Consumer Convenience Yields to Regulations from EU and Others
Applied Starting with iPhone 15 Series Released in September
Apple has decided to switch its proprietary charging port (Lightning) to a USB-C type charging port after 11 years. The new charging port is expected to be applied starting with the iPhone 15 series, scheduled to be unveiled in September.
According to reports from CNBC and others, the biggest change in the new iPhone series to be unveiled next month is the charging port. Apple had previously switched the charging ports of iPads and Mac computers to USB-C type, but this is the first time it will be applied to the iPhone.
Until now, Android smartphones including Samsung Electronics' Galaxy series have adopted the USB-C with rounded ends. However, only Apple’s iPhone had maintained its charging port since 2012 without change. Once the USB-C type is applied to the iPhone, consumers will likely be able to charge virtually all manufacturers’ devices with a single USB-C charger.
The Lightning connector, introduced with the iPhone 5 in 2012, was praised for being smaller than the charging ports Apple had used before and for its symmetrical design that allowed charging regardless of the plug’s orientation. However, with the release of the USB-C standard in 2015, which improved charging speed, and the increasing adoption of USB-C devices, demands for Apple to change grew stronger.
Apple, which had been stubborn, surrendered when the European Union (EU) and others enacted laws mandating USB-C type adoption to reduce electronic waste. In October last year, the EU passed a law requiring new electronic devices released from 2024 onward to use USB-C type charging ports. Recently, Saudi Arabia also enacted similar regulations.
Apple opposed the EU law at the time, arguing it would hinder corporate innovation, but appears to have reversed its stance under the premise of enhancing 'consumer convenience.'
Meanwhile, the iPhone 15 series is known to have the thinnest bezel (the frame surrounding the smartphone display) among all smartphones, measuring about 1.5mm. The high-end models in the series, the Pro and Pro Max, have switched their body material to titanium, significantly reducing weight, and the notch (the M-shaped cutout at the top) will also disappear.
Bloomberg and other media reported, "The iPhone 15 series will be the biggest change in three years since the iPhone 12, which was the first iPhone to support 5G." The iPhone 15 series unveiling event is expected to be held on September 12 or 13.
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