Brazil Next in Line to Force USB-C on iPhones: Report

According to a report from Tecnoblog, Brazilian regulatory authority Anatel has submitted a proposal mandating USB-C ports on all smartphones (via 9to5Mac).

The news comes after the EU earlier this month mandated USB-C on all iPhones sold in Europe by 2024. A recent report indicated the U.S. also wants to “follow the lead of the European Union.”

If Anatel’s proposal is approved, Apple would be required to replace the Lightning connectors on all iPhones sold in Brazil with USB-C ports. The iPhone remains one of the last holdouts for USB-C adoption.

Apple has repeatedly resisted the EU’s plans to standardize USB-C, claiming that killing its proprietary Lightning port would create an “unprecedented amount of electronic waste.” However, Apple may not be able to drag its feet any longer as regulatory support for a universal connector spreads across the globe.

The Brazilian regulator believes USB-C offers “greater convenience for consumers” and will help reduce e-waste. Anatel’s proposal only focuses entirely on smartphones, at least for now.

The EU agreement, on the other hand, covers phones, laptops, tablets, cameras, handheld game consoles, and more. Anatel has also excluded devices that only charge wirelessly.

The Brazilian proposal is currently in the public consultation phase. Brazilian residents and tech companies can share their input on the proposal until August 26, 2022. If the proposal is approved, it will go into effect on July 1, 2024.

A slew of Apple’s products, including most iPads, have already been switched over to USB-C for the standard’s greater data bandwidth compared to Apple’s almost decade-old proprietary connector.

Apple is reportedly testing future iPhone models with USB-C ports already. Analysts believe the company could transition the iPhone to USB-C as early as 2023. That would be well before any of the USB-C mandates take effect.

This isn’t the first time Brazil has been a pain point for Apple. Back in 2020, it required the tech giant to include a power adapter with the iPhone 12 even though it had been removed in all other markets.

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