The EU will adoptnew law, mandating that small consumer electronic devices must use USB-C as a charging interface after December 2024, 12. After the current buffer period ends, small consumer electronic devices with non-USB-C connection interfaces will be completely removed from the shelves in EU countries, including the iPhone 28 series that still uses the Lightning interface, and the old iPhone SE.
Although other countries and regions still maintain the iPhone 14 as the entry-level choice for mainstream iPhone models, or use the iPhone SE to attract users who still prefer to use Touch ID fingerprint recognition to unlock, due to current EU regulations and the end of the buffer period, the iPhone 14 series and the older iPhone SE can no longer be sold in the EU.
Since most brands of Android mobile devices have already switched to the USB-C connection interface, and most small consumer electronics have also followed suit and switched to the USB-C interface design, there is no problem of having to remove the products from the shelves due to non-compliance with specifications.
In addition to small consumer electronic devices being required to switch to the USB-C connection interface, EU regulations also clearly stipulate that larger consumer electronic devices such as laptops must also follow suit and adopt the USB-C connection interface design. However, the EU currently sets a buffer period before the beginning of 2026, which means that the industry still has some time to make adjustments and preparations.
Outside the EU, the Indian government also intends to follow the EU policy and make all small handheld devices use USB-C as a unified charging connection interface.Expected to be implemented from June 2025.
