Apple will switch from Lightning to USB-C charging connections.

Philippines’ MANILA Apple will gradually replace its Lightning connections for charging iPhones in the near future in favour of USB-C connectors.

The announcement followed a decision by the European Parliament requiring all smartphones and mobile gadgets to have a standard charging connection by the end of the next two years; laptops must follow suit by 2026.

Several Android smartphones and other devices presently employ USB-C ports with an oval form. As a result, the cables and ports of many devices are interchangeable.

Apple has switched several of its devices, including the MacBook and iPad, to USB-C charging connectors, but has resisted doing the same for the iPhone because it “stifles innovation rather than stimulates it.”