It’s no secret that the main reason that prompted Apple to switch the usual Lightning connector to the generally accepted USB-C in iPhone 15 smartphones was related to the legal requirements of the European Union for the unification of electronics sold on its territory chargers were. The company is unlikely to be open about it, instead highlighting the benefits of moving to USB-C.
Image source: Apple
At least, popular Bloomberg columnist Mark Gurman is convinced that Apple will try to portray the change, which causes a lot of inconvenience for owners of branded accessories, as a source of continued benefits. Otherwise, the company risks losing face in a protracted dispute with regulators over the need for such transformations.
By the end of next year, all smartphones sold in the European Union must have a USB-C charging port to reduce the number of chargers that are regularly thrown away. As it recently became known, the new connector will also appear on the body of the AirPods Pro wireless headphones in addition to the four models of the iPhone 15 family.
According to Bloomberg, Apple justifies the switch to a USB-C connector with the following arguments: unification of the cable type with Macs, iPads and iPhones, increased data transfer speed when connecting a smartphone with a cable, reduced charging time under certain favorable conditions, etc., and compatibility with mobile electronics chargers other brands.
Of course, such a transition is fraught with problems for Apple, including the loss of royalties for the right to use the proprietary Lightning interface. Material and technical resources must also be made available for this migration. The compatibility with the charging infrastructure of Android devices could theoretically persuade some users of Apple electronics to take a closer look at competing products. Worst of all, from a marketing perspective, the company has to try to justify these changes against the backdrop of the apparent dissatisfaction of conservative users. The last time Apple changed the charging connector on its smartphones was in 2012, but without the EU directive, it could use the current Lightning until it completely does away with the physical connectors on the smartphone case.
By the way, that a charger will appear in the iPhone 15 package against the background of such changes is unlikely, because such a step would contradict the achievement of the main goal of the transformation – reducing the amount of waste generated by electronics industry.
In addition, Mark Gurman informs about Apple’s intentions to equip iPad tablets from next year with an improved external Magic Keyboard, which doubles as a case and stand for working with text. According to the source, this accessory will have an aluminum body that will ensure greater rigidity and durability. At the same time, the texture of the back cover remains pleasant to the touch thanks to the use of a special coating. The keyboard will continue to feature a single USB-C port.
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