![Apple iPhone 13](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cTPtqBi7ZiaPpFmHDB3GdY-415-80.jpg)
Get ready to say goodbye to the Lightning adapter in the iPhone 16, and possibly even the iPhone 14 or 15. New EU regulations, if approved, will mean that all smartphones sold in the European Union must have USB-C charging ports by the end of 2024, and that includes iPhones.
What's more, Apple can't dodge the rules with a dongle, either: if the regulations are approved by the European Council and European Parliament, which is very likely, any phone with a wired charger must be USB-C. The goal is to reduce electronic waste from unnecessary chargers and cables.
Apple's already working on it. Well connected industry analysts Ming-Chi Kuo and Mark Gurman have both reported on Apple testing USB-C iPhones, and current rumours suggest we'll see the devices in 2023 with the launch of the iPhone 15. That's assuming the iPhone 15 has a charging port at all.
Why this EU regulation affects everyone everywhere all of the time
The EU can't compel companies to change the way they do things if they're not based in the European Union. But it can compel them to change the products they sell in the EU – so if Apple wants to continue selling iPhones in Europe, it'll need to have USB-C for wired charging. And Apple does want to continue selling iPhones in Europe, because it's a huge market.
Although the UK won't be following the EU's lead – the BBC reports that our politicians appear to be taking a brave stand against the tyranny of sensible chargers because it'll "stifle innovation", apparently – it will apply in Northern Ireland, and any changes Apple makes are likely to be global anyway. So we'll be getting USB-C whether the UK government likes it or not.
It'll be interesting to see what Apple does here, because it's possible that Apple might do to the wired charger what it did to the headphone jack in the iPhone 7 and go all-in on wireless everything. I don't think it will, not least because there's a lot of wired CarPlay vehicles and wired iPhone accessories out there, but with Apple anything's possible – and with earbuds and headphones such as AirPods, AirPods Pro and AirPods Max already connecting wirelessly, it's hardly an outlandish idea. I can't remember the last time I plugged the lightning cable into my MagSafe-enabled iPhone 13. While Apple has already embraced USB-C for its MacBooks and recent iPads, it might decide to cut the cables completely when it comes to iPhone.
Upgrade to smarter living
Get the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products straight to your inbox.
Writer, musician and broadcaster Carrie Marshall has been covering technology since 1998 and is particularly interested in how tech can help us live our best lives. Her CV is a who’s who of magazines, newspapers, websites and radio programmes ranging from T3, Techradar and MacFormat to the BBC, Sunday Post and People’s Friend. Carrie has written more than a dozen books, ghost-wrote two more and co-wrote seven more books and a Radio 2 documentary series; her memoir, Carrie Kills A Man, was shortlisted for the British Book Awards. When she’s not scribbling, Carrie is the singer in Glaswegian rock band Unquiet Mind (unquietmindmusic).
-
Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless review: great mid-range earbuds
Sennheiser's Accentum range expands with new in-ears
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
Team GB has already won a gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics for the best-looking merchandise
I’m low-key obsessed with this Paris 2024 Olympics bomber jacket – and you can buy it, too.
By Matt Kollat Published
-
iPhone 17 slated for one massive camera upgrade which photographers will love
The question is, will it be too technical for non-photographers?
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
Apple Vision Pro just got a load of new reasons to justify that cost
Some of the extra content coming sounds incredible
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
Apple's iPad is now at a record-low price this Amazon Prime Day
If you've been waiting to pick up an Apple iPad, now might be the time to buy
By David Nield Published
-
Surprise new Apple HomePod mini arrives, and you can order it today
Apple has announced a new Apple HomePod mini
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
Diver gets his Apple Watch back a year after losing it in the ocean – thanks to Find My
When technology works, it really works
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
Forget Amazon Prime Day – MacBook Air now at lowest-ever price at Walmart
Apple silicon computing for less
By David Nield Published
-
iPhone 16 Pro could finally add something Android users have been enjoying for years
This is one rumour we can definitely get on board with
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
iPhone 16 "design changes" could impact Face ID on forthcoming handsets
No one's sure what it'll look like
By Max Freeman-Mills Published