Apple is planning a major transition to USB-C in the wake of the European Union (EU) approving its USB-C mandate. The company is reportedly working towards adopting USB-C charging across AirPods, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max, according to a new report. Additionally, many Mac accessories will also drop Lightning connectivity.
The EU recently voted to make USB-C a “common port” across the region. The vote was passed in favour of mandating manufacturers to integrate USB-C across new phones, tablets and earbuds/headphones released in the EU by the end of 2024. Further, the mandate requires laptops to support USB-C charging by spring 2026.
Many Apple devices, including its MacBook line, already support USB-C charging. However, not all devices do. For example, the iPhone, AirPods and several Mac accessories still utilize Apple’s proprietary Lightning port. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman believes that the AirPods line will adopt the USB-C standard by 2024.
Additionally, Mac accessories like Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, and the Magic Trackpad will offer USB-C support by as early as 2023. Gurman believes that as Apple looks at the next major refresh for the iMac and Mac Pro, the opportunity for new accessories also opens up. “I think it’s a safe bet that those accessories will move to USB-C in their next incarnation,” Gurman says.
Gurman also expects next year’s iPhone 15 to leverage USB-C charging. “The iPhone 15 is essentially a lock to get USB-C in the fall of 2023,” he says. This would put the iPhone a year ahead of the mandated change per the EU.
With this in mind, USB-C charging may only be a stopgap for Apple’s long-term plan. Gurman says the goal of the Cupertino company is to reach inductive charging “at some point in the next few years.” The further adoption of wireless charging would also sideline the EU’s legislation as the mandate doesn’t currently cover wireless charging.
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