Apple, the only major smartphone maker that still uses a proprietary port instead of USB-C, sold 241 million iphones worldwide in 2021, about 56 million of them in Europe
Oct 06, 2022| Apple, the only major smartphone maker that still uses a proprietary port instead of USB-C, sold 241 million iphones worldwide in 2021, about 56 million of them in Europe
The deal will have the biggest impact on Apple, the only major smartphone maker still using a proprietary port instead of USB-C, which sold 241 million iphones worldwide in 2021, about 56 million of which were sold in Europe.
The rules are intended to reduce e-waste in the EU by making chargers for electronic devices interoperable. In the future, lawmakers hope that mobile phones will not need to come with a charger in every box because buyers usually already have proper cables and wall chargers at home. The European Union estimates that the amount of e-waste generated within the economic region in 2016 was more than 12 million metric tons.
The commission announced its current legislative plans last September, but efforts to force manufacturers to use common charging standards date back more than a decade. In the years since, Android manufacturers have trended toward using micro-USB, then evolved to USB-C as a universal charging standard, while Apple has moved from offering phones with its proprietary 30-pin connector to the Lightning port. Apple has hit back at attempts by the European Union to force it to use USB-C on its phones.
A spokesman told Reuters last year: "We remain concerned that strict regulations stipulating only one type of connector will stifle innovation rather than encourage it, which in turn will harm consumers in Europe and around the world. It also argues that forcing a switch to USB-C would create e-waste rather than reduce it, as it would make its existing ecosystem of Lightning accessories redundant."
However, there are reports from within Apple that the company may be preparing to switch to USB-C charging for its iphones. Bloomberg reported last month that the company was internally testing an iPhone using USB-C, and industry analysts predict it could make the switch as early as next year. Apple has been a staunch supporter of the USB-C standard in addition to phones, and already uses it on its laptops and high-end ipads.
