB Type-C port, regardless of their manufacture,”.
Apple (AAPL) users can expect significant changes as a result of the new rule. A request for comment from Apple was not immediately returned. According to an EU Parliament report, Apple notified EU officials during the legislative process that the new rule would render obsolete as many as a billion products and accessories that use the company’s proprietary Lightning connector.
For quite some time, the end of Apple’s Lightning connector has been written on the wall. Apple already employs the USB-C standard in some Macs and iPods and is said to be testing iPhone models that don’t have a Lightning port. However, Apple’s statement might hasten the company’s transition to USB-C, possibly marking the end of Lightning worldwide.
Before entering into force, the charging measure must still gain final approval, but this is mainly seen as a formality.
