Apple’s USB-C charging speed cap gets a big “nope” from EU

In a move that screams “better late than never,” Apple is finally hopping on the USB-C bandwagon for the iPhone 15. Well, that’s the word on the street

This major shift isn’t Apple volunteering to be nice and providing a need for its customers; it’s a direct response to the EU’s not-so-subtle threat to ban iPhone sales if they don’t play nice with standard charger regulations.

The EU gave Apple until December 2024 to figure it all out, which means Apple has plenty of time to launch the iPhone 15 and 16 with restricted USB-C or Lightning ports if it decides to test the waters.

Even with the deadline breathing down their necks, Apple’s Senior VP of Worldwide Marketing, Greg Joswiak, hinted that the company plans to play ball with the EU regulations sooner rather than later.

So why the sudden show of force?

According to the German news site Die Zeit (via Forbes), word got out that Apple is scheming to slow down USB-C charging and data transfer speeds for the iPhone.

But there’s a catch – this restriction will only apply to cables that haven’t received the official Made for iPhone (MFi) stamp of approval.

In response, EU Industry Commissioner, Theirry Breton, told Apple, “Devices that do not meet the requirements for the uniform charger are not approved on the EU market.”

Yea, that seems like a firm no.

Apple doesn’t like being told “No”

Will this ignite a fiery tussle between Apple and the EU? Probably not. Apple likes money, and they like a lot of it.

If I were a betting man, Apple will do the right thing and not limit charging or transfer speeds on USB-C cables they don’t make.

The iPhone 15 is set to launch sometime in September at the company’s annual Apple event. We’ll keep you posted if we hear anything else new.

Have any thoughts on this? Drop us a line below in the comments, or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Kevin Raposo

Kevin is KnowTechie's founder and executive editor. With over 15 years of blogging experience in the tech industry, Kevin has transformed what was once a passion project into a full-blown tech news publication. Shoot him an email at kevin@knowtechie.com or find him on Mastodon or Post.