What you need to know
- A new report says USB-C demand is expected to skyrocket over the next two years.
- Digitimes reports that demand could grow 50% in 2021 and 2022.
- In part, EU legislation mandating the technology in smartphones could drive demand.
A new report indicates suppliers expect USB-C demand to skyrocket over the next two years, despite reports Apple plans to cling on to Lightning in the new iPhone 13.
From Digitimes:
Taiwan-based IC design houses are generally optimistic about globally increasing adoption of USB Type-C interface specification, and expect global demand for Type-C chips to grow over 50% on year in 2021 and 2022 each, according to industry sources.
The report notes that whilst there are still plenty of different charger standards kicking about, including Lightning in the iPhone 12, currently Apple's best iPhone, USB-C appears to be gaining the upper hand. Also of note are proposed plans within the EU to mandate the technology as a charging standard, from a report last week:
A new report says that the European Commission is planning to introduce new legislation that could force mobile phone vendors to sell phones with a single standard of charger.A Reuters report states:The European Commission will next month present legislation to establish a common charger for mobile phones and other electronic devices within the 27-nation bloc, a person familiar with the matter said on Thursday.
Apple has warned the EU against a move, saying it will create massive amounts of e-waste by rendering Lightning products useless, and that furthermore the industry is moving to the standard of its own accord, so there's no need to legislate. Apple now supports USB-C in its M1 iPad Pro (2021) and iPad Air, and is expected to add the standard to the new iPad Mini 6, rumored for a huge update later this year.
