According to iGeneration, Apple plans to stop selling the iPhone SE and the iPhone 14 series by the end of this year due to the impending deadline for the USB-C universal charging connector regulation.
The oldest models currently available directly from Apple include the third-generation iPhone SE, alongside the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. These devices, equipped with a Lightning port, do not comply with the European Union directive that takes effect in January 2025.
Apple had the option to produce revamped versions of these phones featuring USB-C ports instead of Lightning, but they have chosen not to pursue that route. Instead, the company has opted to phase out these models a bit earlier than anticipated.
Ultimately, this isn’t a significant loss. In the spring of 2025, Apple is set to release a new fourth-generation iPhone SE, which will obviously include a USB-C port. (The upcoming iPhone SE is anticipated to have a design similar to the iPhone 14, boasting an edge-to-edge display, enhanced camera capabilities, and USB-C charging.)
Typically, Apple would have continued selling the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus in the EU until the iPhone 16 launch next fall, at which point the 14s would have been phased out. Therefore, Apple stands to lose around a year of potential sales for those models.
In markets outside of the EU, expect Apple to keep the SE available until the new version launches, and the iPhone 14 series will likely remain on sale until the end of 2025. Consequently, the era of Lightning ports in Apple devices is coming to a definitive close.
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