The iPhone USB-C Law: Explained! 

It gives real satisfaction to see Nations saying "no" to these mega-corporations. I want more of it.

I love how apple uses the term e-waste. They can make it mean literally anything they want it to mean.

Apple had enough time to let their engineers "figure it out". I'm happy about the regulations and want more of them.

It's stupid that they argue about e-waste. Requiring an entirely different cable for their products is much more wasteful than standardizing.

What is really weird about them being so resistant to this change is the iPad uses a type c connection. So they can do it easily but are choosing not to.

The thing with a portless iPhone is that the port doesn’t just function as a charging port. You can use it to connect adapters that allow for card reader, thumb drive and usb mic connections, to name only a few use cases. While the market for adapter users might sound small, I see each of these benefitting budget-minded podcasters, video bloggers and micro-bloggers (TikTok, IG), so it’s certainly something they should consider. If they came up with a wireless port adapter to replace these older adapters, that would be a brilliant solution.

It would be truly aggravating of Apple to ditch C and just go wireless. Compromising charging speeds, data transfers, accessories, etc. Crazy

this isn't just about charging, it affects anything that needs to plug into the port, from external batteries to docks and accessories, all of which can be made multiplatform with relative ease if there is just one physical interface type to deal with. this way you can use your wired headphones on both your ipad and your iphone without the need for adapters and dongles, you only need one cable to charge both your macbook and your iphone and wireless keyboard and mouse.

I liked the Lightning port when it came out as it was robust and could be plugged in in any direction. But today it's just annoying how many different cables you have to pack when you travel. Yes the USB-C port will at some point also be old and not up to the latest features - but at least its a sturdy connector, can be plugged in in both directions, can be used to charge any phone, any tablet, powerbanks, laptops, headphone etc. so I need one (!) cable in my luggage, backpack, car, desk or similar. By adding wireless charging we are at the same situation again that I have just another cable I have to buy and lying around everywhere (or take everywhere). So wireless charging is an additional thing which is nice but still annoying in day to day use in combination with other devices which need to be charged.

Great overview. If Apple do move away from a cable, they’re going to want to ensure charging and data speeds are competitive. And whilst 2024 is a while off, Apple need to tool their factories to produce their hardware in time for distribution - I don’t know how long this takes but they’ve probably got around 12 months to lock in a design. Also remember that Apple already use USB type C so have the tooling already available. The iPad I’m writing this comment on uses USB type C.

I think it's interesting that u brought up the use of hearing aids and compatibility with phones as they used to have a similar issue with a non uniform system but as technology developed it saw the use of Bluetooth and headphones moving over to wireless systems and the industry recognized this as a new standard and developed new hearing aids that work through the same Bluetooth network and as a deaf person it has allowed me to use my phone to a lot more of its potential than before as I can just link to it with the Bluetooth compatibility

Great vid - FYI EU law did enforce use of micro-USB standard sometime ago when all brand and model in given brand had X number of different charging connectors. So I'm guessing that at some point they will switch to different standard from USB-C

I wouldn't be surprised if they made the phone not charge unless it were using an official mag safe charger

On the other hand, USB type A is there since the beginning of USB 1.0. USB-C doesn't mean USB-C 3.0 10Gbits 140W, it's just the shape of the connector and that's a huge difference (especially since a lot of product have switched from proprietary connectors to USB-C in the recent years)

The follow up here we all need is not a wireless charging loophole, it's additional government mandates which require these laws to be reviewed every X number of years and updated, preferably with top tech experts at the table. One of the biggest problems of government which you briefly touched upon is that laws are made but rarely updated as fast as needed. But in the short term I'm super super glad of EUs decision and fully support it.

My ideal for the successor to USB Type C would be a new type that has the same plug but new specs. So it could be backwards compatible with all the Type C stuff we have already but still bring new tech. And also, was there really a reason for apple to use that old wide connector on the iPhones instead of going micro USB? My guess would be that Apple is afraid of people jailbreaking the devices easier if equipped with USB Type C too..

Another very good vid from Marques Brownlee, thank you! My take: the port on the smartphone is not only useful to charge, which indeed can also be done with magsafe accessorie. I need a port (two would be better, though) to synch the phone and to connect headphones. Sure BT works too, but BT headphones need to be charged, are more expensive and sound quality is lower. Also, synching is much faster with a wire than through wifi, assuming that it works well. Also, the EU tried to convince manufacturers to agree on a standard, as it happens for most industrial standards (check CE marking regulations) but it did not work, hence the need to impose one. I disliked it when apple ditched headphones jack, I will be very unhappy when they close it like an oyster.

My main use for the USB port on my Galaxy phone (and tablet): using a thumb drive to transfer files, because it's easier than getting the LAN shares to work.

Making everyone carry the wireless charging adapter instead of a simple cable would be such a huge step back

I remember when I had an iPhone 4s (the only iPhone I had), I had a case that blocked all ports because I wanted something waterproof and kept breaking LifeProof cases. I wished that wireless charging existed then, as I had wireless headphones. Now I have a Nokia specifically because it does have USB-C and headphone jack, but I could see the wireless part coming for a while. People joked about it when they removed the headphone jack. My only concern, is that I run a church sound system, and the only way to play something wireless, is to connect to the piano via bluetooth (brand new piano, I don't even know how that works), and then the mixer channel for the piano should be able to control that. It just sounds confusing, but expected.

It's good finally specifying a charging connector, can you imagine countries/regions didn't specify the power socket in your house and every (electricity) company did their own thing?

This guy just keeps on getting better and better over the years. Good research made video sire

I think the approach is to facilitate phones being charged in emergency situations, but then my Mum is still using her flip phone (from the first time around) which is not even mini-USB-B yet 😂

The problem with leaving it to the engineers is you end up with different ports...if they mandated all engineers need to agree on 1 port, that might make sense. But being that the largest portion of the market uses USB-C exclusively it makes sense for everyone to just switch.

The EU directive is pretty flexible in that it is actually published by an apposite team working on this, which is set to re-evaluate the market and update the directive every 5 years i think, which would see the connector change if a new one is developed that has advantages. EU tried telling the market "hey, it would be nice to have everyone on the same connector so that chargers are compatible" and that's the reason why almost all android phone had mini USB, but guess who didn't jump on board and forced the law to be so prescriptive?

If I recall correctly, the law also states required serviceability and that can be really hard to comply with without a cable to run diagnostics from.

That’s just funny to me because we really made wireless charging more easier, by making it magnetically stick to your phone which is basically turning it into an oversized version of the charger we already used, the “wireless” is it’s not wired directly to your phone it’s wired to a charging pad, which is creating just the same amount of waste imo,

I totally understand the concern about companies being locked into supporting a single standard, in theory, but in practice it’s going to be a lot more than a few years before we have a standard that makes USB-C obsolete, if it ever happens at all. You said it yourself: we’ve got devices _today_ that are implementing 200W charging over type-C. Most mobile devices don’t require anywhere close to that kind of power budget. Between the 200+ W power budget and the 40 Gbps data transfer speeds, modern mobile devices have a lot of room to grow before they start to run into the physical limits of the standard, and by that point it’s questionable whether wired charging and wired data transfer are even going to be as necessary as they are now.

I'm noticing a distinct lack of "charging docks/devices" on that list that needs to have a USB-C port. In other words, they can still make the wireless charging thing have their own plug, and sell a separate adapter so you can plug it into a USB port.

Wireless charging seems to be worse for the environment for now. It doesn't provide the same amount of energy as it sucks out of the wall, so much waste. Also, you still need to carry a whole charging dock, maybe mini but still. I think they have to follow and go for usbc, because wireless is not really wireless 😅

I think Apple will want to make the switch to wireless, but it’ll depend on how the technology develops

Marques, you make a very good point, and I agree with you that it's highly doubtful that Apple will ever make a USB-C iPhone. The main advantage of doing so would be for users to be able to download enormous 4k video files that currently take forever over current wifi or the Lightning port. However, by the end of 2024, Wifi 7 will be widely available, and with a theoretical speed of up to 30Gbps it will be plenty fast for those kinds of downloads. And besides, how many people does this actually apply to today anyway?

They can either disable charging on the lightning port (data only) or they remove the whole thing outright.

I think it is possible to embed some code so that the wifi and Bluetooth can be used even when the oS is wiped. That means you don't really need a port to install or update the device. Only thing left to sort out is how reliable and practical a phone without a charging port is. I haven't used wired charging more than once in a year and don't need it. But for someone else, it may be essential.

In your final thoughts you make a good point - about the law not keeping up. While it is great that this law will come into effect, how easy will it be to keep it updated? For instance, USB-C becoming outdated and a new, better way is created. Will the law recognised that quickly enough not to hamstring the tech?

The EU basically did say "just come up with a unified cable" a number of years ago. The industry responded and chose of their own valition type-c, but it was just apple refusing to play ball because they were making money

Data transfer is the biggest challenge. Large file transfer like 4K video, connecting to vehicle UX systems, secure connection rather than wireless, etc.

Another problem is when you get a failed update when using wireless and you have to plug it in to update. What happens when you have no port to do this? Also the waste from having separate cables for everything produces so much more waste than just having one standardised cable. Honestly if there is no port I'm not buying it unless some third party finds a way to add a port to the iPhone in which case I'll do that since I have an electronics degree and shouldn't be to much hassle, but for regular everyday people this really won't be an option. Honestly I hated when they removed the headphone jack and I had to buy a dongle to use it but it was still usable. Also we need to conserve power and electricity not waste it with wireless charging and downgraded phones.

You are absolutely right I also had doubts about apple putting a type C port on iPhone if it’s there it’s good but we can’t be sure of this until the new iPhone comes out

I 100% agree that all chargers should be usb-c, no more mixed cables for car rides and just makes life easier. Don't think apple should be dragging out the lightning port. I've been ready to switch back to iPhone from Samsung for a bit now but I just don't want to deal with having yet another wire added to my desk or bed. My keyboard and mouse are usb-c which mean I just need the one and I like keeping my desk clear.

With ultra fast charging being available with type C, I'd hate to be reduced to the speeds at which wireless charging is at. Mainly due to the fact that having ultra fast charging comes in handy when you need to get your phone charged when limited on time.

Data transfers and debugging/restoring situations are what I'm more interested in looking at if they go wireless.

I dont think the portless is the next step. For most of the car for CarPlay to work you will need a cable. For fixing black screen bug you will need a cable as well. As far as I know the safemag does not have the capability of data transfer. In my opnion its good to have uniformity but this is gonna cut evolution and creativity for companys... All the best and great review, DR

5:23 I wouldn't be surprised if apple had the bright idea of not even adding a magsafe charger to their iPhone boxes at all.

The connector is very important for troubleshooting issues and restore iphones, if they ditch it, there will be much more devices sent in for repair, because customers would have no way to troubleshoot software issues. They would litterally shoot themselves in the foot if they would remove the connector completely. Also the Lightning connector is pretty outdated compared to USB-C so they could market it as an advantage.

I already kinda liked you and your videos. Now I have so much more deeper level of respect for you. That you saw the real way of the world and did the work to show it.

Not too long ago the charging port on my airpods stopped working, so I had to buy a wireless charger. Wouldn’t surprise me if it’s just another form of ‘planned obsolescence’

The main thing I absolutely hate about wireless charging is that I can’t use my phone whilst charging because it has to be laying on a charging pad. With a cable I can use my phone however far the cable reaches

Lightning cables have exactly one advantage over USB-C when it comes to phones: it's much much easier to clean lint out of a lightning port with a pick without damaging the connector. IMHO that's why the iPad uses USB-C while the iPhone uses lightning. You don't normally get pocket lint in the port of your iPad.

Apple also discontinued rj45 on their MacBooks, and also cd drives. Back 20 years could we live without those items? Great insight!

While wireless charging avoids the need to keep replacing cords and avoid damage over time to the port, it's also not nearly as fast as charging by cord.

You are a smart cookie Marques, well done for clearing the muddy waters of technology for us :)

I believe that all electronics should use the same connectors instead of not being able to connect your devises until you buy the one connector used by the new device.

USB-C is just the port shape, the data/charging part can keep being improved in subsequent USB versions or even another protocol entirely down the line. A good example would be thunderbolt which is a different protocol to USB but uses USB-C as the standard for the physical port itself.

One of my concerns with this is that apple could make it so you require the newest software to use it, like one of those chips that start with a n that I keep forgetting how to spell could be in a phone and the charger, and they have to agree they were made on the same year or so. Also how would data transfer work with this?

So do you think that the work around this law for once we move on past type c will be just naming the new ports/cables something like "type-c.2" and then it's still type c but possibly a different form. Or do you think that everything will go completely wireless? To me that sounds almost more impractical bc we can get much better data and charging speeds with cables than we can with wireless, and it kinda seems like that'll always be the norm. At least for the foreseeable future. Or will they have to just amend the rules?... Of course I know you don't know, but would like to know your opinion(s).

I think a mandatory standart charging port is great. Im not sure if just selecting usb-c is the one is the right way but i don' know if we would get any one if ther wasn't one selected. Also i wonder how why he is so sure about the wireless charging. Honstly, i think its way less practical than using a cabel and thats also what i see is Happening in my sourunding

USB Type-C only defines the physical layer. The protocols used are already different and confusing. Some USB 2, some USB 3, USB 3,1, USB 3.2, USB 4. Unless the law is specific about it, Apple could make a device that has a USB Type-C port that would allow for charging, but devise an entirely different protocol for data transfer, which would mean most everyone would still want the Apple brand cable that connects to other devices. Also - do the MagSafe connections support data transfer? I don't think I've ever tried to connect one. And the speeds? Since the only port left on the iPhone is the charging port, removing it would be a big problem for the many people who use that port to connect to other external devices (for audio out, or midi in, etc.)

they actually can't remove the port from the device unless they come up with a centralized way of transferring files from or to the phone to a lap top or pc yes there are many apps and cloud share platforms but they can be slow and or annoying to deal with compared to just plugging in a simple lightning or type-c cable to get pictures or other files transferred

I'm so excited for the future of phones being completely portless so there's literally no way to use wired peripherals without a wireless adapter dongle that limits their bandwidth, really cool for anyone who enjoys specific enthusiast electronics that rely on wired data transfer, like audiophiles

My biggest problem with iPhone getting rid of the charge port entirely is that every phone is going to copy them after a few years just like they did with the Headphone jack and expandable storage. I REALLY do not want to lose my USB-C port on my phone in like 2027 or something

I'm not a fan of getting rid of the port. Mainly because of charging and earbuds - I don't want to lose the functionality a cord gives me there. For one, a cord is much better for charging on the go. You can have your battery in a bag, and your phone in a pocket, and charge it while walking. You can't do that wireless unless you have a magnetic charging case, which is bulky, expensive, and not always faster. You also need a newer phone for that function. I also don't have to worry about my phone falling off a charging pad overnight and not charging - I typically keep my phone in my bed on a cord, and keep it close depending on which side I'm sleeping on. I move it around a lot, and I move in my sleep as is. I can't trust that it will charge if I had to rely on a pad. A cord is also great for when I'm sleeping somewhere awkward - like a plane or a friend's air mattress. Do you really want to sacrifice valuable surface area on a charging pad when you can use a cord and a battery pack instead? The other big thing is that I actually LIKE the wired earbuds. I like the shape of Apple earpods - it fits my ears without pain the way typical bulbous ones don't. I don't fancy going wireless, either. Airpods are expensive and tiny, and the ease of losing them is an anxiety I don't need. I'm not a fan of overhear headphones, as they hurt after a while, and the more comfortable ones are also pretty pricy. They're also so bulky that they're not always great to use out of the house or traveling, and are an item that I feel is more likely to get stolen because of its larger visibility. If I get one, I'd only really use it at home - not something I'd feel comfortable using on the go or even at work. I'd really hate it if we moved to a wireless option - I would much prefer a port all the same.

Great video. Is it really practical to say apple can include lightning on 15 and 16 and wait until 17 to go portless (or USB-C)? That would give only 15 months of sales on 15 and only 3 months of sales on 16. Seems like apple is forced on 15 to “comply”.

I don't think ALL use of wires will vanish for quite a long time without some insane breakthroughs in technology. For power, specifically, sure. But I haven't yet seen any kind of wireless *data transfer* that doesn't come with noticable delays compared to wired connections.

From a physical design perspective I prefer the lightning port of apple over the USB C. The USB-C port is bigger, harder to clean and has pins within the port that are easier to break. Also the lightning port has a satisfying soft locking mechanism. The USB-C port is obviously much more capable but in power delivery, compatibility and data transfer.

I think Apple will bring USB-C with the next iPhone's. I'm worried it won't be the fast USB's (incl. in Pro), I mean Apple never had plans for USB-C in the first place. So they will probably stick to there there orignal plan and alternate solutions (like MagSafe), and bring us a completely new wireless solution in the future.

I think USB-C is going to stick around for a long while, because it can be improved while still having the same physical form factor, which I think most people agree is leagues better than previous generations.

I would have preferred a regulatory body to determine the standard or even empowering a trade group to mandate an open standard. The big problem with lightning was always the royalties effectively killing competition

I'm sure this has been said somewhere here, but do you think they could get around it with a lightning to USB-C dongle included with the phone. Or whether that would be in their best interest financially

I think they’re going to go portless. That way, because the phone isn’t able to use a cable, they don’t have to make USB-C. That also means they can keep selling MagSafe Duo, MagSafe battery pack and all that.

Great video. Superbly put debate. Love your work sir.

I think you are right there. I am just wondering about all those cars that don't have wireless carplay. Will they be able to get the magsafe pucks or something equivalent to work for that. I mean I know eventually that wont be an issue as it will be standard but there are millions of cars out there that would be useless with out a charging port for the carplay forcing people to either move to Android or get a new car. I mean I know that is not a TODAY problem but that was the first thing I thought of when watching this video was how would I use my phone in my car.

I like the fact that’s they’re complaining about e-waste when standardization of cables would mean less, since everyone can just use one cord for most of their devices

I laughed so hard at the thought of Apple ACTUALLY putting the puck into the sales package - never going to happen.

No port entirely seems pretty awful imo there are so many times I’m using my phone while plugged in and find it hard to imagine trying to use my phone with a big magnet on the back inefficiently charging my battery.

I'm all for USB-C becoming the standard for everything, but given it only needs to be for charging it gives Apple the ability to make it only do anything else with certified things. If they go with no port it will be even more ridiculous. But I'm an Android user, so if they do mess up in some way I'll find it highly amusing.

I wouldn't be surprised to see wireless charging before USB c on iphone but since the iPad pro dropped I've been a bit confused on the ecosystem split. MacBook and iPad charge via USB c so why keep the iphone and other accessories lightning? I've been itching to switch back to iphone after being with Samsung for about ten years but all my devices are on usbc right now and it irks me to think about having to purchase new cables (since the new iphones no longer come with it) 🤷🏻‍♀️ small caviat but it's there

I know a lot of people who use cases with card wallets on the back, and pop sockets. I'm wondering how forced wireless charging work for those people.

imagine all those MagSafe cables that need much more resources to be made instead of usual cables, really great for the environment

As an engineer this is Ideally impossible unless they’ll have to ditch more up coming law, firstly Charging ports serve more than just charging, from rooting, jailbreak, testing, data transfer, correcting os file corruption and the truth wireless charging with magnets will never contain such features, so if Apple really dared to go full wireless they should be ready to face some charges with Apple well known to hate 3rd party repairs and “Self repair “ it’ll be interesting how Apple will play the game

I don't agree that the port will change any time soon. In fact, USB-C has 16 data transfer pins, thats A LOT and its also VERY flexible. Just look at your RJ-45, a standard used in networking since forever, it has "only" 4 pairs (8 pins) yet it can go up to speeds of 100Gbit over 100 meters. Just imagine what inovation, shielding and tighter tolerances can do on a meter long cable with double the pins ( yes not all 16 pins are used for direct data transfer, but even with half, thats plenty enough future-proofing for now). And don't start on wireless, my chromecast which is literally next to my business grade AP (for warehouses, plenty of power) cannot play 4K video over wifi, yet a computer wight next to it via cable has no issues. CABLE IS CABLE, you can't change my mind.

Problem with removing a wired port entirely is the inability to connect a phone to a computer to do a factory restore in case of a bricked device

Linus made a good point that perhaps we won't need something better than what type C is capable of. Isn't this the case?

I like the Idea, of USB c but if you compare the apple port to USB c the apple lightning port is a lot more robust, it just has less points of failure as compared to the USB C

What I think people always overlook is the fact, that wireless charging is also wired, only the place where you put your charger changes to the back of the Phone. In my opinion the advantages are marginal...

I think forcing them to do usb c is just fine; to be so explicit in their instructions just to punish apple for avoiding it. and when a new standard is adopted, they can pass a new law to force them to specifically use that standard. hopefully after several laws apple will just avoid the whole thing and preimptively comply with the standard instead of being jerks

A big concern to switch me to MagSafe is CarPlay it’s a major feature I use on the daily

Ironically, if the magsafe thing doesn't come with a plug actually attached to the wire but instead requires you to plug it into a receptacle that magsafe wire will still have to have a USBC connector to plug into a charging receptacle that you plug into your wall. So they're still going to be making USBC if that is the case

It's so crazy that Apple would rather be stubborn to not only give up their data transfer speeds of 480Mbps and possibly make it even slower with the push to wireless transfer rates But that they also don't wanna raise those speeds up to 40Gbps by just switching to USB. It's not even a question at that point it's just better. It would significantly speed up their charging speeds as well, just a stubborn company

I prefer the ability to plug in my phone and use it at the same time. Also, not all cars have good wireless airplay so thats gonna be a bummer unless they push the automative industry hard.

The EU gave corporations push to standardise themselves years ago without forcing them into any standard! Even you mentioned it in video before. Most of corporations moved to USBC by themselves, Apple didn't and did not proposed any better alternative. So now its a law.

Thanks for the very clear explanation of what Apple is doing next

What if (in theory) Apple would keep their lightning port but stop their software from letting the iPhone charge? It would make it a cheap solution and it could in theory be bypassed?

Apple kept promising than actually introducing this change so a whole continent forced it into reality. I’m impressed.

I can’t wait for the riddance of lightening cables!! I’ve been using iPhones for over a decade and it’s my biggest request. Well done to the EU!

i'm sure most of the product designers and engineers at Apple would be glad to finally get to use usb-c

I always roll my eyes when these companies pretend to care about e-waste. If their concerns were genuine, they wouldn't insist on releasing new phones every year. At this point, the "improvements" are so minor year-to-year that it's unnecessary - people could easily go at least 2 years between phones, and that alone would give a drastic reduction in e-waste. I get myself a new phone every 5 years or so, and that's usually only because I'm effectively forced to if I want to use newer software. I don't view a phone as a fashion accessory, or even an essential item, and my life doesn't revolve around it. I'd probably still be on my HTC Desire S if I knew newer software would be usable.

The only thing that trouble's me about this is the carplay connection, older cars don't have a wireless connection mechanism

At this point I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out that Apple lobbied to have the law worded like that

I use the port, not just for charging, but for data transfer as well, something MagSafe doesn’t do. Also because the wireless charging doesn’t have enough power at a simple 10w, where with the wired charging you can get up to 15watts, sometimes more. I tested my iPhone. With the wireless charger to go from 10% to 100% took 2 hours. Wired it took 53min. Big difference. The other problem, is in my vehicle, my phone holder won’t hold the phone AND s mag safe charger. I am in an off road vehicle, and the magnet is not strong enough to hold the phone on it when I’m on a bumpy road. Vehicle charging holders will be an issue.