This has now been done since December 28: the new European directive on the universal charger has taken effect, and here is the USB-c port which becomes mandatory on all our electronic equipment, smartphones in the lead. We detail the why and the how, and what will become of the old Apple models.
The universal charger now obligatory throughout Europe
Au rayon high-tech, that's the end of this Apple feature: the lightning port. Europe said “Stop !” to these specific ports of the Californian brand, and especially to these unique cables and chargers.
The negotiation was carried out by France during its presidency, in 2022, as part of the “Digital and Environment” strategy. Two ministers were strongly committed at the time:
- Bruno Le Maire, the former Minister of the Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, who thus aimed to “simplify the lives of the French, improve their purchasing power and reduce their environmental impact.”
- et Jean-Noël Barrot, the former Minister Delegate in charge of Digital, for whom “this advance, which is both practical and ecological, will make it possible to avoid more than 11,000 tonnes of waste in Europe each year.”
The adoption of the universal charger was therefore voted on, and its implementation began on December 28 for all small and medium-sized electronic devices: smartphones of course, but also tablets, headphones and earphones, mice, or speakers. Only laptops benefit from an additional period until April 26, 2026. As for the refurbished market, it is still unclear.
The immediate consequences
When your name is Samsung or Xiaomi, nothing to report: all Android manufacturers already use USB-c ports on their devices. But, because there is a but, they will have to submit to the other obligation imposed by this same European directive: no longer provide a charger when selling a new smartphone. From now on, only the USB cable will be supplied automatically, leaving it to the buyers to recycle their old charger.
Obviously, this compliance has very serious consequences for Apple, whether it concerns its Apple Stores or online sales. Same thing for all resellers, at least after existing stocks have been sold. Concerning smartphones, all models prior to the iPhone 15 are therefore prohibited for sale! And it will become very complicated to find a replacement cable or charger in the coming months, so if you have an iPhone 14 series or earlier, we cannot advise you enough to equip yourself “just in case” while there is still time!
As for those who planned to wait for the January sales and choose an older model for get an iPhone at a lower cost, it's a failure! Unless perhaps turn towards a reconditioned model (this specific case was not specified in the directive)? Or to trust the rumor: it is indeed rumored that Apple is preparing a future iPhone SE for spring, based on an iPhone 14 chassis, but with USB-c port and in-house 5G chip. A little more patience…
