TL;DR
- EU compels Apple to adopt USB-C by 2024.
- Apple set to feature an iPhone 15 USB-C charger for universal compatibility.
- Apple is likely to spin transition as a consumer convenience.
- The end of Lightning accessories: A new era for Apple.
In its pursuit to sway Apple towards adopting RCS messaging, Google may encounter failure, yet European Union lawmakers have triumphantly compelled Apple and other prominent brands to embrace an alternative universal standard, USB-C, by the conclusion of 2024.
Consequently, the forthcoming iPhone 15 set to debut at the September 12 or 13 event, may soon share an iPhone 15 USB C charger with even the most affordable Android devices, all of which abandoned the micro USB interface years ago.
While introducing the iPhone 15 USB C charge marks a significant victory for consumers – particularly those weary of toting multiple charging cables for their devices – there exists ample reason to suspect that Apple will endeavor to portray this transition as an innovation entirely of its own making, despite its vehement opposition to the legislation in the past.
Back in 2012, the iPhone 5 became the pioneer in adopting the Lightning connector, leaving the antiquated 30-pin connector in its wake.
Given the limited options that the EU ruling has left Apple with – namely, the adoption of USB-C, the creation of region-specific iPhones, or even the daring move towards a completely portless design – it appears highly likely that the tech giant will wholeheartedly embrace the shift rather than attempting to obscure the rationale behind this year’s transition.
In his informative Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman elucidated that this shift might incur financial losses for Apple, stemming from licensing fees typically collected from accessory manufacturers under the Made for iPhone (MFi) program.
Additionally, it can make the business more vulnerable to clients migrating to Android smartphones. However, Apple is likely to present this transition as a benevolent stroke of genius, with consumer convenience at its core.
For instance, the prospect of traveling with a single cable and charger compatible with your MacBook, iPad, or iPhone, and, thanks to a novel charging case, AirPods, is on the horizon.
Buyers of the iPhone 15 Pro will also benefit from enhanced wired data transfer rates and charging speeds, although Gurman speculates that Apple might curtail performance when using non-MFi cables and adapters. While Apple is moving toward a universal standard with the iPhone 15 USB C charger, it doesn’t mean it won’t retain some of its trademark quirks.
To prevent this transition from turning into a public relations debacle akin to the removal of the headphone jack, Apple may never openly acknowledge the EU’s role, at least not on the public stage. The legislators argued that universal USB-C adoption across all smartphones would decrease e-waste generation, as more devices would share a consistent standard for cables and chargers.
In contrast, Apple contended that the shift to the iPhone 15 USB C charger would render the current generation of Lightning accessories obsolete. Last year, Greg Joswiak, Apple’s head of marketing, expressed displeasure that governments were encroaching on product design decisions.
While this transition carries several advantages for consumers, there’s undoubtedly a substantial portion of iOS enthusiasts who will be irked by the sudden obsolescence of certain accessories, such as the older USB-A chargers that once accompanied earlier iPhone models.
It seems reasonable to surmise that Apple, as a brand, would have clung to the Lightning standard if the EU had not intervened – at least until the persistent rumors of a portless device come to fruition.
It’s only a matter of time before we witness the iPhone 15 USB C charger in iPhone 15 series. At the very least, you and your acquaintances who own iPhones will soon be able to share a solitary charging cable. Now, the only missing piece of the puzzle is the introduction of RCS to iOS, to achieve true harmony between these two platforms.
Source(S): Android Police
