Some of the company’s smartphones will be taken off the European shelves in a few weeks' time.
Apple’s 3rd-generation iPhone SE and iPhone 14, the only smartphones that still use a lightning charger, will no longer be sold in the European Union.
According to the Digital Markets Act (DMA), from next year, all smartphones sold in EU countries must have a USB-C port and be charged using a USB-C cable.
The law, introduced in 2022, aims to standardize charging cables, which would help reduce electronic waste in the 27 EU countries. It would allow users who are switching from Android to iOS and vice versa to use the same cable without having to buy a new one.
Apple introduced its first iPhone series with a USB-C charging port with the release of the iPhone 15.
The changes won’t affect users in the US, where the iPhone SE and iPhone 14 will still be for sale until next spring when the iPhone SE 4 should be launched. The new model will include a USB-C port.
Apple initially opposed the EU ruling, but in 2023, it launched its iPhone 15 series, which includes a USB-C port.
The changes should be applied at the end of 2024. Apple will end the sales of its iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, and 3rd generation iPhone from December 28th, 2024.
The news about the sales also prompted a discussion online with one user noting: “I was under the impression that the EU law targeted new devices released, not older devices sold.”
“Apple could either adapt the charger or just stop selling it. They choose the latter, which is fine. No one forced them to push the regulations to the limit,” wrote another user, identifying that another way for the company to go around the regulation was to change the ports in their devices.
Recently, it has been reported that Apple is also discontinuing one of its much-used accessories – the Lightning to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter. While it’s not official yet, users online have noticed that the accessory has been out of stock for a while and hasn’t been returned.
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