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LAST UPDATE | 12 Sep 2023
APPLE HAS UNVEILED its new iPhone lineup, with its Lightning charger ports replaced on the newest models by a universal charger after a tussle with the European Union.
The European bloc is insisting that all phones and other small devices must be compatible with the USB-C charging cables from the end of next year, a move it says will reduce waste and save money for consumers.
The firm had long argued that its cable was more secure than USB-C chargers, which are already deployed by Apple on other devices and widely used by rivals including the world’s biggest smartphone maker Samsung.
“USB-C has become a universally accepted standard. So we’re bringing USB-C to iPhone 15,” said Kaiann Drance, Apple’s vice president of iPhone marketing at a launch event.
The release comes as Apple faces declining sales of iPhones, with higher prices pushing customers to delay switching to newer models.
The firm is also caught up in diplomatic turbulence between the United States and China, with reports saying the communist government is banning civil servants from using its phones.
Like any other company, Apple would prefer to boast about shiny new features rather than new charging ports.
But analysts agree that the switch to USB-C was going to be the main headline.
EU policymakers said the rule would simplify the lives of Europeans and do away with a mountain of obsolete chargers.
“The cable change may give consumers pause, but within a generation they will get over it: They won’t have a choice,” said Techsponential analyst Avi Greengart.
Along with rolling improvements to iPhone cameras and chips, Apple also said that the iPhone 15, which includes four varieties, would have internal components that simplify repair and a new frame that allows the back glass to be easily replaced.
The openness to repair is an unexpected turnaround.
Apple last month said it was endorsing passage of a California law requiring major gadget makers to enable people to fix their devices without taking them back to companies.
Apple also unveiled new models of the Apple Watch that would respond to a tap of the index finger and thumb to start and stop calls or other key functions.
Sales of iPhones in the recently ended quarter lagged analyst estimates.
Apple suffered a 2.4% drop in iPhone sales, which account for nearly half of total revenues.
Apple shares were battered last week following reports of significant Chinese restrictions on iPhones at government offices and state-backed entities.
“China is a very important market for Apple, so any negative sentiment by the Chinese government toward Apple is concerning,” analyst Greengart told AFP.
Apple reported $15.8 billion in revenues from China in the most recent quarter, nearly 20 percent of total revenues. Executives pointed to the uptick in China sales in a period when overall sales fell.
Wedbush analyst Dan Ives estimated that a Chinese government ban would affect less than 500,000 iPhones of roughly 45 million projected to be sold in the country in the next year.
“We believe despite the loud noise Apple has seen massive share gains in China smartphone market,” Ives said.
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About time they got forced to do it
@Trent: Get ready for the sales pushing the “special” USB-C Apple cable for a arm and a leg…
@Anonymous User: an arm and a leg sorry for correcting your typo but your absolutely right it’ll cost an arm and a leg ..thankful for my samsung
“When customers purchase a new iPhone 15 model, Apple staff will be trained to caution that while a USB-C to USB-C cable is included in the box, a USB-C charger is not. Employees will therefore direct customers to the in-store availability of Apple USB-C power adapters and additional Apple-certified USB-C cables to meet the need for multiple charging locations.”
@Anonymous User: Sorry but do you work for Apple?
@Anonymous User: That thought already crossed their minds and the EU shot it down.
@Trent: why don’t you correct your own spelling first mate..before correcting others’…
There’s a difference between knowing your shh!t and knowing you’re shh!t…lol
@Trent: *you’re, not your
@Trent: You’re, not your
@UK Hurling Bloke: There actually isn’t. But yeah poor old Trent has missed one there.
delighted for them, rip off merchants
Bow to them? Like what?
Complying with EU law would be the better headline.
@Rafa C: probably an allusion to the fact they have been resisting it for so long.
@Rafa C: Apple wouldn’t be reknowned for obeying EU law. Tax laws for example.
@Evan Keane:
Would that be the case where the European General Court found that Apple didn’t break the tax law?
@Evan Keane: ffs Apple Pay a lot of Tax and only for these multinationals Ireland would be a awful worse position. This left wing BS that multinationals don’t pay tax is funny. God love us if the radical left get in. SF and their buddies don’t have a clue when it comes to the economy.
@Alan Scott: That escalated quickly.
@Evan Keane: What tax laws are breached by Apple?
Good!
Does the EU not know the difference between a charger and a cable? Most iPhone cables have a Lightning connector at one end and a USB – A connector at the other. They will now have USB – C at both ends. That means millions of people will now have to buy new chargers. More waste! There may be good reasons to regulate tech companies in certain of their activities, but this one makes no sense. Just EU busybody meddling.
@Corey Dalton: think you may want to read the article again. This is a great idea.
@Kevin Dillon: I have an iPhone 11 and a USB A charger. When I get my next iPhone (won’t be anytime soon) I will have to get a new charger with USB C. That’s wasteful, doesn’t make sense.
@Corey Dalton: IKEA do USB-A to USB-C cables – great quality and relatively cheap too. They also do USB-C to USB-C cables, USB-A to lightning cables, chargers and wireless charging pads which are also very good value.
@Corey Dalton: They give you a charging wire and plug in every iPhone box. “Millions of people” won’t have to buy anything new….it’ll come in the box.
@Corey Dalton: your new iPhone will come with a new c-type cable. You won’t have to buy one.
@Corey Dalton: Short term: Yes, there will probably be a miniscule amount of extra waste. Now try thinking about longer than the next 5 years. It’s also the premise, when cross-compatibility is the option which is better for the consumer and the environment then really it should be sought after.
@Michael B: They only contain a cable not a charger. This “anti waste” measure was introduced a few years ago.
@Michael B: not anymore they ship a cable with every iPhone now for environmental reasons they no longer ship plugs you must purchase that yourself
@Corey Dalton: The eu should reverse this decision because Corey dalton will be impacted.
Apple will probably make a proprietary USBC cable with a specific voltage or some sensor inbuilt in it, something to force people to use nothing but their USB-C cables. They can say “you said the connector has to be USB-C, you didn’t say how they should work”
Why is EU law determining a minor detail in a technical product? It won’t make that much difference in the big scheme of things. If the EU wants to make a real difference to people’s lives they should be taking on Meta, Amazon, Google and Microsoft, the companies that are really screwing us over.
@Corey Dalton: But i bet there all your most used apps on your gold plated I phone 14 ;)
@Corey Dalton: Why do all EU plugs have 3 pins and not two.
Conformity and reduces waste.
If Apple had come on board sooner we wouldn’t have this issue. Their own special charging connections.
Well now everyone will have the same charging connectors and won’t have to buy a new charger or ship them in boxes, most people will have them.
That is until, USB-D chargers come out.
@Trent: I have an iPhone 11 as I always a few years away from the latest. I find that gives the best combination of features and value. I’ll never use Android because the OS is designed to harvest your data incessantly. For the same reason I don’t use Facebook, Insta and so on. Try to avoid using Google products whenever possible, which is most of the time. And so on.
@Corey Dalton: Apple are the biggest miners of your data on the planet. If you think they don’t then …
@Rafa C: All EU plugs don’t have 3 pins.
@Rafa C: Ireland and the UK (now non EU) have 3 pin plugs and the rest of Europe have 2 pin plugs. Can’t see either format changing anywhere any time soon or at all. Bit like driving on the “other side” of the road…not going to change. As for charger cables…well it’s a bit of a keep my job idea for somebody somewhere. What’s next, standard heights for light switches and which way turns them on?
@Rafa C: At least they don’t sell it. And everyone harvest data. Get a life.
@Corey Dalton: how are they screwing you over ?
Mfi chip/software (made for iPhone, and built in) will still charge 30% to unlock faster charging and data transfer speeds from 3rd party manufacturers; expect error messages and redirection to Apple stores to solve issues.
Ridiculous story. Please do better at the click bait.
@Chris Thaunton: Honest question, what’s click bait-y about the article? There’s a tag line, click into it and it gives you the full details. Click bait articles don’t do that….
@Michael B: Click bait headlines are structured to attract..clicks. Click bait headlines do not necessarily mean the related content has no correlation, although in many cases that can be so. They are particularly targeted to appeal to emotion or some frenzied interest. In this case, this publication is well aware of the strong dislike many people have for Apple products who will use any excuse to rant about them, especially by those who have never touched an apple product never mind owned one. However, as the piece has only generated 30 odd comments it has not been that effective as ‘click bait’
A new charging cable for a phone that’s some news
@: And here you are reading it and commenting on it.gas.
They already use USBC on macbooks and iMacs, about time they did the same with the iphones
Yeaaa! Money.
The EU, if they were so concerned about customers, should do something about price gouging and companies like hotels and airlines hiding behind ‘supply and demand’.
If they’re that concerned with the environment, it would be more in their line to demand that Apple work on increasing their phones battery life and longevity of their products. I won’t hold my breath.
@Mies Valkenburg: Apple phone battery life is at least as good as the competition. And iPhones last considerably longer than Androids, older iPhones are often passed on to friends or family and stay in circulation far longer than Samsungs etc.
@Corey Dalton: wrong on all accounts. For example Samsung guarnatee batteries in their phones will be at 85% after 2 years…Apple give no such guarantee. They also don’t stay in circulation because their IoS versions stop working on older phones meaning they can’t be updated anymore, this occurs on Android too but the lifespan is considerably longer.
Apple havent innovated for years. “USB-C has become the universally accepted standard”…….not exactly surprising when the U stands for Universal, might have been a give away.
The only real question is the cost. How much??? Lazy article that doesn’t include the euro price.
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