The Indian government has mandated the use of a standard USB Type C charging port for all mobile phones beginning in 2025, following the lead of a European Union regulation.
It's not the first time that India has followed the EU's lead; the European regulator also served as the inspiration for a recent Competition Commission of India (CCI) decision against Google, which required the tech giant to allow third-party app stores inside of its Play Store. However, the plans of just one company—Apple—are derailed by this new ruling.
On its iPhones since 2012, Apple has utilised the lightning connector. Naturally, Android manufacturers for almost ten years used micro USB, which is still present in some budget phones, but since 2015, the industry has gradually shifted to Type C, with Apple being the lone holdout.
Greg Joswiak, the head of marketing at Apple, acknowledged his annoyance with the EU regulations in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. Additionally, he recognised that Apple will be compelled to follow the ruling, and iPhone models sold in the EU—and likely everywhere else by 2025—will use USB Type C. However, there was some ambiguity in his admission.
The wireless power consortium declared earlier this month at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that Apple would contribute MagSafe to the upcoming Qi wireless charging standard. It is significant because MagSafe, which Apple introduced with the iPhone 12 in 2020, is its own proprietary method of wireless charging.
Why would Apple divulge its trade secrets to the public? I think regulators from all over the world are pressuring Apple to adopt USB Type C. MagSafe-certified accessories like cases, wireless chargers, wireless power banks, and even magnetic docks bring in a lot of money for Apple. But the world's most exclusive company is dispensing with its standard? How come?
The iPhone without ports
Apple has long imagined an iPhone devoid of all buttons and ports for connecting devices. Users should not be surprised to learn that Apple has made progress over the past ten years toward realising its vision of offering a fully wireless experience.
The 'Lightning Connector,' which first appeared in 2012 before USB Type C, was its first step. The release of the iPhone 7 in 2016 marked the next significant development, which was the infamous removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack. In addition, it removed the physical home button from its iPhones in favour of a virtual one that mimicked a real tactile push using the tactic engine and its vibration system.
The home button was completely abandoned in the 2017 iPhone X. The iPhone 15 models, at least the "Pro" models, are rumoured to have buttons for the volume and power switch that are similar to those on the iPhone 7. This could be the next step, and it could happen in 2023. The mechanical side buttons will probably be replaced by a system that mimics tactile feedback by Apple.
With the trackpad of the MacBook in 2015, Apple demonstrated its mastery of this technology. By the end of this year, the iPhone might not have any other physical moving parts besides the Lightning or USB Type C ports.
Theoretically, Apple could circumvent all USB Type C regulations by the time the iPhone 16 is released in 2024 and offer a fully symmetrical iPhone that only accepts wireless charging through the MagSafe.
Apple's tenacity is demonstrated by the fact that USB 2.0 data transfer rates for an iPhone over a wired connection are still pitifully slow. AirDrop, a wireless peer-to-peer data transfer technology that is supported by Apple products like the Mac, iPad, iPhone, and iPod, is encouraged for use.
Wireless iPhone
Apple enjoys streamlining its products and getting rid of potential flaws. The mechanical home button was swapped out for a simulated one because the mechanical one's dependability was a problem. Later this year, this might occur with the power and volume buttons.
The tech giant aimed to get rid of a dated part with the 3.5mm headphone jack. It sought to make more room for items like batteries, which some may consider to be hogwash. Additionally, it desired the industrial design symmetry that was long favoured by Sir Jonathan Paul Ive, its former chief design officer.
There might be advantages to removing the Lightning cable port. A short circuit could destroy not only the lightning cable and charging port but also the iPhone's entire logic board, so first off, this charging port is a potential point of failure. It is typically something that cannot be fixed.
In addition, it will increase sales of MagSafe chargers, which are more costly than regular lightning cables and have few third-party substitutes.
Furthermore, an iPhone's maximum wireless charging speed is 15W, which is a little less than the 20W wired charging speeds that Apple provides. An average iPhone user won't notice the difference because wireless charging speeds are improving every year.
Futuristic approach
Apple is planning for the future even as regulators from all over the world continue to discuss the charging plug format. Induction charging will be used for everything within the next ten years, including electric vehicles.
Apple aspires to progress. In 2012, it desired that Lightning become the norm for all devices. But Intel was also working on USB Type C at the same time. Because it included the lightning-fast Thunderbolt protocol, manufacturers backed it.
The tech giant does not want to see history repeat itself. It is waiving its patents by significantly contributing to the next-generation Qi wireless charging format, allowing every manufacturer access to the technology it pioneered while keeping up with the times.
MagSafe entails more than just an induction-based charging method and IP centred on high-intensity magnets that allow the charging puck to adhere to the device. It includes a microcontroller inside the device that allows the operating system to detect the presence of a MagSafe-compliant accessory.
Given that many manufacturers are now offering faster 50W wireless charging speeds through exclusive charging docks, Apple may decide to open-source the technology's core and establish it as the industry standard for wireless charging. MagSafe has greater ubiquity even though it takes longer to charge because it does more than just charging and is widely used by Apple users.
For items made by businesses like Belkin, which offers a variety of MagSafe-compliant accessories, Apple is likely to have a "designed iPhone" programme that already exists. As a result, it will be able to generate more royalties.
Ultimately, regulators from all over the world have been waiting too long to impose a standardised charging format. In phones that cost more than Rs 40,000, wireless charging is increasingly common. Apple currently offers wireless charging on all of its most recent smartphones, and thanks to MagSafe and the new Qi standard, improvements in technology in the next one to two years will probably result in an iPhone that doesn't require wired charging.