Being forced to ditch Lightning would harm customers, says Apple
The European Union recently proposed plans to adopt a standardized connector for smartphone charging cables across the political region. If approved, Apple could theoretically be forced to ditch its proprietary Lightning port.
Whether that’s a good thing or not is up for debate, but today the Cupertino-based company has responded and it doesn’t seem too happy with the idea.
In a statement to Cult of Mac, Apple said that it “stands for innovation and deeply cares about the customer experience” it currently provides to loyal buyers. However, it argues that being forced to adopt a standardized connector would stifle innovation.
Apple also believes passing such a legislation would unnecessarily disrupt the lives of millions of customers in Europe due to a lack of incompatibility. This, in turn, would create a huge volume of electronic waste – over 1 billion devices have shipped with Lightning – and harm "the economy as a whole" due to the financial consequences this could have on EU member states.
Additionally, Apple suggests the move is entirely unnecessary right now because the industry is already moving towards a standardized solution in the form of USB-C. Apple currently uses the connector on recent iPad Pro tablets and several power bricks, although it's worth pointing out that there seem to be no plans for a USB-C iPhone anytime soon.
The European Commission plans to release the results of a study on the matter later this month, after which it’ll decide on how to proceed with the matter. Apple hopes the “Commission will continue to seek a solution that does not restrict the industry’s ability to innovate.”
Whether that’s a good thing or not is up for debate, but today the Cupertino-based company has responded and it doesn’t seem too happy with the idea.
Apple really wants to keep using Lightning
In a statement to Cult of Mac, Apple said that it “stands for innovation and deeply cares about the customer experience” it currently provides to loyal buyers. However, it argues that being forced to adopt a standardized connector would stifle innovation.
Additionally, Apple suggests the move is entirely unnecessary right now because the industry is already moving towards a standardized solution in the form of USB-C. Apple currently uses the connector on recent iPad Pro tablets and several power bricks, although it's worth pointing out that there seem to be no plans for a USB-C iPhone anytime soon.
Instead, Apple is more likely to ditch the physical connector altogether – rumor has it the 2021 iPhone 13 Pro Max will have no ports. This would force customers to purchase wireless chargers instead of the typical cable and brick.
The European Commission plans to release the results of a study on the matter later this month, after which it’ll decide on how to proceed with the matter. Apple hopes the “Commission will continue to seek a solution that does not restrict the industry’s ability to innovate.”
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed: