Home
News
You are here

Apple's first USB-C iPhone could be the iPhone 16

5comments

By Daniel Petrov

Published: Sep 21, 2021, 5:24 AM

Apple iPhone

Apple's first USB-C iPhone could be the iPhone 16

It's happening, Apple may be forced into to the USB-C era kicking and screaming indeed. This Thursday, September 23, the European Commission will announce a legislative proposal for a common charging standard on all electronic devices, claims one EC official for Politico.

This will affect manufacturers other than Apple, of course, but all they'll have to do is harmonize their fast charging standards via interoperable software, whereas Apple would be forced to also replace the Lightning port on its iPhones with a standard USB-C fare.

For that matter, the European Commission will be fine with Apple's 2020 decision not to put chargers in the iPhone boxes, as it wants manufacturers to give their customers the choice to use their old chargers, thus reducing electronic waste.

So, when will Apple be forced to switch to USB-C charging ports, at least in Europe? Well, the proposal presented by the European Commission will first have to be voted and accepted in the span of about a year, then nation states will have another year to make it into laws.

Thankfully, the EC is giving manufacturers one more year to implement the changes, too, so they will have to adapt by the end of 2023. It will be too late for Apple's iPhone 15 to ship without a Lightning port then, but the iPhone 16 would have to be a USB-C phone, or bust.

$30 /mo

$35

$5 off (14%)

New members get $5/mo off the $35/mo Visible+ plan or $5/mo off the $45/mo Visible+ Pro plan for the first 60 months when they port-in from an eligible carrier. Use code 5OFF5 at checkout to save up to $300.

Buy at Visible

View Full Bio

Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena from 2010 to 2025, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.