Starting December 28, all new smartphones sold in the European Union must be equipped with a USB-C charging port. And although there is still more than a week left until the appointed date, Apple has already begun removing from sale the iPhone SE, iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus – the last iPhones in production equipped with the proprietary Lightning charging port.
Image Source: Apple
The MacRumors portal drew attention to the disappearance of the iPhone SE, iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus smartphone models from sale in Apple’s Swiss online store. Earlier, the French portal iGeneration also reported this. The Verge confirmed that when trying to add these smartphones to a virtual cart, the store reports that the devices are “not currently available” for purchase.
These smartphones are still available for purchase in other Apple stores in the EU, such as France and Spain. However, given the December 28 deadline, they will eventually be removed from sale there too. It is unclear why Apple decided not to wait until December 28 and stopped sales of these smartphone models in Switzerland in advance. The Verge contacted Apple, but they did not respond to the request.
It was the new EU law that became the last convincing argument for Apple to switch to USB-C charging in iPhone 15 smartphones in 2023. As for the iPhone SE, according to rumors, the fourth generation model will be released in early 2025. It is expected to be equipped with USB-C charging and an OLED display.