Oct 28, 2022 | 6pm
MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Apple will soon be phasing out its Lightning connector to charge its iPhones in favor of a USB-C connector.
The news comes after the European Parliament passed a rule requiring all smartphones and mobile devices to have standard charging ports by the next two years. Laptops will have to change by 2026.
Many Android smartphones and other gadgets now use oval USB-C connectors. This makes the cords and ports of many gadgets interchangeable.
Apple uses USB-C charging ports for some of its products, such as MacBooks and iPads, but has argued against switching iPhones away from Lightning ports, saying it “stucks innovation, not encourages it.”
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Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of marketing, said at a technical conference in California that the company would follow the European decision, but commented on how removing the Lightning code and port would be harmful to the environment. .
Joswiak didn’t provide a timetable for when Apple will begin phasing out Lightning cords and ports, or whether such a decision would affect iPhones in Europe.
Apple has been using the Lightning cord and port since the iPhone 5 was released in 2012, replacing the previous 30-pin.
The next smartphone under development by Apple is the iPhone 15, coming in 2023. The next model or edition after it will most likely feature a USB-C connector.
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