A new European Union law might force Apple to switch from Lightning to USB-C on the iPhone, with a proposal coming in September.
Apple switched the proprietary Lightning connector on the iPad Pro with a USB-C port. That’s the kind of connector found on most electronic devices — and all Android phones out there. Then Apple launched and iPad Air with a USB-C port last year, further fueling speculation that USB-C might replace Lightning on other Apple iOS devices. The iPad mini 6 might be next in line, according to some rumors. But the iPhone 13 will still ship with a Lightning connector. Apple isn’t even expected to replace the Lightning port with USB-C on the iPhone in the future. But the European Union is mulling new legislation that might force smartphone vendors to embrace a standard charging port for mobile devices. There’s been plenty of talk about Apple embracing USB-C for the iPhone in the future. We’ve even had rumors that claimed a particular iPhone generation or another would rock a USB-C port instead of Lightning. Those never panned out. If anything, more recent reports said that Apple would instead launch a portless iPhone that would recharge wirelessly before adopting USB-C on its phones.
