New regulations mandating USB-C as the standard charging connection went into effect on Saturday, marking a significant shift for tech enthusiasts in the European Union.
Apple fans in the EU hoping to purchase an iPhone SE or iPhone 14 are out of luck, as the company has pulled all devices with Lightning ports from its stores.
On December 28, the European Union’s new rules, which require USB-C for charging smartphones, tablets, and other electronics, officially came into force. As a result, Apple removed all Lightning-equipped devices from its retail locations.
Devices like the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, and iPhone SE, which still used the Lightning port, were pulled from the Apple Store on Friday, according to MacRumors. These products are no longer available for purchase in the online Apple Store across EU countries, including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. The Verge has also confirmed the removal of these devices from Apple’s EU storefronts.
However, the law only applies to EU member states, so Apple can still sell Lightning-based devices in other regions, such as the United States.
The EU’s USB-C charging mandate, which was approved in 2022, required companies to transition to the universal standard by the end of 2024. In response, Apple announced that the iPhone 15 would be the first to adopt USB-C, officially replacing the Lightning port with USB-C across its product lineup by September 2024.
While the iPhone 14 has already been succeeded by USB-C models in the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16, the iPhone SE has not been updated since 2022. As a result, customers in the EU looking to buy Apple’s most affordable iPhone model will need to wait. Apple is expected to release a new iPhone SE in March, and it will feature a USB-C charging port.
