Apple officially forced to make iPhones with USB-C ports going forward

You know what’s really annoying? Other than that robotic TikTok voice and not being able to leave your PS5 in rest mode while it copies a game disc, that is (seriously, who decided that was the way it ought to work?). No, it’s having to own a million chargers for everything. Nobody wants to live their life drowning in wires which all have ever so slightly different ports.

Well thankfully, things are about to get a whole lot more streamlined for Apple users in the EU. As reported by Daily Hive, thanks to a new law announced by the European Parliament, all new mobile phones and tablets (by late 2024) must use USB Type-C chargers, meaning it’s bye bye to the lightning connectors.

This new law will also impact headphones, which means that Dyson's upcoming air-purifying headphones may be affected - take a look at how they work below.

The decision was made via a referendum, in which an overwhelming 96.6% of votes were cast in favour of USB-C chargers being the way forward. This is all in an effort to increase sustainable consumership and cut down on the amount of electronic waste in the world, and it’s not just phones being affected - loads of devices, from handheld games consoles, portable speakers, mice, keyboards and more will be impacted. By 2026, laptops will also be affected by the law.

“Buyers will be able to choose whether to purchase a new device with or without a charging device,” reads the EU’s press release (via Daily Hive). “Under the new rules, consumers will no longer need a different charger every time they purchase a new device, as they will be able to use one single charger for a whole range of small and medium-sized portable electronic devices.”

Apparently, as well as cutting down on 11,000 tons of waste a year (and making tech users’ piles of wires significantly less cluttered) this change will also save consumers up to €250 million every year, so it’s certainly nothing to complain about.