Apple is favoring USB-C ports over lightning ports in their next few releases, but that change will happen sooner in Europe.
Europe has passed a legal requirement for tech companies to adopt USB-C technology. That means no more USB-Type A or lightning ports from Apple. The switch will cover most devices like phones, tablets, most wearable audios, speakers, gaming consoles, and much more.
The European Commission released a report indicating that close to 40% of the consumer population find charging “frustrating” because of charging incompatibility. Another report showed that the then-proposal will also bring EU goals closer to reducing e-waste and reducing costs for businesses.
So what will this mean for Apple?
For the rest of the world, not much is going to change in the Apple ecosystem. However, Apple already is shifting to USB-C for their next phone releases. It’s going to be their second shift in port technology, with the Lightning chargers as their very first.
Apple holds a 24% marketshare in the EU, second only to Samsung, and shares the top 5 list for exports with realme. While most Apple fans speculated the arrival of portless iPhones, (also partly because of predictions made by Apple Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo), the arrival of such device is still going to be up in the air.
Check this tweet by the Apple analyst:
While Apple can still take the wireless charging path, it’s a very narrow niche and wireless charging is too slow compared to USB-C. For the rest of the world, this might actually be good news.
