Apple Ditching The Lightning Cable With iPhone 15 Signals Another Blow For Proprietary Tech

Death to the Lightning cable. Long live USB-C. After more than a decade as the dominant charging method for all Apple iPhone models and a growing list of accessories, the Lightning cable is finally ready to go quietly into that good night as USB-C scores a win for universality in tech. 

Apple has finally made the right decision by replacing the Lightning cable with USB-C for the iPhone 15, but it did require some legal force from the European Union. Back in June 2022, a new EU regulation was announced that would require USB Type-C to become the standard charging port by autumn 2024 for mobile phones, tablets, cameras, earbuds, and just about every major tech device you can think of. By October 2022, Apple executive Greg Joswiak confirmed to The Wall Street Journal that “obviously, [Apple will] have to comply; we have no choice.” 

The time for tech executives hemming and hawing about regulatory overreach has passed, and universal charging is now being accepted as the reality. While the regulation itself was more centered on the undeniable impact that this should have on reducing e-waste, it’s a huge win for consumers who have long had to bear the financial burden of companies insisting they stick to proprietary cables and other accessories. 

While corporations often push back on universal options, particularly as having proprietary tech means they can charge more and attempt to block third-party sellers in an effort to solidify a monopoly, the industry has spoken time and time again in favor of universality. Apple is no stranger to proprietary technology, as the 30-pin connector kicked off their proprietary push for mobile devices starting with the 3rd generation iPod Classic in 2003, as even the original iPod Classic used the more industry-wide FireWire port.  

The 30-pin connector was kept for nearly a decade on iPod Classic, iPod Touch, iPad, and iPhone models, and its replacement by the Lightning cable opened up a new issue for consumers. Apple users had spent years accumulating Apple-specific accessories that connect by docking via the 30-pin connector, and suddenly anyone who didn’t want to replace their accessories to use them with a new product would need to spend $29 for the exclusive adapter sold by Apple. 

Proprietary tech hasn’t all been bad for Apple, as arguably their most successful example is MagSafe power connectors first introduced for the MacBook Pro in 2006. Adapting a technology often used for deep fryers and Japanese countertop cooking appliances to avoid yanked cables spilling hot contents, MagSafe gave consumers an easy-to-attach power cable that would safely detach if pulled rather than dragging your expensive MacBook Pro crashing to the floor. MagSafe briefly got replaced by USB-C between 2016 and 2019, but the MacBook Pro models in 2021 brought it back. 

The Thunderbolt port, preceded by FireWire on their laptop models, were also a sort of proprietary adjacent option as Apple developed it alongside Intel to combine PCI-Express and DisplayPort connectors into a single connection. While it saw some use outside of Apple products, the use of the Thunderbolt port on MacBook models starting in 2011 represented the majority of its presence in the industry. In all fairness, Apple isn’t alone in tech when it comes to pushing proprietary tech. Video game technology has leaned that way for years, but they were (reluctantly) a bit quicker than Apple to shift towards more universality by adapting industry standards across multiple companies. 

The biggest proprietary tech in videogames for some time were memory cards and controller ports, and going back to the days of PlayStation 2 and GameCube in the early 2000s there was a 90% chance that the memory card for your console would have to be bought directly from the manufacturer of said console. The last hurrah for proprietary memory cards in videogames came from Sony with the PlayStation Vita (PS Vita) in late 2011 as they required a fully proprietary and exclusive PS Vita Memory Card for use with the console. 

In the decade since, gaming companies have shifted more towards industry-standard SD Card and MicroSD Card formats. Meanwhile, video game controllers that once used entirely proprietary ports for every different console eventually shifted to MicroUSB and now to USB-C. While you may not be able to use any type of controller interchangeably with any videogame console, consumers can at least trust the USB-C cable will meet their charging needs across all of them. 

Little by little, different areas of the tech industry are making inroads and scoring long-term wins for universality. While the use of proprietary tech isn’t going to be taken out entirely, keeping the biggest and most powerful companies from monopolizing every individual aspect of their products is always worth fighting for. After a decade of the Lightning cable having a chokehold on consumers, it can fade away into our memory along with GameCube controller ports and PS Vita Memory Cards. Regulation got the job done this time, but there’s plenty more work to do in the coming years.