This year we’ve seen rumors that predict Apple’s USB-C on the yet-to-be-released iPhone 15 will be limited when it comes to data and charging speeds for non-MFi cables. Trying to prevent that – at least for the EU – commissioner Thierry Breton has given a warning to Apple four months ahead of the usual iPhone event.
In February, we heard leaker ShrimpApplePro predict that Apple has Made for iPhone (MFi) USB-C cables in mass production ahead of the iPhone 15 launch in the fall. However, part of that also included the expectation that non-certified cables “will be limited in data and charging speed.”
Then in March, reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo corroborated that Apple will allow faster charging speeds with USB-C and iPhone 15 but not for non-Apple or non-certified cables.
The EU Commission has been paying attention to the Apple USB-C rumors and has made a move to try and get ahead of the possibility of limited USB-C cables happening.
Reported by Zeit Online via MacRumors, EU Industry Commissioner Thierry Breton wrote a warning to Apple in a letter seen by the German dpa news agency. Breton referenced recent media reports about Apple’s alleged plan and simply said it would be “inadmissible to restrict the interaction with chargers.”
The report also notes that the EU Commission reminded Apple in March that “Devices that do not meet the requirements for the single charger will not be approved on the EU market.”
The Brussels authority is reportedly aiming to publish a guide on the “uniform interpretation” of the EU directive for uniform chargers by Q3 2023.
9to5Mac’s Take
Technically, the EU legislation that will require this doesn’t go into effect until December 28, 2024, so Apple could probably do what it would like for a year with iPhone 15 and even a bit of iPhone 16.
We’ll have to wait and see if Apple chooses to stir up the pot more as EU legislation clamps down on the company or whether it will heed the EU’s warning.
Another factor that may make this not much of an issue and also not time-sensitive, it may be likely Apple could remove any USB-C restrictions via software updates for any regions that require it in the future.
Related:
- Apple planning to allow third-party App Store alternatives on the iPhone for the first time
- EU officially says all new iPhones will need USB-C starting in December 2024
- EU legislation to make iMessage and other messaging apps interoperable
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