REGULATION by the European Union could force a change to the design of the iPhone.
A unique feature of the iPhone is under scrutiny.
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The iPhone charging port is unique to Apple products – members of the European Parliament don’t like this fact.
The voting body, which acts in the interest of the European Union, passed a measure to force all phone companies to use a universal charger: the USB-C.
The USB-C is common to devices across brands and product types, found on the MacBook Air laptop, Samsung Galaxy S22 and other gadgets.
The vote was nearly unanimous at a score of 43 members in favor of the legislation and just two opposing.
Apple’s Lightning cable was introduced in 2012 and has been the charger of choice for every iPhone since.
In 2020, Apple discontinued the inclusion of a charger with every iPhone, citing an effort to reduce environmental waste.
An EU legislator turned Apple’s argument on its head, stating that a lack of universality is contributing to the “11,000 to 13,000 tonnes of e-waste”.
The same legislator, a socialist from Malta, was quoted by LADBible saying universal chargers will “help the environment, further help the reuse of old electronics, save money, and reduce unnecessary costs and inconvenience for both businesses and consumers.”
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The regulation would technically only be applicable in the 27 European Union nations.
But the law isn’t official yet.
The Independent reported that the bill will have to be approved at a larger assembly of 705 members of the European Parliament next month – but strong support within the small committee has reporters theorizing it will pass with ease.
If passed, the legislation will apply to phones and other handheld devices, like e-readers and tablets.
Apple’s latest Lightning cables have a USB-C adapter on the side that inserts to the power block but not the charging port.
The EU’s stated goal is to have USB-C in full interoperability by 2026.
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