Apple Confirms Shift to USB-C for iPhone

Apple for the first time gave its most direct confirmation on the long-awaited switch of the iPhone from the Lightning port to using USB-C.

This comes as Apple executives were asked about the purported shift to USB-C during the Wall Street Journal’s Tech Live conference, where Apple senior VP of worldwide marketing Greg Joswiak said that the company will stop using the Lightning port to comply with the European Union’s (EU) mandate on standardizing the charging medium for gadgets, even if the Cupertino company is not happy with doing the change.

Asked by The Wall Street Journal’s Joanna Stern on the compliance, Joswiak said that the company has no other choice.

“Obviously, we’ll have to comply; we have no choice,” Joswiak said.

Moreover, Joswiak added that the company will have to defer the timing of the change to Europe’s mandate.

“The Europeans are the ones dictating timing for European customers,” the Apple marketing lead said when asked when the implementation of the shift would occur.

Joswiak refused to answer when asked if Apple will also sell USB-C iPhones outside of the EU.

Moreover, Joswiak said that the shift to USB-C will render many lightning cables useless, and will cause a significant amount of e-waste.

Joswiak also made it clear that the Cupertino company is not happy to be legally coerced into shifting by legislation.

This comes as the Apple marketing lead said that the company has historically preferred to seek its own solutions to different matters such as charging rather than to have its hands tied by lawmakers before ultimately acknowledging that the company will have to comply.

The confirmation of Apple comes as EU lawmakers in June 2022 reached an agreement on legislation that forces the hands of tech companies to equip their devices with the universal USB-C port for wired charging by 2024. The legislation will apply to phones including the iPhone, tablets, headphones, digital cameras, handheld video game consoles, and e-readers, among others.

Meanwhile, laptops will have to comply at a later date. (GFB)