Apple may be forced to adopt a standardised charger. In April 2022, the EU’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee voted 43-2 to adopt legislation requiring manufacturers to adopt USB-C for device charging.
Apple has resisted calls to follow the industry and adopt a unified charging port on its devices. This is the case even though it adopted USB-C on its own laptops as early as 2015. Apple introduced its proprietary lightning charging method in 2012. It eschewed micro-USB and then USB-C which the rest of the industry has moved to. Apple suggested that the proposed legislation would stifle innovation and harm consumers. Its rationale is that the more than 1bn devices which have shipped using the lightning connector would become obsolete.
It seems that legislation is now imminent. Of course, while Brexit could enable it to retain its lightning charger in the UK, this is unlikely. So, the lightning charger will be struck.
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