According to Apple, iPhones with USB-C charging connections will soon be compliant with EU regulations.
However, despite claiming that it has no other option, the corporation appears to be unhappy about having to make the changeover.
As of right now, the legislation mandates that all cell phones and tablets have USB-C ports by the fall of 2024.
Apple said that a USB-C iPhone is on the way to comply with a new European Union law, but it doesn’t appear to be too pleased about it.
During an interview with writer Joanna Stern at The Wall Street Journal’s Tech Live conference, Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of global marketing, stated that the business will “clearly” be required “to comply” with the EU rule.
When Stern questioned Joswiak about the arrival of USB-C iPhones, the latter replied, “We have no option.” If iPhones and other Apple goods sold outside the EU will also include the USB-C port was left unstated by the speaker.
By the fall of 2024, “all mobile phones, tablets, and cameras sold in the EU” must include USB-C ports, according to the regulation.
Joswiak stated that although he “doesn’t mind governments telling us what they want to achieve,” Apple has “very smart engineers” who can come up with the technical solutions.
He cited the US government’s regulation of mobile phones to ensure hearing aid compatibility as one instance where it failed.
We developed a fresh approach to making hearing aids for the iPhone that not only succeeded but became a standard in the industry, according to Joswiak.
Joswiak acknowledged that he understood the EU wants to “achieve a good thing” with reducing e-waste but claimed that Apple and the EU have been “in an argument” for more than ten years about the push to USB-C. He did note that anyone can utilize a cable that is compatible with their smartphone thanks to Apple’s detachable charging cables and USB power adapters.
He gave the US government’s regulation requiring hearing aid compatibility in mobile phones as an example of how it didn’t work.
As Joswiak stated, “We developed a new method of producing hearing aids made for iPhone, actually made it an industry standard, and that truly worked.”
Joswiak stated that the EU and Apple have been “in an argument” over USB-C for more than ten years. He added that he recognizes the EU is trying to “achieve a good thing” by reducing e-waste. He said that Apple’s detachable charging cables and USB-compatible power adapters make it simple for anyone to utilize the cord that is compatible with their device, though.
Apple’s chargers are used by more than a billion people, according to Joswiak, who added that forcing people to discard their Lightning cables will result in an increase in e-waste. According to the European Parliament, chargers that are discarded or left unused account for 11,000 tones of electronic trash annually. By eliminating the need to purchase various chargers, customers might save up to 250 million euros annually.
We believe that a less prescriptive approach would have been better for the environment and for our customers, according to Joswiak. Prior to publishing, Insider contacted Apple for comment, but they did not react right away.
With roughly 23% of the smartphone market share in Europe, Apple is one of the major manufacturers of smartphones. The Verge has previously noted that Apple might produce wirelessly charging iPhones, which would offer a workaround to the USB-C requirement. However, it appears like Apple is choosing a port for the time being.