Starting today, the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, and third-generation iPhone SE have been removed from Apple’s online store in most European Union countries.
This is due to a regulation that requires smartphones with wired charging capabilities that are newly placed for sale to be equipped with a USB-C port in the European Union (EU). In 2022, the European Parliament voted in favor of enforcing USB-C as a common charging port across a range of consumer electronic devices, including the iPhone, by the end of 2024.
Starting spring 2026, this will also apply to laptops. Here are details from a press release by the European Parliament at the time:
Under the new rules, consumers will no longer need a different charger every time they purchase a new device, as they will be able to use one single charger for a whole range of small and medium-sized portable electronic devices.
Regardless of their manufacturer, all new mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones and headsets, handheld videogame consoles and portable speakers, e-readers, keyboards, mice, portable navigation systems, earbuds and laptops that are rechargeable via a wired cable, operating with a power delivery of up to 100 Watts, will have to be equipped with a USB Type-C port.
All devices that support fast charging will now have the same charging speed, allowing users to charge their devices at the same speed with any compatible charger.
Article provided with permission from AppleWorld.Today
