Will Apple Use a Loophole in EU’s USB-C Requirement?

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Apple has indicated that it will adopt USB-C ports in its iPhone 15 to comply with new European regulations that require USB-C as a standard cable. But the included cables Apple will ship won’t support fast charging, and the EU regulations omitted any cable specifications, according to reports.

That sets up a possible conundrum for iPhone owners, who will have to choose between a subpar USB 2.0 cable with slow data transfer speeds that comes with their iPhone 15 and a fast-charging, Apple-certified charger that would need to be purchased separately and would allow Apple to extract fees from manufacturers to receive the company’s official Apple MFi (Made for iPhone/iPod/iPad) certification—as currently happens with its Lightning connectors.

Still, as this article notes, the existing Apple Lightning Cable used by iPhones was already recognized as older (and slower) technology than USB-C, with fewer physical contact points and an older design. So even a slower USB-C might still be a lot faster than the existing Lightning connectors. So why stick with it? Because sales of cables—not to mention the licensing and fees third-party manufacturers must pay to produce them and have them recognized by Apple iPhones—generate revenue for the Cupertino company.

Fast or not, the shift to a standard cable interface is expected to have a huge (and positive) impact on consumers’ “bottom line.” The EU expects the common charger rule will drive greater re-use of chargers and save up to €250 million a year on unnecessary charger purchases in the EU alone. That will also reduce the amount of e-waste generated by electronics owners.

And this isn’t the end of the EU’s “asks” for Apple and other personal electronics makers. The company is also facing new and proposed European Union regulations covering issues like removable batteries and the right to repair.

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