Tech giant Apple has officially announced that its latest iPhone, the iPhone 15, will no longer feature the proprietary lightning charging port. Instead, it will adopt the universally accepted standard, the USB-C cable. This decision, influenced by a directive from the European Union, was revealed during Apple’s annual event on Tuesday.
Alongside the new iPhone, Apple also introduced a more advanced chip in the latest Apple Watch series. However, some industry experts noted that the absence of groundbreaking updates may leave some consumers disappointed.
Ben Wood, an analyst at CCS Insight, commented, “It isn’t a surprise given the maturity of the iPhone and Watch. It reflects just how refined the iPhone and Watch devices are and how tough it has become to deliver truly disruptive updates every year.”
The iPhone 15, set to hit the market next week, marks the first departure from the lightning charging port introduced in 2012. Apple stated that the USB-C cable, already compatible with many Apple laptops and iPads, will also work with new versions of its AirPods Pro earphones and wired EarPods headphones.
The EU directive urged tech companies to abandon proprietary charging ports to benefit consumers by saving them money and reducing e-waste through charger re-use. Nevertheless, some critics argue that this transition may lead to an increase in discarded cables in the future.
In response to these concerns, Apple used its product launch event to make environmental commitments, including achieving carbon neutrality for the new Apple Watch series. The company also pledged to incorporate more recycled materials into batteries and other components of its new Watch and iPhone.
Apple CEO Tim Cook emphasized that the iPhone 15 range represents the “best and most capable iPhones we’ve ever made.” However, some experts question whether consumers will be willing to pay the high price tags for devices that do not offer significant differences from their predecessors. The iPhone 15 Pro, for example, starts at £999 in the UK.
Paolo Pescatore, analyst and founder of PP Foresight, noted, “Convincing users to invest in these new devices will not be easy during a cost-of-living crisis. Some will view the new features as incremental, [though] collectively they enhance the overall experience, which is invaluable to Apple’s core user base.”
Apple’s shares experienced a slight decline on Tuesday, failing to recover from a sharp drop the previous week, prompted by reports of a Chinese government ban on officials using iPhones. Investor concerns were exacerbated by Huawei’s launch of a new smartphone series in China.
While the global smartphone market saw a decrease in shipments, from 294.5 million total phones to 268 million in the second quarter of 2023, Apple experienced the smallest decline among major smartphone manufacturers, with shipments dropping from 46.5 million to 45.3 million phones, according to Counterpoint Research analysts.
