If you’re a fan of the iPhone, you must have recently heard the news that the EU is preparing to force a standard charger for new devices, meaning that future iPhones from 2024 onwards will have to use USB-C.
This is great news: Apple has been using its patented Lightning port to charge iPhones for years, though almost every Android phone maker has raised the USB-C standard (and Apple itself uses USB-C for iPads).
Although the EU only governs Europe, this mandate would likely force Apple to change its future iPhones worldwide; it would not be practical for the brand to sell the same device with different ports in different countries.
So expect the iPhone 16 to pack a USB-C port in 2024, unless Apple decides to introduce it soon with the iPhone 15 or even the iPhone 14 this year (though the latter is small likely, given that Apple has not had much time to prepare).
This is not the end of the world: USB-C is faster for both charging and data transfer, so future flagship iPhones will only be better for change.
However, this is not exactly the case with the wider world of Apple phones.
There are many more iPhones
You may be surprised to learn that not all iPhones sold each year are in the numbered series, and non-flagship models account for a staggering number of sales. There are often not only affordable iPhone SE models (of which we will probably see a new edition in 2024), but there is also a huge market for older iPhones.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
Apple often sells these older models that it has decided to keep, usually for less than the launch price. Right now, while the iPhone 13 devices are the newest, the iPhone 12 and the standard iPhone 11 are available from the company itself.
And if you take a look, you can find even older versions available from third-party retailers: Walmart has a habit of selling five-year-old iPhones during sales seasons, and Amazon usually has stock of iPhones for many generations.
Let’s not forget the entire refurbished phone industry, which exists to repair and resell second-hand devices like iPhones: Apple sells these devices sometimes, as many other companies do.
Each of these options is great for people who can’t afford the newest iPhone and want an older or less powerful version at an affordable price.
Forget about these iPhones
If, from 2024, Apple can no longer sell iPhones with Lightning port, it will not only affect the iPhone 16. No, the company will not be able to sell any device without USB-C, which includes older models, SE. refurbished devices and models as well.
Any phone that is already literally on store shelves will be fine, but Apple can’t create new stocks to sell; this means that unless the company decides to store Lightning iPhones in advance, these old models will not be available for sale in the EU.
Apple may decide to ship all of these Lightning iPhones to the UK or US, two non-EU countries (and the former has stated that it has no plans to emulate the EU rule). This would work for older iPhones, especially considering that Apple has stopped selling chargers in the box, which means there would be no issues with EU plugs to UK customers.
(Image credit: Future)
But that still means that in most of Europe, there will be no stock of old iPhones for people to buy. There will be no spare iPhone SE devices or iPhone 13 devices (presumably affordable) to pick up, which means European buyers will be stuck with the newest device.
And if this is a problem affecting a large continent, Apple may decide to reduce the production of these models, thus affecting availability everywhere.
Since many of Apple’s sales are from these older iPhones, which it positions as affordable alternatives to expensive recent flagships, it means that those who want to buy a new iPhone will have no choice but to spend a lot on the model. newer. In a crisis of the cost of living, this is not entirely ideal.
EU rules seem to be able to protect the revamped industry, but since these phones are already on the market, it looks like Apple will still be able to accept changes, fix these devices, and continue to sell them. This could be a smart way to work around the rules, if the EU agrees. But there is no certainty about that.
Big changes like this will always have side effects in many corners of the technology world, especially those that do not come naturally from the ebb and flow of technology trends. And the EU’s intention is smart: Apple’s insistence on maintaining the lighting port leads to a lot of e-waste and some anti-competitive action.
But every dignified act can have some unintended consequences, and a ban on the EU Lightning port could have a devastating effect on the older iPhone market.
At least there are many other cheap Android branded phones to look at.