The European Union has set an official deadline for when all smartphones sold in its jurisdiction must have a USB-C port, including the iPhone.
The EU officially approved the common charger law in October, but a specific date for when the law would come into force was unknown. Now, in a newly published directive, the EU says all smartphones must have USB-C by December 28, 2024. Other consumer products, such as tablets and gadgets, will also be required to switch to USB-C under the new law. Products that rely solely on wireless charging with no port will not have to include USB-C.
Apple's vice president of worldwide marketing, Greg Joswiak "Joz," confirmed that Apple would have no choice but to adhere to the EU's new law. Joz didn't say when Apple would make the switch to USB-C and away from Lightning, but with the December 2024 deadline, Apple could wait until the iPhone 16 in September 2024 before transitioning to the newer port.
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Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by Joe Rossignol
We are still waiting for the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate to come out, so the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week or two away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April.
Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far.
iOS 26.3
iPhone to Android Transfer Tool
iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
Sunday February 1, 2026 12:31 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
The calendar has turned to February, and a new report indicates that Apple's next product launch is "imminent," in the form of new MacBook Pro models.
"All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Sunday. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated...
Tuesday February 3, 2026 8:55 am PST by Joe Rossignol
In 2022, Apple introduced a new Apple Home architecture that is "more reliable and efficient," and the deadline to upgrade and avoid issues is fast approaching.
In an email this week, Apple gave customers a final reminder to upgrade their Home app by February 10, 2026. Apple says users who do not upgrade may experience issues with accessories and automations, or lose access to their smart...
Sunday February 1, 2026 10:08 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly nine months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon.
In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis.
In his Powe...
Apple's first foldable iPhone will feature relocated volume buttons, an all-black camera plateau, a smaller Dynamic Island, and more, according to design leaks from a known Weibo leaker.
The user known as "Instant Digital" today claimed to share several key details about the design of the foldable iPhone:
The volume buttons will be located on the top edge of the device, aligned to the...
Unpopular because they make unified charging jack mandatory? Everyone in the world should be happy that the EU has finally forced Apple to abandon the slow and outdated Lightning connector! The EU does many good things for its citizens, like free roaming in all member countries, roam like at home, I don't have to worry about that when I travel. I can buy goods duty-free throughout the Union, health insurance is valid throughout the Union, and so on. It's just modern and popular to bash the EU.
What next? EU demands all phones have an EU flag displayed at boot up? No wonder the EU is increasingly unpopular.
Apple can switch on the fly with the Apple Dongle Ultra. Have the best of both worlds: lightning and USB C, with the best, most powerful, thinnest and lightest dongle we’ve ever made. There has never been a faster, more versatile dongle with the cachet of the Apple Dongle Ultra.
