Starting December 28, 2024, all new phones sold in the European Union will be required to have a USB-C port. Ahead of the deadline imposed by the EU directive, Apple has begun removing iPhone SE, iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, the latest models with the Lightning port, from its Swiss online store. The news, initially reported by some sites, was confirmed with a simple test on the company's Swiss site. When attempting to add any of the models mentioned to your cart, the Apple site indicates that the product is “currently unavailable.” At the moment, online stores in other EU countries, such as Italy and Spain, still show availability of such devices.
Although the directive takes effect on December 28, it is unclear why Apple has decided to bring forward the removal of the products in Switzerland. It is plausible that the other European stores will follow shortly. At the moment, Apple has not released any official statements on the matter. The obligation to adopt the USB-C port led Apple to introduce this standard on the iPhone 15 in 2023. As for the iPhone SE, it is expected that the fourth generation model, expected for early 2025, will be equipped with USB-C and further upgrades, including an OLED display.
