Apple and Android users finally have some common ground.
After much speculation, Apple confirmed Tuesday that its next iPhone will charge using a USB-C port and cable—the same type of connector used by Android phones and MacBook Pros. That’s welcome news for everyone who’s ever needed to recharge their iPhone but couldn’t find anyone nearby with one of Apple’s proprietary Lightning connector cables. Starting with the iPhone 15, which will be available Sept 22, everyone will have the same connectors.
But it also means that iPhone owners will need to replace all those Lightning connector cables in their homes, offices, and cars. Given that Apple sells Lightning cables for between $19 and $29, depending on length, that’s a not inconsiderable investment that will suddenly become worthless.
The change marks the second time Apple has changed the iPhone’s charging technology since it launched the original iPhone in 2007. And as any longtime Apple customer can attest, the company is famously unsentimental about abandoning old technology when its product design plans call for something new. From floppy disks to optical drives, Apple has a history of ruthlessly eliminating unwanted baggage, whether users like it or not.
The last time iPhone owners had to repurchase all their cables was in 2012, when Apple introduced the Lightning connector. The sting of the forced switch was lessened by the fact that the connector was a big improvement over its predecessor—its ambidextrous shape meant it could be plugged into a phone regardless of orientation; there was no up or down side.
This time it's different
Apple’s move to USB-C is different from previous changes in that it appears to be driven by EU regulations rather than Apple’s product plans.
The rules were intended to address consumer frustrations and reduce electronic waste, by requiring that mobile phones, tablets and headphones have one common charger, USB-C. The EU will begin enforcing the rules at the end of 2024.
Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, acknowledged at a conference last year that the company prefers to go its own way rather than being forced to follow hardware decisions made by regulators. That said, Apple could not ignore the rule, he noted. “Obviously we’ll have to comply.”
While there had been speculation that Apple might opt to skip USB-C altogether and move straight to wireless charging, the company ultimately complied with the EU rules and made it the company-wide standard. In addition to charging the new iPhone, the USB-C will be able to power newer MacBooks and iPads. Apple’s traditional wired headphones and the AirPods Pro 2nd Generation, which launched last year, have also been updated with the new connector.
The shared technology means Apple customers will be able to charge their devices by plugging them into each other. For example, AirPods can recharge by being plugged into the iPhone 15.
While compliance with EU rules may be a factor in the company’s decision to switch charging ports, the USB-C offers another advantage that Apple is selling to its customers. For the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models, the more expensive of the roster, the port also supports a USB-3 connector. Using that cable, the phones can transfer photos, videos and other files at 10 gigabits per second, which is 20-times faster than transfer speeds on lower-grade iPhones, Apple said. The offering makes it easier to move large files to and from an iPhone.
Still for those with a large stockpile of Lightning port cables it’s a bittersweet change. And oddly, while Apple spent a good deal of time bragging about its environmental initiatives on Tuesday, including its decision to stop using leather in its Apple Watch bands and a goofy skit involving Mother Nature, it never once mentioned how consumers can recycle all those soon-to-be-worthless Lightning cables.
