Sorry, Apple, but you’ve been overruled. 602 members of the European Parliament voted to force tech companies like Apple to make the switch to USB-C chargers.
The vote still needs the official sign-off from the EU member states but it’s likely to be written into law at the beginning of 2023. Companies would then have by the fall of 2024 to convert all phones and tablets sold in Europe to be compatible USB-C cables.
With only 13 members voting against it, the proposal had strong support even amid pushback from Apple which claims their Lightning charging ports keep their iPhone designs slim. The proposal is also a big win for environmentalist activists who say that standardizing charging cables will not only greatly reduce environmental waste but also save consumers an estimated $247 million per year.