Analysts predict that Apple’s next iPhone will use USB-C charging rather than its proprietary Lightning technology.
It comes after the European Parliament passed legislation requiring all gadgets sold in the EU to have a USB Type-C charging connector by the end of 2024.
Indeed, there are reports that Apple is looking into USB-C for the iPhone 15, which would be the next model if the current naming practise is followed.
According to analysts, Apple’s switch to USB-C will likely be for the worldwide market, including the United States, rather than simply the EU.
Analysts believe Apple’s next iPhone will include USB-C charging, after the passage of a European rule governing shared chargers.
On Tuesday, MPs in the European Parliament adopted legislation mandating all gadgets sold in the European Union, including mobile phones, tablets, and cameras, to include a USB Type-C charging connector by the end of 2024.
Apple presently employs proprietary Lightning chargers that are not USB-C compatible. However, this might change with the release of the iPhone 15, the company’s next flagship smartphone.
My understanding is that Apple has already switched to USB-C on the MacBook and iPad Pro, so the shift has already begun. Because the iPhone 14 was very iterative, the iPhone 15 may be a further step forward in design. As a result, this would be an excellent time to make the switch,” Wood added in a follow-up interview with CNBC.
According to speculations, Apple is looking into USB-C for the iPhone 15, which would be the next product if the current naming practise is followed.
Bloomberg reported in May that Apple is testing future iPhone models with USB-C charging, although they won’t be available until at least 2023.
Will iPhone 15 have USB-C charging globally?
If Apple does transition to USB-C next year, Bryan Ma, technology industry analyst at IDC, believes the company would do so for iPhones worldwide, not only in the EU.
Most likely it would make sense that they get the scale out of moving to this common charger globally rather than having to make individual parts,” Ma said on CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia” on Wednesday. “Unless they think that they’re really making so much [money] off of those chargers and accessories and that sort of thing that it’s still worth it for them to maintain that separate.”
In their own home, they’re already preparing and planning for the possibility in a few of years,” he continued.
Apple’s charging connections would be brought in line with competitors such as Samsung, who currently utilise USB-C.
The EU regulation has been in the works for almost ten years and is expected to be finalised this year.
Lawmakers claim that differing charging standards generate waste, and that the rule would prevent customers from having to buy a new charger every time they buy a gadget.
“This is a triumph for common sense.” Despite Apple’s large installed base of lighting cable powered gadgets, the prevalence of USB-C across all consumer electronics items implies that standardising on USB-C makes perfect sense,” Wood added.
