Europe will require USB-C chargers. Apple isn’t happy https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/23/tech/europe-phone-chargers-apple/index.html
This won’t take effect until 2024. My guess is that Apple will go portless by then.
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Yes they have quite along way to go but in terms of design and getting it to production it’s still a short time. May be one more version and we can see some changes portless or with USB C
I’m sure they have been considering this for some years and have a contingency plan in place. They are already moving that way for the iPads and I believe the charging puck for the new Apple watch is also USB-C.
Why couldn’t they just include a USB-C to lightning adapter in the box for all iPhones sold in Europe?
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Because people didn’t want to have two different cables to deal with.
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That’s probably exactly what they’ll do, if they aren’t wireless by then.
Assuming that wireless-only is allowed.
What’s preventing Apple from doing that though?
The puck end being USB doesn’t help. They need the port on the device itself to be USB C so that the cables can be universal
Lightning cables sales and royalty revenue from it 
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From Apple’s perspective, wouldn’t it be better than having to switch the iPhone to USB-C?
Yes. But they won’t be able to sell in EU if they don’t abide by the regulations right
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The whole “adapter in a box” thing is very much a loophole to that.
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From the article:
The European Union proposed new rules on Thursday that will make USB-C ports standard on smartphones, tablets, cameras, phones, portable speakers and handheld video game systems.
Not adapters in the box, but on the device. The idea being not having to buy and carry around a handful of gizmos just to charge or power ones device.
As @sangadi said above, this will be a deep cut to Apple’s sales of grossly overpriced cables and chargers.
Is that worded verbatim from the proposal?
Yes, that was my read of the proposed legislation too. If I’m reading it correctly, it’s proposing that USB-C connectors are the standard charging port.
Feel free to fact check me.
I didn’t read the proposal.
Let me know what you find, and I’ll amend my post accordingly.
Note that @jaketheo may have misread the legislation, so let me know what you find out when you read the legislation.
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Where in the legislation did it say that? I’d like to read into this further.
It’s good for consumers but at the same time imposing such restrictions also restricts innovation too. Why USB C should be the standard and not Lightning Port?
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