Apple Exec Responds To EU Law Requiring iPhone Devices Adopt USB-C

Not long ago, the European Union went all-in on requiring a universal USB Type-C charger for all mobile phones by the year 2024. This is generally great news for a lot of people considering the cost of USB-C cables are rapidly declining. Add in that this is an open and universal standard and it allows for a more interesting and competitive market. Apple has been resisting this compliance enforcement, but as of October 25th, its fight is over.

The original claim by Apple against the USB-C enforcement is that it would be unable to ensure the reliability of a standard not completely maintained by them. The Cupertino tech giant also claims that its customers would get a lesser experience because of it. That said, Apple Marketing Chief Greg Joswiak has released a statement indicating that Apple intends to comply with the law, as it does with others.

Admittedly, Apple's arguments were not entirely in the wrong here. Apple's proprietary systems have extremely stringent rules to adhere and be considered official. Any manufacturer who didn't adhere properly would not be considered a reliable source and so they would lose certifications, or endorsements.

That said, USB has similar rules. Technically, any manufacturer not adhering to these specifications and standards is not allowed to utilize the USB logos on their packaging. That doesn't stop some manufacturers from cutting corners though—there have been bad USB-C cables in the market after all.

Ultimately, Apple's fight was relatively short lived, and it had to concede. An interesting thing to consider is that because of the capabilities of USB-C, it's still entirely possible for Apple to manufacture its own proprietary USB-C. In turn, you still might get that message saying you may experience problems by not using an official cable.


This isn't actually that huge of a change for Apple, despite what it may want people to think. The company has been using USB-C in a number of products for a few years now. The latest versions of iPad, Mac computers, and MacBooks all have some form of USB-C implemented. The only significant hurdle for the manufacturer is modifying its tooling process specific to the iPhone. Apple still has about a year and a quarter to get that done though, we think it can do it.