With theiPhone 15series expected to be unveiled on Tuesday, much of the talk has centered around Apple’s rumored inclusion of a USB-C port. According to leaks, the company is doing away with the Lightning connector it has stubbornly clung to for the last 11 years. So, why the sudden change of heart? I can assure you Tim Cook didn’t look out over a sea of frayed Lightning cables and declare, “Enough is enough.” And, while I’d love to tell you the switch is due to the enhanced performance and charging benefits of USB-C, this is Apple we’re talking about. Instead, the departure results from EU regulation as the company aims to make the iPhone compliant for sale in Europe.
The catalyst
In October 2022, the European Parliamentoverwhelmingly passed a regulationrequiring all new consumer electronics sold in the EU to feature USB-C charging by the end of 2024. According to the EU Parliament’s website, the law is “part of a broader EU effort to reduce e-waste and to empower consumers to make more sustainable choices.” It’s looking to cut into the 11,000 tons of e-waste annually that the EU attributes to discarded charging cables. While that seems like a worthy enough goal, it goes a bit deeper than just saving the planet.
In addition, the EU claims the new law will “get rid of the so-called technological ‘lock-in’ effect, whereby a consumer becomes dependent on a single manufacturer,” with the added benefit of encouraging innovation. With MicroUSB charging relegated to the dustbin of history and most, if not all, Android manufacturers currently providing USB-C charging on their devices, it’s hard to imagine this statement not being directed at Apple.
I’m all for innovation, and while there are plenty of reasons why people stay in the Apple ecosystem — iMessage being the biggest — I’ve never heard of a person not switching away from an iPhone because they have too many Lightning cables lying around. Regardless of how you feel about regulation, the switch to USB-C was long overdue, and its inclusion is better for consumers.
Lightning vs. USB-C
It becomes rather embarrassing when you compare the capabilities of both connectors side-by-side. USB-C transfer speeds top out at 40Gbps — with the added benefits of Thunderbolt 3. Meanwhile, the Lightning connector is only capable of apainfullymid-2000s 480Mbps. With more creators editing photos and videos on their phones, it would be helpful if transfer speeds weren’t what we had during the Bush administration.
As if that weren’t enough, charging speeds are significantly lower on iPhones partly because of the Lightning connector. Apple’s proprietary cable only supports up to 20W charging. By comparison, USB-C can handle outputs of up to 240W, reducing device charging times by an order of magnitude. We’ve already seen the benefits of blistering fast charging speeds on multiple phones overseas, with phones like theMotorola ThinkPhoneandOnePlus 11taking advantage here in the US.
Moreover, USB-C is an open standard, translating to competition and lower cable prices. I understand that quality will vary depending on price and manufacturer, but that’s the magic of the marketplace, which leads me to a concern or two about how Apple will react to this new regulation.
Apple always finds a way
Currently, the cheapest Lightning cable for sale on Apple’s website is $19. Is Apple willing to surrender millions of dollars in first-party cable sales? Or will it find a way to save that revenue? If you’re like me, you know the pains of connecting a third-party Lighting cable to an iPhone. Depending on the weather or astrological calendar, my iPhone will have a fit and suddenly decide it doesn’t like that charger anymore.
I can easily envision a scenario where Apple limits the charging and data speeds for non-official USB-C cables for battery or phone safety. It can also charge more for MFI certification, which will artificially raise the prices of cables hoping to carry the Apple branding. I hope none of these happen, but I find it hard to believe Apple won’t try to claw back some of the lost revenues from Lightning cable sales.
Whichever path the company chooses, you can be sure of one thing — when Tim Cook or whoever makes the presentation, the company will make you feel like it invented the technology.
