Last updated on : January 28th, 2020 by Techferal
Abandoning the Lightning connector used on its iPhones would create an "unprecedented amount of electronic waste" as stated by Apple.
While the latest Android phones have a USB-C port, Apple iPhones still use the patented Lightning port. To reduce e-waste, a group of members of the European Parliament want all phone manufacturers to adopt a universal port to be used in all phone. But Apple says the measure would create more waste by making Lightning-compatible accessories obsolete.
European politicians have been campaigning for a single cargo port for the past decade.
The European Commission estimates that obsolete cables generate more than 51,000 tons of waste per year.
Alex Agius Saliba, member of European parliament said, "This is very harmful to the environment".
In 2009, there were more than 30 different chargers in the market when phone manufacturers devised their own connectors.
Therefore, several technology giants, including Apple, Samsung and Nokia, etc signed a joint commitment to provide chargers compatible with the micro-USB standard.
However, Apple introduced its Lightning port in 2012, taking advantage of a gap that allowed it to design its own port, as long as it offered a micro-USB adapter for sale.
Apple said on the above subject that “We do not believe there is a regulatory case since the industry is already moving towards the use of USB-C through a connector or cable assembly."
Apple already using USB-C on its Mac book (laptops) and on its latest iPads.
He explained that his USB-C power adapter was compatible with "all iPhone and iPad devices," allowing customers to "reuse their charger."
An analyst said that USB-C resolved some of the "historical objections" that Apple had for micro-USB, including that it was more easily damaged and had to be inserted in the right way. However, he suggested Apple's public defense of its Lightning connector suggested that it has a plan new devices that were compatible with it.
