Apple has confirmed the introduction of the USB-C port to the new iPhone 15, as the tech giant moves towards EU rules on cable standardisation.
After more than a decade of the “Lightning” port being used in everything from the iPad to the iPhone, it will switch to USB-C with the introduction of the new iPhone 15 and 15 Pro.
New EU rules approved last year will require all small and medium-sized electronics to use a standard charging cable – USB-C – by the end of 2024 to cut the number of cables users need for their devices to help save consumers money and reduce e-waste in the long term.
And it said that the same cable can be used to charge other Apple devices that have already switched to USB-C: the Mac and iPad. It will also release a new case for the AirPods Pro that will also drop the Lightning plug.
However, some experts have raised concerns over the number of obsolete cables being created in the short term by the change as Apple moves away from its proprietary Lightning connector.
In response, Apple used the iPhone launch to announce a number of major environmental measures, including making the new Apple Watch range carbon neutral for the first time and increasing the amount of recycled materials being used in batteries and other parts of the new Watch and iPhone.
