It’s finally official. After years of discussion and failed attempts to get the industry to standardize, the European Union has mandated that new rechargeable electronic devices sold in the EU must have USB-C charging ports by the end of 2024. The law applies to mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones and headsets, handheld videogame consoles, portable speakers, e-readers, keyboards, mice, portable navigation systems, and earbuds, and it will extend to laptops in early 2026. The new law’s goal is to encourage more reuse of chargers and reduce electronic waste.

The general assumption is that this legislation will cause Apple to redesign iPhones—and iPads, AirPods charging cases, Apple TV Remotes, and all other Lightning-based products— to use USB-C instead of Lightning. Mark Gurman reported in May 2022 that Apple is already testing iPhones with USB-C ports and is pondering an adapter for existing Lightning-based accessories. And it’s somewhat unlike Apple to support three different wired charging technologies: Lightning, USB-C, and MagSafe. We don’t know if MagSafe will be allowed to continue past 2026, given that Apple laptops can also charge over USB-C. One thing is clear: the rule will not apply to products put on the market before the date the rule is applied in each country, so Apple would still be able to sell older Lightning-based products even after switching new ones to USB-C.

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It occurred to me another thing Apple could do is keep the Lightning port but just remove the ability to charge through the port, relying on wireless charging instead. Lightning could be kept around for peripherals and for slowly moving data (just to irk @Simon).

So far I don’t see why you can’t add USB-C and keep Lightning and enable charging via one or the other (space would be an issue of course).

Anyways, I have argued before that one and the same port on all chargers is sensible, but on the equipment to be charged not so much. You still need the cable for charging and you will be able to charge anything with your USB-C charger; I’ve been doing that for years now with my Apple chargers. In fact, Apple was one of the first to achieve what the EU said they wanted, charge anything with one kind of charger. The number of discarded cables in the future will not become less, but they will simply be of different kinds.

BTW, the larger number of discarded chargers will be the cheep ones that fail earlier than the high quality ones like those from Apple.

Are you able to make the USB-C port waterproof? It could definitely be an improvement in speed if utilized.

Lightening is dead but killing MagSafe. OK it’s time for Apple to standup to the EU. Tell’em if they don’t like it they can by a Dell.

OK it’s time for Apple to standup to the EU. Tell’em if they don’t like it they can by a Dell.

MagSafe saved the life of my MacBook Pro on quite a few occasions, so I hope that Timmy will do so.

??? MagSafe is not affected. And Qi charging isn’t going anywhere in the EU. Qi is an industry standard and Apple is actually one of its many supporters.

LOL there are two MagSafes. Anyway Lightening is a pain in the ass. In fact, Apple has a long painful legacy of connectors. We would have all been better off if VGA and 25-pin serial connectors had lived forever! Who needed DB9, DB8, SCSI 25, SCSI Centronics, SCSI II, AppleTalk, PhoneNet, FireWire, FireWire 2 and all the beloved video and video combo cables that Apple has created for vintage computer museums anyway?

…the European Union has mandated that new rechargeable electronic devices sold in the EU must have USB-C charging ports by the end of 2024. The law applies to mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones and headsets, handheld videogame consoles, portable speakers, e-readers, keyboards, mice, portable navigation systems, and earbuds, and will extend to laptops in early 2026.

As others have implied, I don’t see that Apple is being given an order to stop doing anything it’s currently doing. Compliance means there must be a USB-C connector on the device capable of charging it. I don’t see a mandate to drop all other charging mechanisms or any additional connectors.

As others have implied, I don’t see that Apple is being given an order to stop doing anything it’s currently doing.

Especially on an iPhone or iPad, having two different versions of connectors will significantly increase size, weight and cost.

Nobody is telling Apple to put USB-C in addition to Lightning. Apple will replace Lightning ports on iPhones with USB-C ports just like they did on iPad. Done.

We don’t know if MagSafe will be allowed to continue past 2026, given that Apple laptops can also charge over USB-C.

Is there some reason to think MagSafe for laptops would go away? After all, Apple reintroduced MagSafe with the M1 MacBook Pros while retaining the ability to charge through USB. Why would Apple ditch the feature yet again?

OK, so I haven’t been reading voluminous EU documents and commentary on this topic but I wonder how would this legislation impact future developments like, hm, a charging cable that allows 10 minute full charges, can transfer 1TB/min, and is shaped like a platypus bill?

No need to read EU documents to know that any bureaucratic edict requiring a specific connector type for the entire future of European civilization is unlikely to be a good idea.

You forgot to use the words ‘communism’ and ‘socialism’ in your comment.

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