Why Apple's Lightning Port Could Fizzle Out Sooner Than You Think

The days of Apple Inc's AAPL iPhones sporting the lightning port could be numbered. 

What Happened: The proprietary port, introduced in 2012, could finally meet its end in the fall of 2024 if a provisional EU agreement is approved by the European Council and Parliament.  

The iPad began transitioning away from the lightning port in 2018. In September 2021, Apple announced the new iPad mini with a USB-C charging port. 

Lightning has since then been mainly found on iPhones, although it is also the connector for charging AirPods cases.

When the proposed EU rules will come into force just as the iPhone 16 is due for launch, however, Apple might move existing devices to USB-C earlier as the new rule mandates that there shouldn’t be any products on the market that are not compliant, reported The Verge. 

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Why It Matters: Taiwan-based analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said last month that Apple could ditch the lightning port as early as the second half of 2023.

A quarter of Apple’s iPhone sales came from Europe and the market is far too lucrative for the Tim Cook-led company to abandon such legislation, according to The Verge.

The iPhone maker could dish out EU-specific models as it does for mainland China and Hong Kong markets. Apple ships iPhones with dual physical sim card capabilities in those East Asian markets. 

However, such a move is reportedly unlikely because of Apple’s focus on supply chain efficiency. 

Price Action: On Wednesday, Apple shares traded largely unchanged in the regular trading at $147.92 and fell 0.5% in the after-hours session, according to data from Benzinga Pro.

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