Greg Joswiak, Apple's Senior Vice President of Marketing, has confirmed the iPhone will be making the switch to a USB-C port because "we have no choice."
Joswiak and Craig Federighi, Apple's Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, had a conversation with The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern yesterday where the subject of cables and ports was broached. You can watch the 35-minute conversation in full below.
The European Union will require all phones, tablets, and cameras to use USB-C for charging before the end of 2024. Based on Apple's typical release cycle for new iPhone models, it means the iPhone 16 will need to ship with a USB Type-C port, although Apple could decide to make the switch next year on the iPhone 15.
Joswiak doesn't believe a government being so "prescriptive" and enforcing a switch to USB-C for all devices was the right thing to do, and in fact he claims it will cause more electronic waste. However, when it comes to abiding by the new rules, Joswiak states, "obviously we'll have to comply, we have no choice."
If Apple refuses to make the switch, it would not be able to sell new iPhones in any EU countries, which is unthinkable. So Joswiak is right in saying Apple doesn't have a choice. And while ultimately it will mean lots of Lightning cables and accessories will eventually become redundant, in the long term the switch to USB-C everywhere should result in less e-waste being created. Recycling should also be encouraged.