Thierry Breton, an EU commissioner has reportedly sent a warning letter to Apple. The letter was regarding USB-C implementation on iPhones.
EU passed a legislation in 2022. It mandated that every iPhone or any other device to be sold in the region, must come equipped with USB-C charging. EU has set December 28, 2024 as the last date for manufactures to adhere to the law. It is expected that the iPhone 15 will feature USB-C charging ports.
Rumors Regarding Apple
Rumors claim that Apple is going to limit the speed of uncertified USB-C cables. According to the rumors, the comapny will do this so that people only buy Apple certified cables to use the device at its full potential. Those cables which don’t fall under “made for iPhone” program will not be deemed certified. A chip inside iPhone will distinguish if the cable attached is legitimate or not. This will work same way as Lightning ports work on existing iPhones.
EU’s response to rumors
According to German newspaper Die Zeit, EU commissioner Thierry Breton has sent a letter regarding the rumors to Apple. EU has warned to the company that any limiting of USB-C on their devices will bar them from being sold in the region. It is reported that EU also warned apple regarding the situation a mid-march meeting.
Since the law will actually be implemented in 2024, they can still put their ‘USB authentication chip’ in their devices. Even the iPhone 16 devices may come with this authentication system since they are expected to launch before the date the law will be adopted. Reports say EU will publish a guide to ensure the “uniform implementation of the law”.
However, this is still a rumors and no conforming information has been found. Given the brands history, Apple may or may not limit the capabilities. Apples iPads featuring USB-C ports don’t have any authentication chip. However, some iPhones do feature this tech the distinguish their own cables.
