iPhone Abandons Lightning Port—Era of Unified Charger Arrives
iPhone Abandons Lightning Port—Era of Unified Charger Arrives
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  • 승인 2022.06.19 23:47
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▲Standard charger USB-C (left) and Apple's  charger / BBC
▲Standard charger USB-C (left) and Apple's charger / BBC

 

A prediction was raised that Apple’s own charging port which was first released in 2012 would finally be discontinued. In the last decade, Apple has stuck to their charging type, ‘Lightning’, but it is predicted that Apple will change it into ‘USB-C’ which is an international standard due to the recently emerging environmental issues, increase in consumer complaints, and EU sanctions. Accordingly, consumers and the mobile market show a hospitable position.
Almost every company adopted USB-C since the mid to late 2010s and port standardization seems to be achieved, but Apple continued to use lightning until the very end, causing inconvenience to consumers. In addition, lightning has numerous disadvantages such as inefficient dualized production of smartphone-related product manufacturers, increase in electronic waste, and incompatibility with USB-C ports. In the case of Korea, the Android·iOS charger confusion has steadily continued because the proportion of Android smartphones in the Korean market is rather high.
The EU has reported that unstandardized chargers cause 11,000 tons of electronic waste every year and they have passed an amendment to standardize USB-C chargers on April 21. As an environmental obligation is spotlighted in accordance with recent ESG management, there is an opinion that the withdrawal of unnecessary independent charging ports is inevitable. The TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts that USB-C will be installed in the iPhone15 due to be released next year.
There are many positive voices about this standardization of charging ports. Because all IT devices’ charging systems except Apple’s lightning have already been standardized, complete standardization is possible if Apple participates in this trend.
It is expected that there are a lot of benefits in Korea’s IT market. Due to the characteristics of Korea’s market, where Android shows dominance, many consumers were inconvenienced by the charger compatibility problem between the two sides, but this will be resolved with Apple’s introduction of USB-C. Moreover, the smartphone accessory market is also moving. Some USB-C technology-related stocks have already risen in price.
Apple has protested, saying that policies such as standardization of chargers would interfere with manufacturers’ development of various technologies, but the benefits are found to be much greater. Accordingly, Apple is gradually expanding USB-C installation of its products.
Meanwhile, starting with the unification of charging ports, it is expected that such technology policies that value consumer convenience and the environment will expand further.