Apple will be forced to drop their exclusive Lightning cable and adopt the USB-C as part of the European Union’s single charging standard for mobile devices.
A new agreement requires a uniform charging cord across the 27 countries as early as 2024.
The European Commission Vice President Margrethe Vestager said it was part of an effort to make products sold in the EU more sustainable, cut down on electronic waste and eliminate “cable clutter.”
According to a release, “mobile phones, tablets, e-readers, earbuds, digital cameras, headphones and headsets, handheld video game consoles and portable speakers that are rechargeable via a wired cable will have to be equipped with a USB Type-C port, regardless of their manufacture.”
Apple said the proposed rule would render obsolete as many as a billion devices and accessories that use the company’s proprietary Lightning connector.
Apple already uses the USB-C standard in some Macs and iPads and is reportedly testing iPhone models that swap out the Lightning port, however this announcement could potentially lead to the tech giant dropping the Lightning cable around the world for good.
