As we all know, at present, the common charger interfaces of many electronic devices such as mobile phone tablet earphones mainly include Micro USB interface, USB Type C interface and Lightning interface. Among them, the Micro USB interface is mostly used by Android mobile phones. Because it cannot keep up with the development requirements, it has almost been replaced by the USB Type C interface. The Lightning interface is exclusive to Apple products, and has been accompanied by Apple mobile phones from the iPhone 5 to the current iPhone 14. 10 years. In the recent period, Apple may be forced to make changes in the charging interface due to regulations, and perhaps the Lightning interface will come to an end!
EU passes bill to harmonize charging ports for electronic devices, making Apple the most affected manufacturer
Just at the beginning of the month, the European Parliament voted to pass a bill on unifying the charging interface of portable smart devices. This new regulation requires that from the end of 2024, all new portable smart devices such as mobile phones, tablet computers, digital cameras, headphones, etc. use USB Type- The charging interface of C, that is, it is required that all new portable smart devices must have a unified charging interface within two years.
EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager said the new rules are expected to save at least 200 million euros a year and also reduce the vast majority of outdated chargers. The new regulations will have an impact on many companies and new digital products, and Apple will bear the brunt of it, which will inevitably become one of the most affected companies. Forced by the new regulations, if Apple wants to continue to develop the huge European market, then it must abandon the Lightning interface it is currently using and adopt the USB Type-C interface that is widely used by its competitors.
Why do you say that Apple will become the most affected mobile phone manufacturer after the regulation? Here we will talk about MFi certification, which is a kind of logo license for the external accessories produced by Apple’s authorized accessories manufacturers. If manufacturers want to produce data cables, chargers, etc. of Apple products, they must obtain official Apple certification. Authorization and certification, so that the data cables and chargers produced can meet the transmission rate and performance stability of Apple products.
But what many people don’t know is that Apple is estimated to earn $5 billion by selling Lightning interface charging cables and MFi certification every year, because manufacturers must pay Apple a license fee to produce lightning data cables, etc. This part of the profit even exceeds the annual revenue profit of some domestic mobile phone manufacturers. The new EU regulations have undoubtedly given Apple a blow, and relying on MFi certification and lightning interface to make money may become a thing of the past. I believe that Apple will make a wise move between giving up the European market and giving up making money!
The controversy over the lighting interface is getting bigger and bigger. Does Apple really want to open the last fig leaf for not developing fast charging?
Back to the Lightning interface itself, this product was born in 2012. At that time, it was considered to be synonymous with advanced due to its advantages of positive and negative insertion and performance. With the birth of the USB-C interface with more comprehensive functions and experience, the disadvantages of the Lighting interface are increasingly exposed, and the former advantages have disappeared, and users have been stubbornly reluctant to change the interface for the iPhone. Controversy is also growing.
First of all, in terms of transmission rate, at the beginning of the design of the Lightning interface, due to the requirements of compactness and ease of use, there are only 16 pins on both sides of the interface, while the currently widely used USB-C interface has 24 pins, and the number of pins The limitation of all iPhones has caused the data transfer rate of all iPhones to stay at the level of USB 2.0, which is far lower than the C port. Another problem is the charging rate, which is also limited by the number of interface pins, making the iPhone’s fast charging power far behind Android phones, which is a pain that most iPhone users are reluctant to mention so far.
The existence of the Lightning interface has always been the biggest obstacle to Apple’s development of fast charging. Through the so-called environmental protection and no chargers, the Lightning interface has been further perpetuated, which has also found more excuses for not developing fast charging. It is a pity that the European Union will ruthlessly lift the fig leaf of Apple’s fast charging backward through the unified electronic device charging interface bill. After there is a precedent, due to the domino effect, iPhones in other regions are bound to use the USB Type-C interface. At that time, Apple will find new rhetoric for the slowly developing fast charging technology!
What will the unified USB-C interface bring to Apple?
If Apple finally fails to withstand the pressure of multiple parties and compromises to use the USB-C interface, what will be the consequences? Considering the superiority of the USB-C interface, there is no doubt that the Apple mobile phone with the C interface will no longer be constrained in terms of fast charging. As for whether Apple has the ability to develop fast charging, there is no need to worry about this, such a big technology company. Don’t be stumped by this, and you can solve it without spending money. The only thing worth caring about is whether the poor heat dissipation of Apple’s mobile phone can keep up with the rhythm! In addition, MFi certification may be replaced by private agreements, and Apple’s annual profits will be reduced!
Considering that the latest USB PD protocol supported by the C port can already support 240W power fast charging, Apple has already realized its advantages, and we can get the answer by transitioning from iPad and Mac products to the C port! With the advent of high-power fast charging, perhaps in the past Apple users’ perception of “fast charging damages the battery” will also dissipate, thus experiencing an unprecedented charging sensation.
But what I am most concerned about is whether Apple will cancel the attached charging cable after unified charging, just as it did when it canceled the attached charging head. Of course, there is also a possibility that Apple chooses to keep the European market and only launches the iPhone using the USB-C interface in Europe, just like the iPhone 14 that cancels the SIM card slot in some regions, and the Lightning interface is still used in other regions. Not afraid to do it!
write at the end
Personally think that the unified use of the USB-C interface, both for the user and for Apple itself, is far more beneficial than the disadvantage. Users can experience a better fast charging and transmission experience, and can easily achieve multi-device expansion. , Apple can establish an image of putting user needs first, and accelerate the advancement and innovation of related technologies! Whether to insist on temporary profits and continue to find excuses to “comfort” users or follow the general trend to promote the process of unified charging interface, let’s see how Apple will react!