Apple has confirmed that the iPhone will support USB-C.
Apple has confirmed that a USB-C-equipped iPhone will be released, now that the European Union has mandated that all phones sold in its member countries utilize the port if they have a physical charger. When asked by The Wall Street Journal’s Joanna Stern if Apple will replace Lightning, Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vp of international marketing, replied, “Obviously, we’ll have to comply; we have no choice.”
Stern mentioned the law during a conversation with Joswiak and software VP Craig Federighi at the WSJ’s Tech Live conference, and then asked when we can expect to see USB-C on an iPhone. “The Europeans are the ones determining timing for European clients,” Joswiak responded. The regulation now states that “all mobile phones and tablets” must use USB-C by “fall 2024.” Joswiak refused to say whether the connector would be included in phones sold outside the EU.
But he made it clearly apparent that Apple is displeased with being legally forced to make the decision. Before admitting that the firm must comply with the legislation, Joswiak went into great detail about how Apple has always opted to go its own way and trust its engineers rather than be compelled by lawmakers to accept hardware standards. He cited Micro USB and hearing aid compliance as examples of circumstances in which Apple was pressed to meet ill-considered regulations.
He further said that charging bricks with detachable connections have mostly solved the standards issue, and that converting the iPhone from Lightning to USB-C would result in a lot of e-waste. (I don’t think this is a convincing argument; I have to replace most of my Lightning cords every few years anyway, around the same time I buy new phones since they wear out or get chewed on by cats.)
Still, it’s telling what didn’t appear: a portless iPhone that relies exclusively on wireless charging, which is technically permissible. Joswiak did not mention analyzing options or exploring alternatives to having a USB-C port on the iPhone. Instead, we received a resigned, slightly winding response that led to what appears to be an unavoidable conclusion: USB-C is the future port for connecting to and charging your iPhone.
