Earlier today, the European Parliament voted in favor of enforcing a standard charger across all smartphones and a wide range of consumer electronic devices by the end of 2024, including new products released by Apple thereafter.
The new rule will directly and most heavily impact Apple, which across a wide range of products, continues to use a decade-old port. Below, we've listed some of the most popular Apple products that currently feature Lightning but will have to adopt USB-C if newer models go on sale in 2025 or later to comply with the new law.
- iPhone (the first iPhone with a USB-C port is actually rumored to be next year's iPhone 15)
- Entry-level iPad: The only iPad that currently still features a Lightning connector
- AirPods Charging Case: All AirPods cases continue to feature the Lightning port
- Accessories: MagSafe Battery Pack, Magic Keyboard, Magic Trackpad, Magic Mouse, EarPods, and Beats products
Apple introduced the Lightning port in 2012 as part of the iPhone 5 redesign, promising improved durability and ease of use compared to the 30-pin connector used on previous iPhones. During its announcement in 2012, Phil Schiller called the Lightning port a "modern connector for the next decade."
While Apple has chosen to bring USB-C to many of its iPad models, it has for the most part stuck with Lightning for its most popular products. Meanwhile, the rest of the industry has overwhelmingly moved to USB-C. A majority of Android flagship smartphones feature USB-C, and the port has become the standard for consumer products for makers and customers alike.
