How Apple can stop one universal phone cable | iHLN

The European Union has been trying to reduce the number of smartphone cables for more than ten years. It started with a simple promise from tech companies to do something about it, reducing the number of cables to three variants: micro-usb, USB-c, and lightning.

The new bill should force tech companies to standardize their cables, with every manufacturer using only USB-C phones. It ensures that your old cables continue to work with new phones and that you don’t have to buy a new one every time. Practically all modern Android phones use USB-C, which means Apple has to give up.

The law could be passed in 2022 at the earliest, after which companies will have two years to adapt their machines. This means that as of 2024 all smartphones can be charged with USB-C. But one exception in the law can throw a wrench into the works.

The new law focuses only on cable-charged equipment. “There is still a lot of room for innovation in wireless,” European Commissioner Thierry Breton promised when the proposal was presented last week. Wirelessly charged devices can still use their own cables.

This exception is necessary for manufacturers wearable Like smartwatches, which often require their own charging cords due to their unique shapes. They are attracted to the device by a magnet.

However, this exception may also apply to the new iPhone, which will be in stores by 2024. For years rumors have suggested the arrival of a completely portless iPhone, which can only be charged wirelessly. This device will no longer use USB-C or Lightning, and will remain compliant with European law.

iPhones from the past few years can already be charged wirelessly. Last year, Apple also introduced its own MagSafe charger, which can be attached to the back of iPhone 12 or later using magnets. It looks like the company is already setting up its cordless phone.

This means that Brussels’ plan for a single smartphone charger may not become a reality in 2024. Instead, phones come with two types of wire: USB-C for most Android phones and a MagSafe cable for iPhones. A situation quite similar to the current one, where USB-c and Apple lightning are the norm.

At least: if the rumors about an iPhone without partitions are entirely true. Although these stories come from fairly reliable sources, Bloomberg also thought we would see such a fully wireless device in 2021. But the latest iPhone 13 still has a wire.